.......Rolling in a RV - Wheelchair Traveling.......

Albany Civil Rights Institute

2012-02-23T18:00:00.002-06:00

    In the early 1960s the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was very active in Albany , Georgia registering black voters; staging mass protests and boycotts ; and attempting to integrate bus stations and businesses. Police Chief Laurie Pritchett responded by arresting the protesters , including Martin Luther King Jr.,for disturbing the peace. So many people were arrested that the jails in Albany and the surrounding communities were overwhelmed with a dozen people in cells meant for four. The Civil Rights Institute allows visitors to follow the story with photographs and audio and video recordings.

   Everything is accessible.

   There are a few parking spaces for cars in front of the museum. A large parking lot where RVs will fit is located at the east end of the block.

Chehaw Wild Animal Park

2012-02-22T18:50:00.001-06:00

This is a small zoo , nicely laid out with roomy enclosures for the animals. The paths are asphalt and boardwalk. Both are in pretty good condition. Everything is accessible but a few of the ramps are a little steep.

The park also has a campground. None of the sites are accessible but some could be used. The sites are all different so there are graveled sites , sandy sites , pine needle sites , concrete tables and wooden tables.

The campground sites and zoo parking lot are large enough for all RVs. Park

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

2012-02-21T18:48:00.001-06:00

We’re not sure what to make of this place. The park is beautiful but the Stephen Foster connection is tenuous. Stephen Foster , a northerner , composed many sentimental songs ,romanticizing the antebellum south even though he knew little about it ,having made only on trip down the Mississippi on a riverboat. Most of the songs were written for the Christie Minstrels ,a blackface group that performed in the north. One of the most famous “ Old Folks at Home” or “Suwannee River” was the basis for making a park at this location along the Suwannee River. The park visitor center has some really well done but stereotypical dioramas depicting scenes from Foster’s songs. The museum also contains a collection of old , unique pianos but little information about Foster. Other things to see in the park are a 97 bell Carillion Tower which plays songs on the hour and Craft Square , a small grouping of craft and gift shops.

Everything is accessible.

Parking for RVs is available at each of the points of interest but it’s such a small area that parking at the museum and walking or rolling (along the roads some of the way ) is a good option. We didn’t camp here but I’ve seen many positive reviews about the campground. Park

Falling Creek Falls Trail

2012-02-20T08:57:00.001-06:00

A waterfall in flat ,flat Florida? Not really – :)! A short boardwalk through the forest leads to this little ten foot waterfall.

The boardwalk is accessible. There’s also a picnic area with accessible restrooms and a small playground

The parking area is large enough for RVs but if it’s busy there may not be enough room to turn around. Waterfall

Ocean Pond Campground

2012-02-20T08:36:00.001-06:00

This is a quiet, forest campground bordering the edge of a lake. The sites are fairly large with a good amount of space and vegetation between them , more so for the non-electric ones.

None of the sites are specifically handicapped but most have paved parking aprons. The tables have long overhangs and the ground is hard packed sand. Campground

Battle of Olustee Reenactment

2012-02-18T21:17:00.001-06:00

The Battle of Olustee was a minor battle in the Civil War but it was the largest one fought in Florida. The Union army’s mission was to sever Confederate supply routes and liberate slaves but when the battle ended with 40% of the Union soldiers dead , wounded or missing , further military action in Florida was deemed to be unnecessary. The reenactment is held at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park , the actual battlefield. The entire park becomes a living history with suttlers selling period clothing and household articles ; very authentic Confederate and Union camps ; and the battle reenactments which involve hundreds of participants.

The ground is hard packed so rolling around in a wheelchair isn’t difficult but the area to be covered is fairly large. The battle reenactment grounds has spaces reserved for wheelchairs at the ends of the bleachers but to really see everything it’s best to move to the front of the viewing area close to the ropes. The park has a very small museum which is accessible. A movie is shown in a room which has a step up and no ramp.

There is no parking in the park except for a very limited amount of handicapped parking , restricted to people who need to use wheelchairs. Large vehicles will not fit in this area. Parking for everyone else is along both sides of US 90. Park Reenactment Info

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

2012-02-16T16:08:00.001-06:00

It’s a little too early for flowering plants but these gardens are still a nice place for a short walk. The gardens are divided into an east and a west section. The east section is larger with a mile long loop trail composed of concrete walkway, old bricks and concrete pavers. It’s a bit uneven and has some steep grades so most wheelchair users will need to have some help in spots. The west trail is about 1/2 mile long and is mostly smooth ,level concrete.

The parking area is large enough for RVs but watch for low hanging branches. Gardens

Harn Museum of Art

2012-02-15T10:23:00.002-06:00

     This museum has a bunch of small galleries with a variety of artwork – Asian , African ,photography and contemporary pieces. Both of us really enjoyed it and as an added bonus it’s free for everyone.

    Everything is accessible.

    Parking for cars and vans is available in the museum visitor lot ($4.00 ), at metered spaces or in the student lots on Saturday and Sunday. We found some spaces large enough for small RVs behind the Florida Museum of Natural History. Museum

Haile Kanapaha Plantation

2012-02-13T17:48:00.001-06:00

In 1854 Thomas Evans and Serena Chesnut Haile moved their family and slaves from South Carolina to Florida where Thomas Haile had purchased 1,500 acres for the purpose of growing Sea Island cotton. The house is rather plain for a plantation house. In fact curtains were never hung and the walls are bare plaster. At some point early in the history of the house , the family started writing on the walls and this tradition continued through the years as the house progressed to a weekend and holiday place. Most of the writing is by invited guests who signed their names and added the date.

A wide paved walkway leads from the parking lot to the house.The house has a ramp along the side. The bottom floor is accessible but some of the thresholds have a large hump. The second floor has stairs only. Photographs of the second floor aren’t provided.

The parking area is large enough for RVs parked lengthwise. House

Florida Museum of Natural History

2012-02-11T18:42:00.001-06:00

This is a really good museum and admission to see most of the exhibits is totally free! Special exhibits are free with a ASTC pass. The Butterfly Rainforest is discounted slightly with the pass. The museum uses life size displays to explain the natural history of Florida and the impact that humans have had on it. The butterfly garden, the best one that we have visited,has many different tropical plants , butterflies and small birds

Everything is accessible-push button doors , a low admissions desk and easy to view exhibits. The butterfly garden path has slight downhill and uphill grades.

Parking for cars and vans is available at the front of the museum. Parking for any thing larger is limited but we got lucky and found a space behind the museum. Museum

Santos Trailhead & Campground

2012-02-10T17:32:00.001-06:00

The campground and trailhead provides an entry point for mountain bikers ,hikers and equestrians. Each sport has a separate trail but mountain biking seems to have the largest draw. The trails aren’t accessible for wheelchair use due to roots and rocks.

The campground fills on weekends and is closed occasionally for special events so reservations may be necessary. Two sites are paved and have paved paths leading to the restrooms. The restrooms have large roll in showers with fold up seating and a large accessible toilet room with grab bars and a sink. All of the tables have a long overhang. Campground

Dade Battlefield Historic State Park

2012-02-08T21:18:00.001-06:00

During the 1800s ,as unclaimed land in the eastern US became scarce , Native Americans of various tribes were forced south into Florida. These scattered tribes, along with runaway slaves, gathered into communities and became known as Seminoles. Eventually even Florida land became desirable to white settlers and the Seminole were moved onto a reservation in the middle of the state but soon afterwards the decision was made to relocate them to Oklahoma.This decision was not favored by the Seminole and both sides prepared for battle. In 1835 Major Dade and two companies of soldiers were marching from Fort Brooke to reinforce Fort King when they were ambushed by the Seminoles. Only two of the 110 men made it back to Fort Brooke. The park preserves the battle site and also has a small museum with displays and a short video.

The museum and video are accessible. The ground along a short trail through the battlefield is fairly hard but a little uneven. Most wheelchair users will need to have some help. Part of the paved loop road in the park is blocked to traffic. Follow this for a peaceful ,shady roll under old live oaks.

Parking for oversized vehicles is located in the picnic grounds. Park lengthwise across the spaces. Van and cars will fit in the small parking lot at the museum. There isn’t a turn around for large vehicles so don’t attempt to drive a RV to the museum. Museum

Highlands Hammock State Park Tram Tour

2012-02-06T18:58:00.001-06:00

The tram tour is about an hour long and travels through sections of the park that are closed to other visitors. It follows along a canal ,a good habitat for alligators ,turtles and birds.

The tram is accessible by a movable ramp. Wheelchairs fit sideways on the tram facing the canal for a good view while on the tour. No tie downs are provided but the ride is fairly smooth. Tickets ($5.00 ) sell out quickly so it’s best to buy them when the park opens in the morning even though the tour isn’t until afternoon. Be sure to tell them that wheelchair accessible seating is required because a bench must be folded up eliminating five seating spaces.

The tram loads near the visitor center which has a short video and a small museum about the CCC in Florida and other areas of the country. The museum is accessible but to get to the room where the video is shown people using wheelchairs must exit out the back door , go up a ramp and in the door to the video room. This door opens from the inside only.

The parking lot is large enough for RVs parked parallel to the road in the sandy section. Tram (scroll down to Tours )

Pioneer Park Wildlife Refuge

2012-02-05T21:47:00.001-06:00

An elevated boardwalk winds through the refuge allowing visitors to look down into the animal enclosures. All the animals except for two ostriches are native to Florida and can not be released back into the wild. There are alligators,turtles, a bear, panthers,fox,deer and otters. The refuge isn’t very big but it’s nice. The animals look very healthy and have a lot of room in their enclosures.

The refuge is accessible. The sections of the boardwalk that have an uphill slope do not have level spots but the slope is slight enough that stopping isn’t a problem. The newer interpretive signs are at a height that is easy to see. Older signs are too high to be easily read.

The parking area is large enough for RVs. Refuge

Kentucky and Tennessee

2012-02-02T17:15:00.001-06:00

Number 23 and 24! Halfway through the states–now we just have to visit all of the places that I’ve marked on the maps. I hope that everyone is finding them useful. Remember you can save any of the maps to “My Places” on your Google map account then add and subtract placemarks to personalize them to your interests.

View Kentucky attractions in a larger map

View Tennessee attractions in a larger map

Cracker Trail Museum

2012-01-31T19:01:00.002-06:00

This small museum is along the trail of the early cattle drives in Florida. The term “cracker” comes from the crack of the whips that the cowboys use to keep that cattle moving. The museum is filled with articles donated by local families so there’s a little of everything including an eleven foot alligator skin and mastodon teeth.
The museum is accessible but the entrance door is a little heavy.

The parking area is large enough for RVs. Museum

Paynes Creek Historic State Park

2012-01-27T20:08:00.001-06:00

Paynes Creek is the site of a trading post established in the 1800s for the Seminole Indians. In 1849 ,after the trading post was attacked and destroyed, Fort Chokonikla was built to settle tensions in the area. No trace of the buildings still exist but hiking trails lead to both sites and along Paynes Creek. A very small museum houses displays and artifacts.

This type of site is one of the reasons that I decided to start a blog about accessibility. The only information about accessibility on the park’s web page concerns the restrooms which are accessible. Only by actually visiting could we determine the degree of accessibility for the rest of the park. The museum is completely accessible as are the picnic grounds , however , all of the trails are composed of soft sand and are completely inaccessible. For people who use wheelchairs this is an okay stop if you’re in the area but it’s not worth going out of your way to see.

There are some parking spaces long enough to accommodate RVs or it’s possible to park lengthwise across several spaces. Park

Pioneer Park Campground

2012-01-25T18:01:00.001-06:00

This is a county park ,popular with snowbirds because of the very reasonable monthly rates. The drawbacks are no sewer hookups and the location – pretty much in the middle-of-nowhere central Florida. The city of Wauchula , just a few miles north , has all the major services.

Camping choices are varied – electric sites in a large field with RVs in rows, electric sites located haphazardly under the trees or where we camped, in the no hookup sites facing a little pond. We have a nice view of the pond which attracts many different birds.

None of the sites are accessible. The tables are concrete , set above ground level on concrete pads with no overhang on the ends. The ground is uneven which makes pushing around somewhat difficult. The restrooms are few and inconveniently located. Campground

Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village

2012-01-23T22:17:00.001-06:00

These two are connected by a shared parking lot (RVs may have to park lengthwise) and trail system. The main paths in the garden and the village are wide , paved and very easy to roll along.

The village consists of a couple dozen relocated buildings in a pine forest setting. The visitor center ,gift shop , school ,church and general store are accessible. Some of the other buildings have displays but don’t have ramps. Some buildings are not opened to the public and some are only opened for timed tours. The informative signs along the paths are all easy to view. Both sites are meticulously maintained and free for everyone. Garden Village

St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market

2012-01-23T08:31:00.001-06:00

Crafts , homemade goodies to eat there or take home , organic produce ,fresh seafood , grass fed beef and even live music - a really nice market!

The market is held in a parking lot so rolling is easy.

Parking is available at the lot next to the market – $4.00 a day or at the pier lot,four blocks north ,which is large enough for RVs. Market

Museum of Fine Arts

2012-01-22T10:19:00.002-06:00

This museum has many small galleries with a wide range of artwork from Roman pottery and 17th century paintings to modern glass sculptures.

Most of the museum is accessible. The exhibits in the gallery displaying 19th century photographs are too high to easily view.

Parking at the museum is limited. A parking area ,large enough for cars or vans only, is located beside the museum. RVs can park at metered spaces along the street but the street is a little narrow. A self pay parking lot , located on the pier ,is the best choice. Follow the signs for bus parking if your RV is large. Smaller RVs can fit in one space , backed in to overhang onto the grass – $3.00 all day Museum

The Pier and Bay Shore Walkway

2012-01-21T14:47:00.001-06:00

The pier and the inverted pyramid at the end are slated for demolition in 2013 or 2014 but until then it’s a great place for a short walk and an elevator ride to the top for a view of the city. Follow the wide sidewalk north or south along the bay for a longer walk. Demings Landing Park to the south has a paved trail which is a little rough in spots. Albert Whitted Park also has a short trail and is a good place to watch small planes taking off and landing.

A parking lot large enough for RVs is located on the pier. Follow the signs for bus parking. $3.00 for all day. Pier

Reciprocal Passes

2012-01-20T11:34:00.002-06:00

Anyone who has been reading our blog for awhile has probably realized that we like to wander and see new things along the way ,anything from a bizarre roadside attraction to the most popular national parks.Our discovery of reciprocal passes has given us a slew of new places to go. We started with a science museum pass and added others through the years.The latest one is a art museum and garden pass. We hadn’t realized how much we would enjoy visiting these places and the fact that they are free makes it that much better. Not quite free though because the pass has to be bought but it doesn’t take long to recover the initial money. The art museum and garden pass is the most expensive pass that we’ve bought but considering the admission prices to both of these types of attractions , it’s a real bargain. Most individual admissions are about $20.00 so we would not be visiting very many of them without the pass.

There are a couple of things to consider before buying a pass. First check your home state or the states that you’ll be visiting to make sure that you’ll actually be using them enough to make them economical. For instance Washington state is a good place for the Time Travelers Pass or an Art Museum Pass but not very good for a Garden Pass. Florida is great for both art museums and gardens but the only people who might want to buy a Science Museum Pass would be families with very young children. Another thing to check is reciprocally within the state or region. Sometimes the passes are limited to areas outside of a certain radius of the home museum membership. The St. Petersburgs area of Florida recently included this restriction so if you’re planning on visiting Florida ,get a pass from another state.

One pass that we have is from Winterthur Museum in Delaware. It’s a combination pass good at 270 gardens and 400 museums. A yearly pass, which will admit two people ,is $150.00 but the price is quickly made up with a few museum visits. For instance just in the St. Petersburg/Sarasota area one visit per couple to each of these museums adds up to $159.00.

Ringling Museum– $50.00
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens– $34.00
Museum of Fine Arts – $34.00
Salvador Dali Museum - $41.00

The links to the passes that we like best are listed here - Passes

Dali Museum

2012-01-19T21:35:00.002-06:00

Neither of us knew much about Salvador Dali before visiting this museum – just the melting clock pictures. Dali was very prolific, creating over 1,500 paintings plus illustrations ,sculptures and other projects. The museum has a wide range of his work including some landscapes that he painted as a young teenager. Stop and pick up a headphone and player for a audio tour -free with admission.The paintings are so strange but the tour really helps by pointing out tiny details and explaining the reasons behind the images that he painted.

The museum is very accessible but in one section (not a major gallery ) the artwork is a little too high to view without getting neck strain.

The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Museum

St. Petersburg Museum of History

2012-01-18T20:52:00.001-06:00

St. Petersburg is a relatively new city ,experiencing it’s first big growth spurt during the Florida real estate boom of the 1920s. Included in the displays are artifacts used by the early Native American inhabitants , tourist trinkets and turn of the century swim wear.

Everything is accessible.

A parking area ,large enough for cars or vans only, is located behind the museum. RVs can park at metered spaces along the street but the street is a little narrow. A self pay parking lot , located on the pier ,is the best choice. Follow the signs for bus parking if your RV is large. Smaller RVs can fit in one space , backed in to overhang onto the grass – $3.00 all day. The museum has a driveway to drop off passengers at the door. Museum

Sunken Gardens

2012-01-17T21:42:00.001-06:00

This is a fairly small garden packed with a large assortment of tropical plants. It was the hobby garden of George Turner who opened it to visitors in 1924. It’s now owned by the city of St. Petersburg and has been preserved as a historic landmark.

The garden map has a very small section marked as accessible ,however all of the paths are paved so it is possible to see the entire garden. There are two arched bridges that are too steep so backtracking is required. The garden elevation drops about 15 feet from the entrance and a few sections have a bit of a slope.

The parking lot has enough room for RVs although larger ones may have to park across the spaces. Gardens

Florida RV Super Show

2012-01-14T21:23:00.001-06:00

We’re not planning on buying another motorhome but we decided to go to the RV show just to see what the hype was all about. This is the place to be if you’re thinking about buying a RV! There are hundreds of RVs to walk through from popups to Prevosts. Popups ,truck campers and hybrid trailers are not well represented but there are As, Bs, Cs, trailers and fifth wheels from many different manufacturers with a wide range of pricing.In addition to the RVs there are two vendor buildings where you can browse through all the offers from resorts and pick up needed or frivolous RV supplies.

Handicapped parking for cars and RVs is fairly close to the entrance. Wheelchair and scooter rentals are located just inside the entrance. The show grounds and the buildings are all accessible. The two RV manufacturers that will customize RVs to make them accessible , Winnebago and Born Free , do not have any accessible models to show but there is a new accessible model from Newmar. Unfortunately we found it just as the show was closing for the day and didn’t get to tour it.

I find it irritating that shows like this have a entrance fee but the convenience of having all the RVs in one place is helpful if you’re researching a purchase. The fee is $10.00 per person which is good for two days plus a fairgrounds parking fee of $5.00 for a car or $10.00 for a RV. If you decide to stay overnight an additional $15.00 is collected after the show closes but you don’t have to pay the $10.00 parking fee for the next day. The woman at the parking booth gave us this information. We didn’t stay overnight so I can’t verify the accuracy of it. RV Show

Fort De Soto Park Campground

2012-01-12T14:25:00.002-06:00

Make reservations early if you want a campsite in this park ,especially a waterfront one. This is the only public park close to the water in the Clearwater area of Florida so it’s very popular and also very expensive. If you’re not the reservation type check on line to see if there have been any cancelations. We managed to find a waterfront site with four open days in the middle of the week. Weekends are completely booked. If you tent camp you’re in luck – plenty of sites for tents.

None of the sites are specifically marked as accessible but all of them are good – large ,level sites with hard sandy ground , picnic tables with overhangs and easily reached water and electric hookups. The restrooms and showers are accessible but they should be roomier. People in wheelchairs may have some difficulty transferring. Campground Reservations

Fort De Soto Multipurpose Trail

2012-01-11T14:57:00.001-06:00

This seven mile paved trail follows the main roads in the park and provides access to all of the features of the park – the campground ,fishing piers , nature trail, gift shop,museum ,fort,picnic areas and beaches. Everything except for the beaches is wheelchair accessible. Park

Fort De Soto - Quartermaster Museum and Battery Laidley

2012-01-10T19:31:00.001-06:00

Fort De Soto was built for the Spanish-American War. The war was over in months and the fort never saw any action. After ten years it was decommissioned , then officially abandoned and later used as a training ground during WWII before becoming county property in 1948 and a park in 1962. Not much is left of the fort except for the concrete structure of Battery Laidley.. All of the rooms in the battery ,where the ammunition for the big mortars was stored, are opened to the public but most are empty. There’s a very long ADA compliant ramp to the top of the battery with a good view of the Gulf of Mexico and a set of stairs down to the beach. A walking tour with signs and a printed guide follows a trail through the fort grounds. Part of the trail is loose sand and not accessible.

The museum is a replica of the original quartermaster storehouse. It contains artifacts from different periods of the fort’s history , wall panels with the complete history of the islands and a touch screen computer with short film clips. A ramp leads to the entrance and the inside is all accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for all RVs. Museum

Ybor City Museum State Park

2012-01-09T10:05:00.001-06:00

The museum is housed in a historic bakery and tells the story of the Ybor City section of Tampa. Ybor City had it’s start with a colorful mix of immigrants from Cuba , Spain and Italy, all involved in producing hand rolled cigars. Eventually there were 100s of cigar factories producing millions of cigars a year but the Depression, along with cigar making machines, doomed the industry and Ybor City. Recent renovations along the main business street ,7th Ave, have brought a lot of life back to the city. The state park also includes a beautiful little plaza with a fountain and a guided tour of a typical cigar worker’s house.

Everything is accessible. There’s a handicapped parking space right in front of the museum with enough room for a small RV or van. No step or ramp needed at the museum entrance. An ADA compliant ramp leads into the worker’s house.

RVs can park on the street in front of the museum complex. Museum

Osceola Flea and Farmers Market

2012-01-08T18:14:00.001-06:00

This flea market is barely surviving. Their website touts 900 booths but most of them are empty –maybe 100 have merchandise and only one has fruits and vegetables. We did get some very good oranges. All of the roads and walkways are paved. Plentiful parking is located behind the buildings in the grassy areas. Flea Market

Osceola County Historical Society Pioneer Village

2012-01-07T19:40:00.002-06:00

The village consists of six relocated buildings and depicts life in rural Florida in the late 1880s. The largest building is a “cracker house” with a center breezeway. Also included are a one room schoolhouse , orange packing house , general store ,blacksmith shop and a small museum. It doesn’t take long to see everything so if you have some extra time cross the street and take a short walk in Shingle Creek Regional Park.

The village is partially accessible. The ground is hard so rolling along is fairly easy. The general store , cracker house and museum all have ramps. The schoolhouse and orange packing house have steps only. The interiors of the small out buildings can be seen easily from the doorways.

The parking area is large enough for all RVs. Village

Shingle Creek Regional Park Trail

2012-01-07T19:39:00.001-06:00

The trail winds through pine and palmetto forest and across swampy areas. It’s very accessible with hard surfaced trail and solidly constructed boardwalk. The route from the parking lot at Shingle Creek Regional Park to Osceola County Historical Society Pioneer Village and back is a little over a mile.

The parking lot has spaces for RVs. Trail

Making California Maps

2012-01-02T21:40:00.000-06:00

View California(Southern) attractions in a larger map

We're at our favorite Florida campground, Moss Park ,working on some yearly maintenance chores( thorough cleaning, waxing, caulking and general sprucing up) plus some additional small repairs. Since I can only reach a limited area Tony gets the larger share of chores and I have time to work on maps.

With some states I have to search for interesting things to see but that's not a problem with California!I had to split it into two sections because there are so many attractions and each map page will accept just 200 placemarks. I know that I skipped a lot of things but I tried to get the most popular ones.If you have any favorites that I missed let me know.

I found some surprising attractions - a fabulous collection of cars and antiques that is completely free , a museum in a cemetery , and a Japanese garden at a sewer treatment plant!

Lake Louisa State Park

2011-12-27T11:08:00.001-06:00

This park is very close to Disney World ,making it an ideal base camp for seeing all the attractions if don’t wish to stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. The sites are nicely spaced with enough vegetation for a fair amount of privacy. Many of the sites will accommodate big rigs.

The accessible sites are excellent with a concrete parking pad extending under the table ,the grill and the water and electric hookups. The table has long overhangs and the grill is raised. Two of the sites include sewer hookups. A paved path leads to the showers and restrooms. The accessible toilet room is very large and has it’s own sink. The shower stall is also very large ,roll in with a fold down seat. Campground

2011-12-24T09:45:00.001-06:00

E-Readers and Historic Sites

2011-12-23T18:44:00.001-06:00

An old chimney from a rice thresher is all that’s left of the Butler plantation. The two roadside signs are just enough to stir some interest and a little Googling yields a free book to download with a tale that won’t soon be forgotten. Pierce Butler married Fanny Kemble ,an English actress and soon afterwards inherited several plantations and a large number of slaves. Fanny was appalled at the inhuman and degrading treatment of the slaves which she witnessed firsthand when she visited the plantation over the winter of 1838-1839. Her journal from that time was published in 1863 and may have been partially responsible for England’s decision to not aid the south in the Civil War. Project Gutenberg download - Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation by Fanny Kemble

It’s surprising how many searches for more information lead to free books. A good place to start is Wikipedia especially the bibliography section. Once you find a title check Amazon ,Many Books and Project Gutenburg for a free download. I’ve downloaded many more than we’ve had time to read but a sampling includes Adventures of a Forty-niner , Andersonville, The Acadian Exiles, American Notes and Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America.

Lake Dorr Campground

2011-12-23T17:44:00.001-06:00

One of the many Ocala National Forest campgrounds – this one has roomy ,well spaced sites under a canopy of tall pine trees with plenty of vegetation for privacy. Large enough for any motorhome. The entrance road is hard to spot because there is just one sign. The road widens for a left turn lane. Look for that and also signs for Pittman Visitor Center which is on the opposite side of Route 19 almost directly across from the campground entrance.

None of the sites are designated as handicapped accessible but all of the tables have long overhangs. The ground is hard parked dirt and pine needles so rolling is pretty easy. Campground

Huguenot Memorial Park

2011-12-22T18:18:00.001-06:00

This little city campground is located on a narrow strip of land with Fort George Inlet on one side and St Johns River on the other. Some of the campsites are just steps away from the water and appear to get a lot of use. The campground was almost empty when we visited probably because there are no electric hookups. The sites are close together with no vegetation for privacy and shade. A naval base is located across the river so it’s a little noisy from helicopters and ships. The sites are large enough for any RV.

Two of the sites are accessible with concrete pads under the picnic table and a sidewalk that leads to the restroom and snack bar. The other sites have soft sand. Campground

Ribault Club

2011-12-22T17:14:00.002-06:00

After the Civil War, without slave labor , it became impossible to operate cotton plantations. In the years following the war the plantation on Fort George Island was a farm ,a tourist resort , a citrus grove and finally a retreat for wealthy Jacksonville residents. Ribault Club, built in the 1920s , has recently been renovated and is available for weddings and other events. There’s a small museum in several of the rooms but other than that not much to do.

The club is accessible.

The road to the club is one lane with overhanging branches so use caution if you have a large RV. The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Club

Kingsley Plantation

2011-12-21T19:35:00.002-06:00

Fort George Island was a Sea Island cotton plantation during the 25 years that it was owned by Zephaniah Kingsley. The plantation house ,outbuildings and slave houses are still standing. Displays in some of the buildings and signs scattered around the grounds ,give insight into the interesting story of this family and the slaves who lived and worked in the cotton fields.

The site is partially accessible. The pathway is made from shredded rubber , a little spongy which requires some effort to push along. The pathway goes to the main buildings. Many of the signs are off the path. The ground is uneven and hard to push along.

A one lane sandy road leads to the plantation. The road is in good condition but people with large RVs may want to avoid it because of overhanging branches and the narrow width of the road. The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Plantation

Jekyll Island Bike Path

2011-12-20T21:54:00.001-06:00

The bike path winds through moss draped trees , alongside salt marshes ,into the historic district and along the beach. The section that we did on the north end of the island was very nice ,wide ,level and fairly smooth.

Jekyll Island has a long and interesting history , much of it can be accessed from the bike path. Ruins from the first European settler are located right off of the path. Traveling along the side of the road for a short while is necessary if you want to continue to the historic section where the cottages are located from the era when the island was a millionaires’ private vacation club.

The beaches on the north tip and the east side are hard enough to ride a bike or push a wheelchair along. Getting to the hard packed sand might be a problem.

We didn’t have enough time to explore the whole island but we’ll definitely be coming back someday to see the rest. Jekyll Island is a state park but is managed by the Jekyll Island Authority who is responsible for development on the island which includes hotels and privates houses but also public things like the bike path and beaches. Fortunately 65% of the land must remain in a mostly natural state. ( no Hilton Head here!) There’s a $5.00 a day parking fee which is collected as you enter the island. Bike Path Island History

Jekyll Island Campground

2011-12-20T21:01:00.001-06:00

The camp sites are surrounded by huge live oaks , shady and quiet. There are six accessible sites which have paved sidewalks leading to the restrooms,laundry room and store/office. Most of the tables in all of the sites have a long overhang. The ground in the regular sites is hard packed dirt. The sites are pretty close together.

Directly across the street from the campground is a road which leads to a long ,wheelchair accessible fishing dock. You can also access the paved walking/biking trail by crossing the street from the campground. Campground

Smallest Church in America

2011-12-19T21:39:00.001-06:00

This little church is complete with seats , a pulpit and stain glass windows. The door is always open and the church is available for marriage ceremonies.

The door is a bit narrow so a wide wheelchair may not fit through but you can get a good view from the doorway.

The parking area is large enough for RVs. Church

Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens

2011-12-19T21:06:00.001-06:00

This property was once a rice plantation. Now it’s an education and research center, part of the University of Georgia. Visitors are welcome to wander the grounds but most of it isn’t wheelchair accessible. The camellia garden has beautifully bricked paths and some of the other areas can be seen by wheeling along the roadways.

Large RVs can fit in the lot by parking across the spaces. Garden

Fort Pulaski National Monument

2011-12-18T19:15:00.001-06:00

Construction on Fort Pulaski began in 1829 as part of the federal government’s coastal fortification system. It was still incomplete in 1860 when the Confederate government seized it. The fort ,with 7 1/2 ‘ walls ,was considered unbreachable but the Confederates didn’t count on the Union’s new experimental rifled canons. The battle to regain control of the fort lasted 30 hours. A huge gap was opened in the wall and the Confederates were forced to surrender.

The visitor center has a ramp and is fully accessible. The fort is semi accessible. Paved paths lead to the enclosed fort area but the ramp after the moot bridge is dangerously steep. Most wheelchair users will need to have some help. Paved paths make a complete circle around the inside perimeter of the fort. There are a few ramps to access some of the inner room but most of the furnished quarter rooms do not have ramps. The area around the exterior of the fort is uneven with thick grass making pushing along hard. A very nice paved trail at the far end of the parking lot leads to a view of the water and loops back to the parking lot. Take the 1/2 mile picnic area spur out and back for a longer trip.

The parking area is large enough for any RV. Fort

Savannah History Museum

2011-12-17T21:06:00.001-06:00

A brief history of Savannah is told with artifacts from the most notable events. Watch the short movie for more insight into the founding of the city and how it changed through the years.

Most of the museum is accessible. The walkway to the entrance door is sloped and the doors are heavy so getting in is awkward. The second section in the museum is up a few steps but it also has a small elevator. Part of the train display has an elevated portion but no ramp. Wheelchairs can fit in front of the first row of seats in the theater. The building also houses a couple of gift shops ,a snack bar and the visitor center. The visitor center is up a level and can be accessed by a very steep ramp or a small elevator.

The parking lot has a section for RVs. The first hour is free , $1.00 an hour after that. Museum

Gibbes Museum of Art

2011-12-16T19:09:00.001-06:00

This is a small museum with a permanent collection highlighting the people and places of South Carolina low country plus several changing galleries. The museum is all accessible except for some of the miniature paintings which are in a case that is too high to view easily.

Parking is very limited in Charleston. It’s not a good place for navigating a large RV but if you don’t mind a one mile walk , free all day parking is available along the west side of Colonial Lake. Any size RV will fit. The sidewalks and curb cuts aren’t in very good condition so most wheelchair users will need to have some help. Museum

Charleston Museum

2011-12-15T17:07:00.001-06:00

Most of the exhibits in this museum pertain strictly to Charleston with good information on the early rice plantations , the wealth of the planters who founded the city , the life of the slaves and both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Additional galleries cover natural history , textiles ,silver and hands-on for kids. The Early Days gallery is the only one that strays from local history. It contains an eclectic assortment of objects collected and donated by early residents.

Everything is accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for vans and small RVs. Museum

Confederate Museum

2011-12-14T19:41:00.001-06:00

More of a shrine than a museum - the one large room contains hundreds of Confederate Civil War relics. Each sliver of wood , tattered bit of flag ,old uniform , shell fragment or crumbling letter is carefully documented but little information is given about the war itself. The museum sits atop the city market which houses vendor stalls where you can purchase local crafts and food items.

An elevator under the center arch accesses the museum. Carry your phone because you must call the museum. They operate the elevator from above. The museum is all accessible. The city market is accessible too but there are doors between the sections. Someone held every one opened for us so I’m not sure if they’re heavy.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

2011-12-13T09:03:00.002-06:00

Charles Pickney was an author and signer of the US constitution. This historic site marks the location of one of the many family plantation properties that he inherited from his father. The house ,while it is a historic 19th century rice plantation house , is not the same one that the Pickney family used on their visits. The house has exhibits about the Pickney family history, Charles’s role in the revolution and the operations of a rice plantation.

The path around the grounds is paved and the museum exhibits are accessible. A small outdoor elevator can be used to access the porch and house interior.

The parking area is large enough for RVs. House

Elmwood Recreation Area

2011-12-12T16:59:00.001-06:00

This is a national forest hunt camp that is opened for primitive camping year round. It doesn’t have many amenities but it does have stone fire rings ,water faucets ,a pit toilet and large open camping areas ,either under the trees or in clearings. The ground is hard packed so rolling is fairly easy. Very quiet. Camp

Hampton Plantation State Historic Site

2011-12-11T16:35:00.001-06:00

Hampton was a very large rice plantation. In 1850 over 200,000 pounds of rice were grown and harvested using the labor of hundreds of slaves. The house is not furnished so tours focus on the construction technics used in building the original smaller house and the additions that brought it to it’s present size. This park could use some more exhibits and other information about the family ,the slave families and rice cultivation in general.

Nothing is accessible. A small bookstore where tickets for the house tour are sold has a ramp but has no information to make it worth visiting. The path to the house is composed of soft sand. The house has many steps to the entrance and no ramp.

The parking area is large enough for RVs. The road in is a little narrow and winding. Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

2011-12-10T21:44:00.001-06:00

If you want to camp here in the summer , it’s best to make an early reservation. At this time of year – no problem ,plenty of empty sites. The sites are close together with little vegetation between them for privacy. Supposedly two sites are handicapped accessible. The only one that I found is one of the worse sites in the park ,small and in a high traffic area. There are no provisions which make it more accessible than any of the other sites and it’s far away from a restroom. Many of the other sites are much more suitable. They all are fairly level with hard ,sandy ground. None of the tables have long overhangs. Disabled South Carolinians are eligible for a discount of 35% on camping fees.

A paved trail ,leading to a section of boardwalk , starts at the campground and runs to the park store and a long fishing pier. Campground

Cape Fear Museum

2011-12-09T23:33:00.002-06:00

   Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city until the late 1800s. It was important as the major port for raw materials ,mainly naval tar and lumber, which were shipped to England. The phasing out of wooden ships caused it to lose some of that importance. The museum covers this early history plus events into the next century. An additional section , The Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery , teaches children about the area’s environment.

The museum is very accessible with push button doors and easy to see exhibits. Just a few of the exhibits in the environmental gallery are too high to view.

The parking lot is small – short RVs and vans will fit ,large RVs may be able to park on the street. Museum

New Hanover County Arboretum

2011-12-08T22:01:00.001-06:00

The purpose of this beautiful little garden is for the pleasure and education of county residents and visitors. And it’s free!

The main paths are smooth concrete. Almost everything is accessible including a short section of boardwalk and a children’s playhouse. The path to the greenhouses ( not much growing this time of year) is soft sand and difficult to push through.

Small RVs can parking in the main lot. Larger ones will fit in the additional parking lot. Garden

Airlie Gardens

2011-12-08T21:30:00.002-06:00

   The bottle house ,with sun shining through over 4,000 bottles , is the highlight of these gardens. Like many other gardens this was once the estate of some very wealthy people. The dwellings are gone and the land’s been reduced in size but old live oaks ,azaleas , camellias ,fountains ,a chapel and graveyard still remain.

The main path around the gardens is paved-easy rolling- but seeing everything requires some backtracking. Many areas are slightly off the path and the ground is soft so pushing along is difficult. A tram runs along the main path for a few hours almost every day. We didn’t get to check it out but I don’t think that it’s wheelchair accessible.
The parking lot is large enough for any size RV. Garden

Moores Creek National Battlefield

2011-12-07T21:32:00.001-06:00

This is the site of a early Revolutionary War battle between North Carolina colonists , one side loyal to the British and the other fighting for independence. Many of the loyalist were recent immigrants from the Scottish highlands who fought with broadswords against musket and artillery fire. The battle was short ,ending with the loyalists surrendering to the patriots.There’s a small museum with a good movie and a one mile walking tour through the battlegrounds.

The museum is all accessible. The trail is a combination of asphalt , boardwalk , hard packed sand and a new material that we haven’t seen before – a thick layer of compressed shredded rubber. The rubber sections of the trail are slightly spongy and require some effort to push along.

RVs can park lengthwise across the parking spaces. Battlefield

Still Learning About Blogger

2011-12-07T11:03:00.002-06:00

Way back in May I decided to start adding little state maps at the bottom of each post so that readers could see exactly where the attraction was located. I didn’t realize then that I could attach a link to the picture. I’ve noticed clickable pictures which opened to more information on other blogs but for some reason I thought that it would be complicated to do. It’s easy! So I’m going to insert links on all of the little maps. When they are clicked on, a Google Map will open in a different window with the attraction pinpointed on the state map. It’ll take awhile for me to finish all of them but it should make using the site a little easier. As the blog grows the amount of links grow too so if you find any that are broken or go to the wrong place please let me know so that I can fix them.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

2011-12-06T17:41:00.003-06:00

   All of North Carolina’s diverse habitats are explored with life sized dioramas ,some featuring live fish , amphibians and insects. There’s also a small section about fossils and dinosaurs.

   Everything is accessible.

   Parking is limited. See the North Carolina Museum of History post for parking information. Museum

North Carolina Museum of History

2011-12-05T20:01:00.003-06:00

   This is a very good museum ,covering North Carolina’s history from the Native American tribes up to present times. Since it covers such a broad period ,little is explored in depth but visitors are still given an idea of all of the factors that help shape the state.

Most of the museum is accessible. Only a few of the exhibits are too high to view easily. One exhibit , a entire small house , has two sets of steps but no ramp to access the interior which contains artifacts and information about the former residents.

Parking is very limited. A parking lot directly across the street ,east of the museum,is available free of charge, on the weekends only. The entrance is a little tight. The exit is even tighter because of an overhang on the ticket booth so you may have to exit through the entrance lane. Large motorhome shouldn’t attempt to park in this lot but vans and small RVs should be fine. The First Baptist Church ,one block west of the museum, has a small lot available during the week – $5.00 for all day. This lot isn’t suitable for large RVs either. There’s also on the street parking , one and two hour only, but most of it fills quickly. Click on the map to make it larger. Museum

Pamplin Historical Park

2011-12-03T18:26:00.003-06:00

In early 1865 , the Union army had been holding Petersburg, Virginia under siege for nine months. The Union finally managed to break through the Confederate trenches on April 2 ,sending Lee’s army into a retreat which ended the Civil War. The park has preserved portions of the trenches along with the original plantation house that was used for Confederate General Samuel McGowan’s headquarters.

The park is partially accessible. Both the Museum of the Civil War Soldier and the Battlefield Center are accessible but the path between them has sections of loose stone that is hard to push through. The basement of the Tudor Hall Plantation house has a ramp to the entrance but again the path leading to it is composed of loose stone. The entrance to the first floor of the plantation house has many steps and no ramp. One of the cabins in the slave quarter has a doorway which may be too narrow for many wheelchair users. The other cabin ,which has a display about slavery , has steps and no ramp at the entrance. More loose stone in this area. The paved pathway to the Hart farm has a very steep section. The trails around the property are a combination of concrete ,boardwalk , loose stone and hard packed sand. Most wheelchair users will need to have some help.

The Museum of the Civil War Soldier has little written information ,just numbered displays so that visitors can decide what they wish to hear about by punching the correct numbers into a provided MP3 player. I don’t know if a written brochure is supplied for visitors who can not use a MP3 player. The rest of the park has interpretive signs along with the recordings.

The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Pamplin Park

Richmond, Virginia

2011-12-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

We were planning on staying in Richmond for a few more days to see some more of the sights but we encountered a problem that isn’t very common for us – no place to park! Richmond has a very compact downtown. Besides being the location of the state capital ,it also has several hospitals and college campuses. There are parking garages but few street level lots. On street parking is always filled. We have successfully visited Richmond in the past so for now we’re just going to head south and save it for another trip. A weekend visit would probably yield more parking options.

Belle Isle hike

2011-12-02T18:35:00.002-06:00

     Belle Isle is a small oasis of nature located within viewing distance of downtown Richmond. It hasn’t always been quiet and peaceful. It’s grounds have hosted a Civil War prison camp , a quarry,a power plant and an iron foundry. Old equipment and building ruins are still visible. Interpretive signs are along the trail.

   This trail,which is about 2 miles round trip, is completely accessible but would be challenging to do without any help. The parking lot is just past the Tredegar Iron Works lot. RVs can park in the sandy lot under the railroad trestle. Follow the sidewalk to the right to a long ADA compliant ramp which accesses the bike/hike bridge suspended under the US 1 bridge. The pedestrian bridge has an unusual design with slight arches in the walkway. Another long ramp accesses the island. Once on the island the path is mostly hard packed sand and fairly level. Trail

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - GardenFest of Lights

2011-12-01T20:15:00.002-06:00

The holiday lights festival runs from Thanksgiving until the first week of January. From 5:00 to 10:00 nightly the garden paths twinkle with colorful lights. The greenhouse and visitor center are also decorated with Christmas trees ,lights and train displays. Reciprocal garden members can visit during the day free of charge - admission to the lights display is half regular price.

The gardens are very accessible with automatic pushbutton doors at the visitor center and greenhouse and wide paved paths in most areas. The tree house has a very long ADA compliant ramp. Roll to the top for a good view of the gardens. Wheelchairs are available to borrow ,free of charge.

RVs can park in C lot ,the first lot along the entrance road. All of the sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition. Garden

Virginia Holocaust Museum

2011-12-01T18:52:00.003-06:00

This museum isn’t as high tech and polished as the Holocaust Museum in DC but the story it tells is just as powerful. A path leads visitors through the experiences of being segregated into ghettos , loaded onto cattle cars ,sent to concentration camps and finally ,for the fortunate survivors, liberation and resettlement. Due to the graphic native of some of the exhibits ,it is not recommended for children under 11.

Most of the museum is accessible. A few of the exhibits are a little too high to view easily.

There’s a parking lot across the street from the museum which is large enough for vans. RVs can park in the lot on the opposite side of the flood wall. Follow the signs for the bus parking lot. The sidewalks and curb cuts are rough in some places. It may be easier to use the street. Museum

Museum of the American Indian

2011-11-30T20:45:00.002-06:00

We’ve been to this museum three times and we still haven’t seen it all. Most of this amazing collection was assembled by one man , George Gustav Heye. When his artifacts were transferred to the Smithsonian ,native people from South ,Central and North America became involved in all phases of the design of the museum plus interpretation of the artifacts and the traditions of their ancient and modern lifestyles.

Everything is accessible. Museum

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

2011-11-30T20:43:00.001-06:00

The greenhouses are sectioned off into eight different rooms with environments ranging from the desert to the jungle. Included are a large collection of orchids and a walkway high in the rainforest canopy. There’s also an outside rose garden.

Everything in the conservatory is accessible but because there is only one ramp some backtracking is required. An elevator goes to the rainforest canopy walkway. The garden outside has loose sand paths so it’s difficult to push along. Conservatory

Holocaust Memorial Museum

2011-11-29T16:28:00.001-06:00

This museum is very good and very disturbing at the same time. Everyone should go see it. Perhaps the knowledge of how Hitler managed to command so much power and how the rest of the world ignored him and allowed the Holocaust to happen will keep something of this magnitude from happening again.

Everything is accessible except for the most graphic pictures which are behind half walls to shield them from small children. The first section of the museum is a corridor and can get crowded. The best way to make sure that you can see everything is to stay on the right hand side as close to the exhibits as possible otherwise people will step in front of you and block your view. Museum

Washington Monuments Walking and Rolling Tour

2011-11-28T19:02:00.001-06:00

Washington DC has eight major monuments and a whole slew of smaller ones. They’re all worth seeing but they’re spread out along the Mall and Tidal Basin so it’s a bit of a trek to see them all. We took the brown route on the map below. Starting from our parking spot at the Air and Space Museum ,the route goes past the Washington Memorial , the WWII Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It’s about three miles long round trip. The blue route adds another mile and includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial , the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The route is pretty accessible –good paving ,good curb cuts and mostly level.

WWII MLK

Jefferson A smaller one – George Mason

Washington DC

2011-11-27T23:44:00.002-06:00

   We’ve been injected,inspected ,detected and had a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat so now we’re on our way south to warmer weather!

   Washington DC is a great city to visit. It has some of the best museums in the country , most of them are free and handicapped access is very good. Seeing all of the museums and other sights could take weeks.

We’re lucky because we can park overnight in my sister’s driveway. It takes us about a half an hour to get to the city and we almost always park in front of the Air and Space Museum where there’s a section of handicapped parking spaces. We try to get the one next to the crosswalk so that we use only one space. There are also some good handicapped spaces by the National Gallery of Art. The street is signed – No Parking 1-10:00 AM Mon-Fri 3 Hour Limit All Other Times. The spaces fill fast. We try to get there a little before ten. The three hour limit doesn’t seem to be enforced.

The mall area where most of the museums are located is several miles long so keep that in mind if you want to go to the farther away museums. Some of the Tourmobile sightseeing buses are accessible but they’re kind of expensive. A ticket is good for reboarding all day. Tourmobile

It’s also good to have help pushing because the concrete sidewalks are made with fairly large stones which makes for a bumpy ride. The mall walkways are sand which is soft in spots.

Home Base

2011-11-01T10:36:00.001-05:00

Fulltime RVs chose one state over another as their home base for various reasons including reliable mail forwarding services ,no state income tax and simple residency requirements. Our home base is Pennsylvania which doesn’t meet most of the criteria but many of our friends and family live in Pennsylvania or nearby so we are sure to past through at least once a year. Ideally we’d like to be here in September or early October but it hasn’t been working out that way. November is too cold!

For the next month or so we’ll be pretty busy with doctors and dentists ,vehicle safety inspections, minor repairs and fix it projects and of course, visiting everyone! All that won’t leave much time for sightseeing and museums so my posts will probably be very sporadic for awhile.

Our plans are to meander down to Florida after Thanksgiving and then head west as the weather warms. Thanks to all of you for reading and please check back!

Mountaineer Casino

2011-11-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

This casino has a large ,level,fairly quiet parking lot but Route 2,the road that goes to it, is narrow and winding-not good for a large motorhome.

The casino isn’t very accessible. About half of the machines have fixed in place seats. Many of them are older machines with hard to reach ticket slots. The casino has been added onto several times so it’s a long push to get from one section to another. Casino

McKinley Presidential Library and Museum

2011-10-30T21:40:00.002-05:00

   We’ve visited many of the thirteen presidential libraries that are overseen by the federal government in the archives and records department. The McKinley Library is not one of those thirteen and doesn’t meet the same standards. Only one room is dedicated to McKinley. It contains many items owned by McKinley but is lacking in information about his policies as president. Little information is given about his assassination.

The museum is actually much more than a presidential library but McKinley was a local boy which must have been the reasoning behind the name. Besides the McKinley room there’s a small science center ,a planetarium , a changing exhibits gallery,a nicely done city street , a working model train layout and a large gallery about Stark County. Also on the grounds is a little park with a large monument on a hill where McKinley,his wife and two daughters are buried.

Most of the museum is accessible. A few of the buildings on the city street have rooms on the second floor –steps only. Access to the planetarium or to the elevator to the monument requires a special key which can be obtained at the admissions desk.

There are a few spaces for buses and RVs at the rear of the museum. Museum

Toledo Zoo

2011-10-29T20:21:00.003-05:00

   This is a well done zoo with good exhibits ,informative signs and lots of room for the animals. Some of the buildings are WPA era (1930’s work projects) and are put to good use for the smaller animals-reptiles,birds and fish. We only had two hours to wander around and didn’t get to see everything.

Everything is fairly accessible and most of the animals are easily viewed. The ramp at the aquarium entrance is very steep. The main parking lots and the newest part of the zoo are separated from the rest of the zoo by a busy four lane highway. A staircase or a long set of ramps crosses the highway. The ramps are ADA compliant but they are very long. Resting at the flat areas or help pushing will probably be necessary.
There’s an additional lot at the old entrance but the zoo website doesn’t have any information about it.

The parking lot is huge. RVs that take up more than one space are charged a $10.00 parking fee. Cars are $6.00.  Zoo

RV-MH Hall of Fame

2011-10-27T20:57:00.002-05:00

    Elkhart, Indiana is know as the “RV Capital of the World” so it’s a fitting place for David Woodworth’s collection of early RVs which includes many unique one of a kind models.Elkhart is also a good place to buy RV parts and furniture. Factory tours are available although many manufactures have gone out of business.

   The museum is accessible. Some of the unrestored RVs are opened to walk through if you are able.

   The parking lot is large enough for any size RV. Museum

Wisconsin Historical Museum

2011-10-25T19:54:00.002-05:00

This is Wisconsin’s state museum. There are three floors of exhibits ,covering the human history of the state including Native Americans ,fur traders, immigrants , farmers, loggers , politicians, inventors and union organizers.

Everything is accessible.

There’s ample on-the-street metered parking within a few blocks but most spaces are limited to one or two hours. Museum

International Crane Foundation

2011-10-24T20:39:00.002-05:00

    One benefit of reciprocal memberships is that we often visit places ,such as the Crane Foundation,that we wouldn’t have noticed without the membership list. The foundation studies and breeds captive cranes and releases the young ones back into their native countries. All fifteen species are endangered to some extent ,mostly due to lack of habitat. The cranes are on display in roomy outdoor enclosures. There’s also a museum with short movies and trails through the restored wetlands and prairie.

The gift shop ,museum and paved trails through the enclosures are handicapped accessible. The restoration overlook has a fixed set of binoculars that are too high to use from a seated position. The nature trails are packed dirt and mowed grass with a few rocky sections. Taking these trails may be possible with an energetic helper.

The parking area is small but can accommodate RVs parked lengthwise. Foundation

Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells

2011-10-24T11:38:00.002-05:00

Very quiet and lots of room-prefect for an overnight stop.

The casino decor is a bit of Vegas-fake cliffs and waterfalls in the lobby. It’s fairly accessible - low pile carpets,easy to move chairs and most of the machines have easy to reach ticket and card slots. Casino

Circus World

2011-10-23T19:50:00.002-05:00

The Ringling Brother’s Circus wintered in Baraboo,Wisconsin for 34 years before they moved to Florida in 1918. During the winter equipment was repaired , new pieces were constructed and new acts were practiced. Circus World is on the site of the wintering grounds which includes four of the original buildings , a new museum and two new warehouses filled with beautifully restored circus wagons. There is a lot to see so give yourself plenty of time ,especially if you visit during the summer when shows run throughout the day.

The museum is accessible. The theater doors are heavy – seating for wheelchairs is in the back with chairs alongside for family members. The two warehouses are accessible but the wheelchair users may need some help pushing up the ramp. Three of the older buildings were opened the day that we visited – one has a fairly good ramp, one has an extremely steep ramp and the other has a few steps and no ramp. The older buildings all house minor exhibits.

Parking is limited. There’s a small gravel lot across the street where RVs can park lengthwise. The curb cuts are not good. There’s parking along the street on both sides with handicapped spaces on the same side as the museum. The ground next to the curb is a grassy hill so transferring to a wheelchair or deploying a lift would be difficult. Museum

Wisconsin Concrete Park

2011-10-21T22:47:00.002-05:00

   We almost missed this one! I spotted all the concrete figures as we went speeding along and knew that it was too good to pass by – time to turn around! There are over 200 life size and larger concrete sculptures that were built by Fred Smith ,a retired lumberjack. He worked on them for 16 years from 1948 until 1964.

The sculptures are in a park like setting so getting around is a little hard. Most can be seen from the paved parking lot but getting closer involves pushing through the grass. A brochure with explanations about all of the figures can be found on the informative bulletin boards. The box holding the brochures is mounted a little too high to be easily reached. The gift shop has a ramp to the entrance.

   There’s a larger parking lot for RVs just past the first one which is pretty small. Concrete Park

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center

2011-10-20T20:03:00.002-05:00

Richard Bong was a local farm boy who became a flying ace in WWII shooting down over forty Japanese planes ,more than any other pilot. He was deemed too valuable of an asset to risk in combat and was sent home to do public relations tours promoting the sale of war bonds. He also started working at Wright Field as a test pilot and in a strange twist of fate , was killed when his plane malfunctioned at takeoff. The museum tells his story along with those of other local soldiers and civilians ,including the women who worked in the busy wartime ship and train yards.

Everything is accessible starting with pushbutton entrance doors. There are several short movies in different sections of the museum. All have movable chairs and low pushbuttons to start them.
The parking lot is large enough for any size RV. Museum

Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center

2011-10-19T19:43:00.002-05:00

    The center has displays about the Great Lakes and the busy port city of Duluth. A popular activity is watching the huge 1,000 ‘ freighter ships pass through the canal. Most are “lakers” ,hauling iron ore , coal and stone between ports on four of the Great Lakes.

Both floors of the museum are accessible. Entering on the second floor by using the exterior ramp is best because the ground level entranceway has a steep ramp down to the first level. An elevator is available to access both floors.

   A parking lot which allows RVs is located at Canal Park just a short distance from the museum. The entrance to the lot is narrow and an immediate turn is required so large RVs might not be able to use it. Museum

Duluth Lakewalk

2011-10-19T19:00:00.003-05:00

   There are two paths along the lake for about half of the total four miles. The boardwalk is for pedestrians ,the paved path is for bicyclers and roller-skaters plus pedestrian where there isn’t boardwalk.

   Both surfaces are fairly level and in good condition. There’s a very steep section leading to the Viking ship and the rose garden. The ship is currently covered in shrink wrap until enough money has been raised to build a protective structure.

A parking lot which allows RVs is located at Canal Park. The entrance is narrow and an immediate turn is required so large RVs might not be able to use it. Other lots are located along the walk. We went as far as the rose garden. The lot there has spaces where RVs will fit. Walk   Viking Ship

Black Bear Casino

2011-10-19T17:38:00.002-05:00

This casino is right off of the interstate about twenty miles south of Duluth. The parking lot isn’t large but unless the casino is really busy there’s plenty of room for RVs.

The casino is accessible with easily moved chairs ,low pile carpet and roomy aisles. It has a huge variety of machines including a small number of older ones which have card and ticket slots that are a little too high. Casino

Big Bog State Recreation Area Campground

2011-10-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

The Tamarac River flows alongside the campground so half of the sites are waterfront. There are fishing docks and a boat ramp. Most of the sites are large enough for any size of RV although the non-electric ones have low hanging branches and are better suited for tents or vans.

There are two handicapped sites that don’t differ from the regular sites except for being convenient to the restroom/shower building which is all accessible. The tables have a short overhang. The ground is hard parked dirt and short grass so rolling is fairly easy.

The recreation area has several trails including an accessible boardwalk which we didn’t check out because the weather has been cold and windy. Campground

Oseredok, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre

2011-10-17T19:12:00.002-05:00

The day that we visited only one gallery was opened with a display of traditional folk costumes and weavings from different regions of the Ukraine. It doesn’t take long to see it all but it’s free and just across the parking lots from the Manitoba Museum so it’s easy to pop in for a few minutes.

Unfortunately there are steps to the entrance and no ramp. Once inside there is an elevator to access the different floors. Museum

The Manitoba Museum

2011-10-13T18:41:00.002-05:00

One of the galleries of this museum has a recreation of an English seaport with a full size replica of the Nonsuch. The original Nonsuch set sail from in England in 1668 to prove that it was possible to use the Hudson Bay water route in the fur trade. The success of the mission marked the beginning of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The replica was built in England in 1968 to celebrate the 300 year anniversary of the HBC. After sailing across the Atlantic , the boat was lifted in place and the building constructed around it.

The museum’s other galleries lead visitors through the history of Manitoba from the formation of the earth to the arrival of large groups of European immigrants in the late 1800s. The building also houses a planetarium, a science gallery and a special exhibits gallery all of which require an additional entrance fee.

The museum is accessible expect for the Nonsuch which has a narrow gang plank and steps. The street of the seaport is very steep but there is a detour around it.

Parking is available in the sandy lot across the street from the museum – $1.00 an hour. The lot isn’t marked with lines and is large enough for RVs if it’s not busy. Driving a large RV in the city is difficult so if possible use public transportation. Museum

McPhillips Station Casino

2011-10-13T18:40:00.002-05:00

This casino is a good overnight spot because it has a huge parking lot plus it’s close to the center of Winnipeg. It’s located next to the railroad’s engine shop so there’s a little noise from that but not bad.

It’s bit of a roll to the casino entrance and as there aren’t any cutouts wheelchair users have to go through the parking lot rather than using the sidewalks. The casino itself is fairly accessible – push button doors,easily moved chairs, easily reached ticket slots and low pile carpet. Casino

Lakeview Park Campground,Shoal Lake

2011-10-11T23:03:00.003-05:00

Many small towns across the Canadian plains have small community campgrounds usually signified by a trailer symbol on the town information sign. This is a little campground located on a lake. Most of the sites aren’t suitable for large RVs but there are a few that should work. If you have a larger RV turn right at the pay station. Turning left leads to tight turns and narrow sections of road. None of the sites are very handicapped accessible because of uneven ground and thick grass. Campground

Gold Eagle Casino

2011-10-11T22:28:00.001-05:00

RV and truck parking is located in a large sandy lot located behind the casino. The casino is very small ,fine for an overnight stop but really not large enough for an extended stay. No trucks used the lot while we were there so we had a quiet overnight stay.

The casino is accessible –pushbutton doors and very easily moved chairs. Some of the older style machines have club card slots that are a little too high. Casino

Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre

2011-10-11T22:13:00.001-05:00

This museum has four galleries with some unusual collections. One gallery houses a large taxidermy exhibit, the work of Nicholas Fuchs. Most of the animals are very unrealistic probably because the collection is so old. Another gallery has over 250 paintings by Count Berthold von Imhoff ,a large mural painter who mainly worked in churches. The heavy oil gallery is sponsored by Husky Oil so it comes with a large dose of company hype. The forth gallery is a tiny area with historic artifacts from the area.

The museum is all accessible.

The parking lot is shared with the visitor center and is large enough for all RVs. Museum

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

2011-10-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

We're zipping across the Canadian plains,past tiny towns and miles of harvested fields. We really don't like to bypass huge areas like this but many places are closed for the season and others are closed for the holiday so there's little to see at this time of the year.

I do have a few short posts to put on the blog but we're WiFi-less until we get to a big city ,hopefully tomorrow. I'm playing with the internet access that came with the Kindle that we bought a few months ago to see what all I can do with it-no pictures but it will allow me to post text!
(had to clean this post up a little on real internet)

The World's Largest Pysanka (Easter Egg)

2011-10-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

The amazing thing about this giant egg is that it rotates in the wind! The story behind it’s creation starts with the 1974 centennial celebrations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Communities were given money to build monuments and the Ukrainian town of Vegreville chose their traditional egg ,symbolizing the peace and security the Mounties had offered the area’s pioneers and their descendants. Egg

The egg is located in the Elks/Kinsmen Park which also has a little campground and a pretty park with a small lake. The parking area is large enough for RVs. Campground

Royal Alberta Museum

2011-10-05T22:16:00.002-05:00

The museum has three permanent exhibit galleries covering the history of Alberta’s First Nations people , the animals and natural history of Alberta , and a wonderful collection of minerals from all over the world. Everything is very well done. The bead work and embroidered pieces in the First Nation’s gallery are beautiful.

   Everything is accessible except for a few booklets that are fixed in place and a little too high to see easily.

The parking lot has long spaces specially marked for buses and RVs. Museum

TELUS World of Science

2011-10-04T20:34:00.002-05:00

The exhibits and displays in this museum are interesting enough to hold the attention of older children and adults –very imaginative with lots of hands-on.

Most of the museum is accessible but the microscopes are too high to be used from a wheelchair.

The parking lot is large enough for small RVs backed in over the grass or large ones parked across the spaces. Museum

River Cree Casino

2011-10-04T20:04:00.002-05:00

This casino is very convenient to Edmonton which makes it a great place to dry camp. The parking lot is pretty big-just park far enough away from the entrance so that you don’t interfere with the car parking.

Alberta’s strict non-smoking policy doesn’t apply to First Nation’s casinos so the casino is smoky when it’s busy.

The casino is fairly accessible –easy to reach card and ticket slots, easily moved chairs. The carpet is a little too plush for easy rolling. Casino

West Edmonton Mall

2011-10-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

This is a huge mall with all of the usual stores plus an assortment of unusual stuff – a replica of the Santa Maria, an amusement park , water park,miniature golf,casino,bingo hall,hotel,Chinese grocery store,aquarium, ice arena,free show with trained sea lions, even a small chapel. It’s fun to wander around even if you don’t buy anything.

   Most of the parking is elevated and not suitable for RVs. We parked in the lot by the water park which I suspect will get very busy during the summer but is fine for small RVs at other times of the year. Large vehicle parking is available on the north side of the mall ,across 90 Ave NW ,in the overflow area.   Mall

Driving to Alaska–General Information

2011-10-03T20:27:00.001-05:00

Snow is dusting the mountain tops and we have to run our furnace much more than we like so it’s time for us to head south but first some general information of anyone who is planning a trip to Alaska. Most people from the lower forty eight states will never get to go to Alaska but for those who do get the chance it’s an unforgettable experience. However it is a long drive and one that you may only do once so give yourself as much time as possible –at least a couple of months. Don’t rush through Canada.There are many interesting and beautiful places along the way. The scenery along the highways is magnificent – a new view around every bend in the road. So much of Canada and Alaska is wilderness and inaccessible to all but the most fit so stop at all of the little attractions and scenic views. You’ll be driving for many hours and little breaks are very welcome.

Crossing the Border

So far we have crossed the border between the US and Canada and visa versa seven times without any problems. Have your passport in hand for either country’s border guards to check and be ready to answer the standard questions – any alcohol,tobacco,guns ;citizenship;length and purpose of visit;value of items purchased; etc. Canadian border guards like precise answers so even if you’re not sure of where you’re staying for the night or how long you’ll be in Canada give them a definite answer. One guard was pretty perturbed with us when we said that we planned to drive until we got tired. The Canadian guards didn’t seem to be concerned about food but at one US crossing we were asked about avocados and mangos , at another our oranges were confiscated.

Roads Conditions

Almost all of the roads are paved so bringing multiple spare tires is no longer necessary and cracked windshields are less common. Most of the roads are in such good condition that it’s easy to forget that you’ll often be miles away from the next gas station. We have a habit of topping off our tank at each station when we are out in the less populated areas. One major problem on the roads is frost heaves. They can be really hard on frames and hitches so slow down and watch for the little red flags marking the worse sections. Since road work can be done only during the summer you’ll most likely run into some construction and accompanying miles of dusty gravel. Again slow down especially when passing cars approaching from the opposite direction.

Weather and Best Time to Travel

This is our third trip to Alaska. On our first visit we spent so much time in Canada that it was late August before we finally entered Alaska. We were lucky- it stayed fairly warm even though it rained a lot and we only left in mid October because everything was closing. The next time we started up through Canada in early June. Piles of snow lined the roads, some things were closed and the rivers were icy but we had 70 degree weather in Alaska in July. This year we left the US in early July, trying to avoid the extremely wet spring weather. It never really got dry or warm. High temperatures averaged between 55 and 60. So be prepared for any type of weather. The coastal cities are almost always wet and cool. The interior can actually get hot. The height of tourist season is July through August. If you travel later in the season (mid August on) the roads and campgrounds are almost empty. Some campgrounds and attractions open late and close early in the season. We prefer a later start because it avoids the spring rush.

Campgrounds

We don’t stay in many commercial campgrounds. I’ve seen on other blogs that sometimes people have a hard time getting a space at the height of the season. We noticed that most of the campgrounds were pretty empty when we drove by later in the year. The state , provincial parks and other public parks where we stayed always had plenty of spaces and some of them were almost empty. Public campgrounds rarely have any type of hookups and most have pit toilets which seems to cut down on their popularity.

Boondocking

Along the Cassiar highway in northern British Columbia it’s easy to find good places along the road to pull off and spend the night. Along the British Columbian section of the Alaska Highway boondockng opportunities are scarce because there’s a lot of oil and gas exploration and many of the dirt roads off of the highway are busy with trucks or marked as having dangerous gasses. Once you’re in the Yukon and Alaska boondocking spots are easy to find except around cities or tourist areas where there will be “no camping or overnight parking” signs at every pullout. It usually not possible to get very far away from the highway but we look for large pull offs with trees to shield us from traffic. Most of the time traffic dies down at night and it’s pretty quiet. Dry camping in store parking lots (Walmart of Fred Meyers) is possible in most cities with the exception of Anchorage which doesn’t allow it anywhere.

Wildlife

We spotted numerous black bear, moose,foxes,marmots,caribou,deer,buffalo,bald eagles,swans and lots of small animals and birds. All of the wildlife we saw were along the roads but there are plenty of opportunities to take tours if you want to see more. I’m not sure about the accessibility of the different types of tours.

Accessibility

Both Canada and Alaska have accessibility problems , mostly because of the harsh weather conditions , but there are many places where a simple short ramp would have been a big improvement. The main different between the two countries is toilet facilities in the campgrounds. Small Canadian parks rarely have accessible toilets,although the rest areas do. Alaskan parks always have accessible toilets and most of the time have picnic tables with an overhang.

Services

Big cities have all the services but most things are a good bit more expensive than in the lower states. Smaller cities have a limited selection and a slightly “edge of the frontier” look with potholed,gravel parking lots and very utilitarian building construction. The tiniest towns are just a combination of gas station,lodge,campground,store and restaurant. Depending on a short tourist season to make a living is hard and the small places often go out of business. Keep this in mind and get gas often when you’re traveling in less populated areas.

Phone and Internet

We have AT&T for both our phone and internet service. For a small fee AT&T will allow access to the Canadian phone system (Rodgers) but be aware that there is still a high per minute charge. WiFi is available at many of the visitor centers. We also got on line at Staples and Safeway. AT&T phone service in Alaska is good in the cities , non existence along the rural roads. At times we could get very slow internet service where we didn’t have phone service by using our Wilson antenna so an antenna adapter for our phone probably would have improved the signal for it too.

Other Questions?

If anyone has a question about anything else please leave a comment and I’ll try to answer it.