A Love-Hate Relationship: The Ups and Downs of Elevators

Primitive elevators have been used since third century BC. These elevators were run by water wheel, animal, or even human power. By the mid-nineteenth century, elevators were steam operated, and used for transporting materials in factories and mines. In 1853, Elisha Otis invented a safety device that prevents an elevator from taking a plunge if a supporting cable were to fail. In that same year, Otis established an elevator manufacturing company and eight years later, he patented the steam elevator. In 1857, the Otis Brothers installed the first public (steam powered) elevator in E.W. Haughtwhat and Company's five story department store in Manhattan. In the 1870's, steam powered elevators began to be phased out; they were replaced by hydraulic machines. However, by the end of the 19th century, electric elevators were introduced; the first one was built by Werner von Siemens of Germany, in 1880. Alexander Miles of the United States patented the electric elevator on October 11, 1887.

The design of the elevator dramatically improved over a short span of time, and I am so thankful that all the kinks of the elevator were worked out before my time; I can now experience the benefit of having an elevator available to me in most buildings that have multiple floors. However, there is a problem: the key word being "most". Not every building with multiple floors has an elevator to create equal access to people of all abilities. This does not just include older building that were constructed many years ago (and therefore grandfathered in), but newer buildings as well. 

In section 4.1.3 of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) under Exemption One it states, "Elevators are not required in facilities that are less than three stories or that have less than 3000 square feet per story, unless the building is a shopping center, a shopping mall, or the professional office of a health care provider, or another type of facility as determined by the Attorney General." The irony of this is, while the ADA was written to improve the lives and accessibility for those with disabilities, this act also allows architects/businesses to discriminate against many persons with disabilities. As a person who uses a wheelchair, I am unable to utilize the stairs and therefore, cannot reach an upper or lower floor without an elevator. Why should it be okay to give the majority of society the right to access all parts of a building, but not give another person that same opportunity just because that person cannot walk up the stairs? 

I have encountered many buildings that are not equipped with an elevator and therefore, do not allow for equal access. This is most common in condos, motels and hotels. I am frustrated when I cannot cannot enter a friend's condo. However, what about a resident in a wheelchair who wants to take her new neighbor cookies, who recently moved in the condo above her own, but cannot do so as there is no way for her to access the second floor? Would it not be rude for her to call up her neighbor and say, "I have cookies for you, but you have to come get them." 

It is also frustrating when my family cannot stay at any given hotel simply due to lack of accessibility. Many hotels will locate all of their accessible rooms on the ground floor, so it is assumed there is no need for an elevator. However, many hotels only provide one bed in accessible rooms, while providing the option of two in others.What about the family of four, with a son in a wheelchair, who cannot stay in the handicap room at their preferred hotel because that room only has one bed, so they would like to rent a room (that happens to be on the second floor) with two beds? Is it right to tell this family they have to rent two rooms just because their son is in a wheelchair? 

Unfortunately, inaccessibility (with regards to elevators or lack there of), does not stop here. The greatest irony that I have found is if I (or any other person in a wheelchair) were to visit the Bellingham School District's Special Education Office; a meeting would have to be prearranged as this office is on the second floor of Roeder. Roeder is a historic building here in Bellingham and therefore, is grandfathered; this building is not required to be accessible. It is also under three stories (and each floor is under 3,000 square feet), so to my understanding, would not have to have an elevator anyways. None the less, the special education office is on the second floor. Whoever planned this out is completely ignorant to the fact that there are students in the Bellingham School District that are in special education who are unable to access stairs. However, there are not just special education offices on the second floor, and not everyone who cannot access the stairs is in special education, Bellingham School District's problem of inaccessibility would not be solved by just moving the special education office to the ground floor. Now, this would solve the ironic problem of students with disabilities not being able to get to the special education office, but in turn, it would introduce a new problem. This would now be a stereotypical problem; not all students with physical disabilities are in special education. If the special education office was moved to the ground floor of Roeder, then all offices should be made accessible to all students, disabled or not, Roeder does not necessary need to be made accessible, but as a public school district, Bellingham is obligated to give an equal, but not separate opportunity with all aspects of education. If Roeder cannot be remodeled to accommodate all students and their parents, then the school district should move their offices to meet this crucial courtesy.  

What about a building that has an elevator, but that elevator does not allow access to every part of the building (that the rest of the public can get to via stairs)? The YMCA here in Bellingham is the perfect example. The YMCA is located in an older building; however, it has been remodeled since the ADA was written. The elevator does not allow access to the upstairs party room. I found this out when I went to two of my friend's birthday party. When their mom rented the room at the Y, she explained that her daughters had a friend in a wheelchair attending the party. The lady who booked the party said it was no problem, and that she would place us in the party room on the ground floor as the room on the second floor was not accessible. When we arrived, we found out that someone else wanted the room on the ground, so we were bumped to the lesser of the two room; we ended up in the room that was up a long flight of stairs. We explored the building. The elevator goes to the second floor dressing rooms; on the other side of the dressing rooms is that party room, but a wall stands in the way. When the Y was upgraded, why were they able to get away with not putting a hallway to that room? Another thing that we encountered at the YMCA is that the only way down to the rock wall is via a skinny staircase; there is no elevator. The ironic thing is that there is an adapted harness that people with disabilities can use when climbing.     

Even though elevators are an amazing tool for providing equal access, they can be quite a pain and I try to avoid them at all cost. When I sign up for college classes, I try my best to not take a class that would involve me using an elevator. I will try my best to create future schedules that are not located on an upper floor of the environmental science building. In this building, there are two elevators (one at each end of the building). The elevator closest to the main door goes to the half and whole floors (there are doors that open on both sides of this elevator). The one that is on the other side of the building only gives access to the whole floors; this is the elevator that I use and will continue to use, even though it is out of the way, until I have to get to a half floor. This is due to the main elevator trapping people inside more than an elevator should; I heard of two different occasions of this occurring during my first year at WWU. I have also had my own experiences with this elevator; during my third quarter at WWU, there were many times that I sat waiting for the elevator, and then was told that it had not been working all morning or even all week. After a couple of times of being late to class, I just started using the elevator at the other end of the building. I am thankful for that second elevator; if it did not exist, I would have missed many classes. I would have also had to travel to another building to use the bathroom (as this building's accessible bathrooms are in the basement).
Along with the main elevator in the environmental building, I also try to not have to use the elevators in Arntzen Hall. They are older, and I am pretty sure they are not calibrated as often as they should be. Twice this past quarter, the elevator (on the same wall/side as Subway) hit the bottom floor hard, bounced around, and then the doors did not open for at least thirty seconds. This was quite painful and nerve racking. Both my mom and I called the maintenance department (on separate days), as this happened to her as well! I heard others talking about it too, so it could not have happened just a couple of times. I am hoping that the elevators are now fixed, as the bathrooms are in the basement, and the Political Science Offices are on the fourth floor.    

I also try to avoid taking classes on upper floors when I would only have ten minutes in between those classes, as it is most likely that I would be late to class if I had to use an elevator. When I signed up for my classes last winter quarter, I picked a communications class and an economics class that were scheduled ten minutes apart. I thought it was going to work perfect for me, as both classes were located on the main/bottom floor of their respective buildings (both of which are located on the south end of campus). Before classes began, I mapped out my route to make sure I could make it to economics on time after leaving my communications class. From the communications building to the business building, I found that it only took me about four minutes. Perfect! However, when the quarter started, I learned that after the first two weeks of my comm class, we were no longer going to meet in the large class room on the ground floor; we were going to be split up into smaller groups, and meet on the second floor. This means I would now have to access my class via the elevator. This situation probably would have been okay because there were two elevators -- which typically means the wait is not too long (no more than two minutes) -- however, for the first half of the quarter, the second elevator was broken! Okay, I know that because there are two elevators and one was broken, I still could get to class, but when there is only one elevator for five floors, the wait dramatically increases. One day, I waited seven minutes for the elevator. This is the longest I have ever waited for an elevator that works. Needless to say, I was late to my next class. For the majority of the quarter, I barely made it to class on time, and when the only place that you can sit is in the front of the classroom, everyone watches you arrive and get settled. My suggestion would be for professors to indicate in the catalog entry the locations of all the classrooms that may be utilized, as disabled students base their schedules on where the class is relatively located to other classes. My other suggestion is directed towards the maintenance department: there is a purpose for that second elevator, so when it is broken, please do not allow it to be out of order for six weeks.

This past Spring quarter, I had an amazing history class that happened to be in a crazy location: on the fifth floor of Old Main. To access this classroom, I had to first use the elevator on the south end of the building (which only goes to the fourth floor); then, I had to cross the entire building to the second elevator (which cannot be accessed on the first floor) to finally make it up to the fifth floor. This venture took me anywhere from four to ten minutes (depending on the elevators) to get to the classroom (once I entered the building). I understand that Old Main is an old building; it was the first building to be built on Western Washington University's campus in the late 1800's, so I am guessing that the elevators were not a part of this building's original design; the elevators in Old Main were probably installed at a later date. It is not this design that particularly bothers me; what does peeve me is when I had made it all the way to the second elevator just to find an able bodied person waiting to go down when I needed to go up. I know that others have just as much of a right to use the elevator as I do; none the less, it would be greatly appreciated that anyone who is able to please take the stairs. I am not able to use the stairs as a back up. So, the next time you are deciding whether to take the stairs or the elevator, remember back to that time that you got so fed up with waiting for the elevator, that you just took the stairs. Those of us who are in wheelchairs may also get fed up with waiting, but we cannot resort to taking the stairs.

Here is an informational video on elevator etiquette created by the spectacular Yomara Bedolla! 

Check her blog out at http://yoyoyomara.blogspot.com

Finding the Silver Lining: Another Fall Quarter Review

Two Thursdays ago, I took my last final of the quarter. The past three months have flown by, but in this short time, so much has happened. This past quarter, I took Intro to Law (PLSC 311), Politics of Inequality (PLSC 346), and Human Geography (ENVS 204). This load definitely stretched me as a student, but even so, I will remember this quarter as my favorite quarter so far at Western. However, there were trials that I had to face and therefore, overcome.
This past quarter started right off the bat; I felt as if I was tossed into a cold, raging river without any life preserver. The work load that we started with at the beginning was unexpected and ended up being overwhelming at times. In the midsts of all the new assignments and keeping up with the readings, I had to get my paperwork from the DRS and deliver it to my professors. I ended up e-mailing two of my professors and asked them to meet me at the top of the classroom to sign my paperwork, so I could take it back to the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS). I had two classes (PLSC 346 and ENVS 204) that were both in classrooms where I could not access the front. Arntzen Hall 100 and Environmental Science 100 are the two largest classrooms on Western's campus, so I understand why so many classes are only offered in those classrooms. However, on top of not being able to access the front of the classroom to ask my professor a simple question, I am also not able to get close enough to read the board nor the overhead. I am visually impaired, so being limited to sitting in the very back is detrimental to my learning success. I would love to have the equal opportunity to choose to sit in the back or the front of the classroom, just like any other student. Since, these two buildings are older and do not have to be accessible, I cannot complain about the inaccessibility of these said buildings. Never the less, I would have hoped that newer buildings would have been built with equally as large and with equal accessibility to the front and the back of the classrooms. However, even if there were equally as large of classrooms that were more accommodating, I would not be able to get the classrooms switched, as the DRS has made it clear that they cannot switch a classroom for one student, as then they would have to switch classrooms for any student that asked. The DRS was even reluctant to move a class that I could not even get to, they said to just take another class. The DRS ended up moving my class, and now that building has recently been remodeled. Another way that this college could accommodate legally blind students who cannot access the front, is provide us with a device called the Da Vinci (or a similar device). This device is one that is very much like one that I used in grade school, but 100 times better; technology has improved and so has the Da Vinci. This device allows a student to point a camera at the blackboard or the overhead, the picture is then streamed to a screen and can be enlarged to suit the student's needs. Would it shock you if I said Western does not have this device? Well, they do not, but Bellingham Technical College does.
The other problem with Anrtzen 100 is even though a wheelchair accessible platform exists, it is not big enough for a table (that I can fit under) and my wheelchair. This means that I have to hold my notebook when taking notes. I do have a table top but since I am visually impaired, I cannot see what I am writing if my notebook is sitting on it. I prefer a higher table, as my notebook can sit closer to my face, and I can see what I am writing.
In ENVS 204, we had a quiz on six of the ten Fridays during the quarter. My professor projected the quiz each week up onto the overhead screen. Since I could not read the screen, I asked my professor if he could print me out a large print copy of the quiz (as I did not want to take a five question quiz at the DRS). He told me that I would have to remind him every Friday morning before each quiz. I forgot to call him before the second quiz and he also forgot to print me out a copy of that quiz. I had to go up to his office after class in order to take my quiz. I then ended up taking every future quiz in his office (for some reason he did not want me to take my quiz in the classroom). Something strange that he did eight weeks into the quarter was he brought me a piece of paper (that was typed in such small print that I could not read it) and he told me that he was going to shine that same document up onto the overhead screen. My friend sitting next to me took a look at the document and said that it was from Chapter Nine study guide. This document never showed up on the overhead screen during class.
After taking my first test for ENVS 204, I received an e-mail from professor telling me to make sure that my scantron form was filled out and made it to him after the next test. I do not fill out the scantron, the DRS bubbles in my answers on the scantron that I circle on the actual test. I had specifically written at the top of my test that I needed the multiple choice answers to be transferred onto a scantron. For the next test, my bubble sheet did turn up, but my professor did not receive the written part of my test. It is very unnerving to see an "F" in the grade book and not know why! A couple days later, the other half of my test did finally show up.
My PLSC 346 final was scheduled for Tuesday of finals week at 8:00 A.M. I showed up to the DRS fifteen minutes early and there was a line that stretched through the DRS, out the door and past the bathrooms; there were at least thirty people already waiting in line when I arrived. At about 8:00, I finally reached the front of the line (not bad because that is when my test taking was supposed to commence). None the less, when the lady distributing the tests handed me my final, it was the wrong test. See, there is a Mrs. Singleton on campus, who teaches political science; she taught my class this past quarter, and there is a Mr. Singleton on campus, who teaches accounting; he created the test that I was handed. When Mrs. Singleton did not send a copy of the PLSC 346 final to the DRS, the DRS just assumed that the test sent by Mr. Singleton was the test I was supposed to take. Singleton and Singleton, okay same last name; but political science and accounting? I explained that this was not the correct test and I would like to not have to complete the final for a class I have never taken. The lady who handed me the wrong test relayed the message to the main testing lady in the DRS. She then went and asked one of the counselors to please go pick up a copy of the correct final. The environmental science building (where my PLSC 346 class was located) is half way across campus. It took the counselor about fifteen minutes to go fetch my test. By the time I actually get my test I had been in the DRS for over 45 minutes.
While I was waiting for my test, the the main testing lady took me into the testing room and placed me at the new table that they finally got this past quarter. The new table that they purchased, they bought because of me. When I could no longer take my test in the room that I had for five quarters, I explained that I could not fit under the table that was in the main testing room, and it was extremely uncomfortable to take my tests. So, two quarters later, they finally got accessible tables (until then, they did let me take my tests in the other room, but the table that worked well for me had disappeared). The ironic thing about the accessible table in the main testing room is it does move up and down, but I cannot physically push the buttons to make it do so!
Okay, I did finally get my test; however, when it was handed to me, it was not in large print. I could read it, barely, but I could manage. I was already in the testing room, squished like a sardine with every other student who takes their final in the DRS; I could not move without running into three other people and disturbing everyone in that room. When I leave the room, I cannot shut the door behind me, meaning I would have to leave the door open. So, I decided that this time I would not go ask for the essay questions to be enlarged. However, to my surprise, the testing lady came into the testing room about five minutes later and took my test back. She then returned with an enlarged copy of my test! I even received my first genuine sorry from someone in the DRS. I later found out that my mom and her friend saw me taking my test through the windows of the testing room (the whole one side of the room is windows). My mom asked the testing lady if my test had been enlarged. She exclaimed, "well, she should have told us." The first final that I received (the accounting final), was already enlarged when I arrived to take my test. It is on my file that I need large print, I should not have to ask.  
Never the less, with every storm, comes a rainbow. The reasoning for this being my favorite quarter at WWU is, this past quarter I made many genuine friends that see me as me and not my disability. Another reason is, for the first time, I had a professor not just accommodate me, but went above and beyond to help me succeed in his class. By all means, I do not mean that he treated me "differently" or set lower standards for me, but he made it clear that he was there if I ever needed his help; he e-mailed me and talked to me in person many times in order to make sure that he got the accommodations I requested correct. He even asked me if it was legal to not have handicap access buttons on all the doors (even the classroom doors); he was concerned that I had to wait for someone to open the door for me. I explained that to the best of my knowledge, handicap access buttons are only a curtsy and do not need to be placed on any doors (inside or out). The other neat thing that he did was every test that he sent to the DRS was already formatted with large print (so the DRS did not have to do so). I have never had a professor enlarge all my tests before sending them to the DRS! Thank you Professor Chen; you are an amazing professor and I am excited to take another class from you next quarter.
Two more really awesome things happened, both have to do with better accessibility on campus. The first one happened towards the beginning of the quarter. By Old Main, there was a bump up from the parking lot to the brick walkway; this bump was close to two inches and when in a wheelchair, going up this size of bump can be painful. It is also dangerous to anyone walking who is not paying attention. I saw two maintenance workers that were near the bump, so I pointed it out to them; I voiced my concerns and asked if they, or whoever was responsible for that sort of thing, could fix it. Nothing happened with regards to the bump, but the parking lot next to Old Main was patched. A couple weeks later, a friend of the family, who has connections to the maintenance department, told me to let him know if I ever needed anything done around campus. I explained to him about that bump by Old Main and within a week, that bump had been ramped!

 No more bump!

The other neat thing that happened is still in process. Towards the middle of the quarter another maintenance worker saw me traveling up the sidewalk parallel to the drive next to Arntzen Hall. Towards one end of the sidewalk, stood a light pole. This light pole had a large base that greatly protruded into the sidewalk. The sidewalk bends out around the base of the light, and this obstacle reveals who the bad drivers are. The part that bends around the light is skinnier than the rest of the sidewalk; I have a small clearance on either side of me (and I have a small chair)! An even worse structural issue about this sidewalk was the railing that curved around the exterior of the sidewalk. This railing did not do anything except get in the way. The railing did not prevent anyone from rolling off the sidewalk, as there is a concrete lip that does that, nor does it prevent anyone from driving onto the sidewalk. Large trucks use that parallel drive and one smashed into the railing, bending it into the pathway, preventing anyone in a wheelchair from using that sidewalk altogether. It is not safe for anyone to travel in the same driveway as crazy truck drivers.
The railing was the first thing to go. Then during dead week, a new light pole was put in place behind the sidewalk. Then during finals week, the light pole was removed from the base. Now all that is left is the great protruding concrete base, which should be gone by the end of break! Thank you to all the maintenance workers who are improving Western's campus and making it accessible to all.  

A beautiful autumn day on campus

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part IV (days 11-13)

On our last day, we were headed to Broadway to watch WICKED. Watching Wicked on Broadway was the main reason we ventured to New York City; my sister graduated from high school and getting to enjoy the show, in person, was her present. However, before I get into the details of our last day in NYC, I want to thank our hostess and explain how amazing and hospitable she was to us during our time so far away from home.
My grandma's cousin took us in and allowed us make ourselves at home for three nights without having previously met my mom, sister or I, nor having seen my dad since he was four years old! On top of giving us a place to stay, she also provided us with so much food! On the first night, we arrived to her house to find ingredients to make quinoa pasta spaghetti, tons of fruit and a fresh green salad! This was so amazing to me, as restaurant and cooler food is nice, but can get old real fast. So, to have a home cooked meal meant so much to me! The food did not stop there; in the morning, my grandma's cousin shared her favorite cereal with me; it is now my favorite cereal too! One more thing: on our last day in New York, she went to Starbucks and brought us each back our preferred drink! Thank you so much for letting us all stay at your house and feeding us; I enjoyed getting to know you!

My drink of the morning; I love iced green tea!

We slowly got ready on our last day in New York City; the play did not start until three in the afternoon, so there was no reason to rush. We said out goodbyes and then prepared to leave. We packed up all our belongings and loaded it all back into our van; then, we piled in too. We drove to 96th street, just like we had the past two days, parked in the same parking garage and then walked to the subway at the 96th street station for the last time. 

When we entered the station, there was yellow caution tape wrapped around the door that I passed through after swiping my MetroCard; the turn styles were not blocked off, just the handicap entrance. I almost panicked; we had to get to the three o' clock showing of WICKED and I did not want my family to miss their opportunity to watch the play. Fortunately, I did not have the time to panic; my mom was on a mission to find a way for me to get through to the elevator down to the train. She instantly went to the information booth and asked two questions: one, what was the caution tape for and two, if it was possible for me to still get onto the train. The first question was not answered by the attendant in the information booth, but we shortly found out the answer ourselves. The attendant did inform us that there was a way to walk around the outside of the building (cross the street walk a block and cross the street back to the second entrance) and enter through the other side of the station. There we would find a second handicap entrance. When we entered through the other side, we could see that the tape blocking off the first entrance was only there because someone was taking photos while standing on a latter. The door was not broken, the latter was no where close to the blocked off door (it was actually closer to the turn styles that were still available for use), but I guess the photographer wanted to keep his space? I know that I do not know all the details to this situation, but next time please really take into account how your work space is going to effect those around you before you start blocking off doors. How would you feel if you walked into a subway station and you were told that you had to go through the turn styles at the other entrance; "sorry, these are not available for you to use."  

After trying to comprehend exactly why they had me go around, I got on the train and rode to Colobus Circle. When we exited off the train, my dad thought to ask the lady at the information booth if the elevator in the station for accessing the north bound train had been fixed yet. She informed us that she had just returned from being on vacation, so she did not know. We just went on our way and decided to deal with our dilemma later. To exit the station, I found the "unaccessible" ramp (see day 10 of our trip); I rolled down the ramp this time instead of using the elevator and then used the second elevator to get up to the street. 

Now that we were free to roam the streets, we spent the next couple of ours browsing shops on Broadway. After we were tired of shopping, we went and sat in the lobby where the showing of Wicked was going to take place.

Infront of the sign advertising WICKED

In the lobby of WICKED on Broadway

In the lobby

The time finally came for us to get in line to be seated for the show! We were told to go stand next to the elevator and wait there for our escort. We were waiting there when another family (or group) came along in need of using the elevator as well. I thought it was interesting that she only had a walking cast on and she insisted that her party be taken up to their designated seats first; she paid no attention to the other groups waiting for the elevator. The escort took them up to the floor where their seats were located and then came back to get us. He apologized to us and explained that it is just easier to abide by certain people's demands. We understood his choice; that as an attendant, he has to pick his battles wisely. When we reached the second floor (where our seats were located), our attendant showed us the location of the handicap bathroom; it is right next to the elevator on the second floor. I found this placement of the bathroom a little odd, as the handicap seating is actually on the fourth floor. Why is the only handicap bathroom located on the second floor, when the majority of the people who use it are seated two floors up? 

Even though the bathroom was poorly placed, it worked out for us. We had purchased tickets to sit in the back half of the first tier; and we sat in row eleven or twelve (located on the second floor)! These were amazing seats, but we had to compromise to sit there. The only wheelchair accessible seats are located on the fourth floor, in the back of the theater. We decided I would enjoy Wicked better if I was closer and able to see the performance more clearly, so someone would need to carry me from the second floor lobby into the theater and then I would sit in a seat (not my wheelchair). After the elevator ride, there is a set of stairs up to the doorway of the theater. Then, there were steps down to our seats as well. We wanted to choose our seats, just like anyone else who purchased their tickets so far in advance. Since we called way ahead (and once the theater attendant knew what we were asking for), they were very accommodating to our requests. Once we arrived to the theater, all the attendants were extremely helpful as well. 

WICKED was so amazing; the timing of the lights, live orchestra and acting were flawless. The performance was breathtaking and the story line, so cleaver. I really enjoyed the show way beyond what I imagined I would! I am glad that we watched Wicked at the end of our trip; what a great way to wrap up our time in New York City! I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to experience this Broadway production, filled with so much talent and pizzazz with my family. Thank you Mom and Dad for taking both Gina and I, and thank you Gina for inviting us all to enjoy your graduation present with you!

After the show, we all needed to use the bathroom before riding the subway train back up to 96th street to eat dinner and get our car. When I got to the bathroom, it was already occupied and there were three people in line; a mom in a wheelchair with her little girl, and an able bodied woman. This is the handicap bathroom we are talking about; it is segregated off away from the rest of the bathrooms, but this able bodied lady decided that she should use the ONLY wheelchair accessible toilet in the building. I wanted to ask her why she needed the handicap bathroom as she was by herself, walks just fine and does not use a walking aid either. The thing is, if she used the handicap bathroom, there was only one person in front of her, but the line for the able bodied bathrooms consisted of every other women in the theater, making her wait "too long". The handicap bathroom is also separated away from the others, making it more private. When the first lady in the bathroom was finished, the able bodied lady took her turn. This lady took forever; the mom and the little girl went next and were way faster than her! By the time my mom and I took our turn, both my dad and my sister had made it through the able bodied lines and were waiting down in the lobby for us. So, really, which line is faster? It is super frustrating that an able bodied person can pick the shorter and "faster" line, but I or anyone else in a wheelchair cannot just default to using a regular stall if we really needed to. If you are able to fit in a regular stall, do not need bars or assistance using the bathroom, please do not use the handicap bathroom. 

Ok, here comes some good news. We left the theater and walked to Columbus Circle. We were concerned that we were not going to be able to return to 96th street via the subway, as we had not been informed earlier whether or not the elevator that we needed was fixed. We figured out that there was another way to get onto the train in order to head up town; why didn't the two different workers that we talked to at this station tell us this crucial piece of information? 

We made it onto the train to ride back to 96th street for the last time. Here, we walked over to Gabriela's (a mexican restaurant), where we met up with my grandma's other cousin and her husband, who also live in New York, and ate dinner. It was great to see them and spend time with them again. For dinner, I ordered an interesting chicken mole dish. The food was not the best, but the building was accessible and we all got to share a meal together. Thank you to you both for dinner, I'm glad we were able to meet up again! 

At dinner on our last night in NYC

We finished our dinner, said our goodbyes and parted our separate ways. Mom, Dad, Gina and I all got into our van to begin our journey home. That night, after driving three hours (in order to get out of New York), we stayed in a Holiday Inn Express off highway 80 in Whitehaven, Pennsylvania. From there we drove straight home; we drove forty-nine hours, only stopping to go to the bathroom, buy food and/or get gas. 

What a crazy, fun-filled adventure we had together. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and that we all could go on this road trip together. We have made such wonderful memories together, memories that we can cherish forever.  

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part III (day 10)

When my family and I returned to where we were staying, we discussed or plans for the next day. My sister really wanted to return to Battery Park to buy a painting from the spray paint artist we had seen earlier that day. As a family, we decided that it would be better for us to split up, as it was so slow for me to travel down to South Ferry. My dad and I also thought it would be neat to visit the Natural Science Museum. So, my dad and I would travel to the Natural Science Museum, while my mom and sister would head back down to South Ferry.

The next day, we ended up traveling to Colobus Circle (59th street station) to visit Carnegie Hall before splitting up. When we exited the train, the elevator up to the street was not "right there" just like at the other stops; I had to find it. I headed in the direction that everyone else was traveling, thinking that the elevator would be where they were exiting. I came to a door; a door that looked like every other door I had been exiting (since I am unable to pass through the turn styles). Here, there are no turn styles; there is just that door. I almost exited though that door, but I am so glad I did not. Through that door leads up to the street, but only by a set of stairs! I quickly learned this and continued on my search for the elevator. I went passed the door and continued on until the platform opened up; to my left were the tracks and to my right a little ways further, I could see the elevator.
To the right of the elevator sits a ramp. I thought to myself, "I rather roll down that ramp than take the slow elevator!" I had this thought for a slight moment; this was until I noticed a sign hanging on the wall saying that the ramp is NOT handicap accessible. My thought instantly changed to. "Why would anyone construct a public ramp that is not handicap accessible?!" I also questioned why this ramp is not accessible. Could it be that there are steps at the bottom of the ramp? Or could it be that the ramp is just not up to ADA grade? This time, my first time at this stop, I did not venture down this ramp, I just waited for the elevator. However, the next time, I was super curious to figure out why this ramp is supposedly not accessible to me. Well, there are not stairs at the bottom of this ramp, and I DID access the unaccessible ramp! Never the less, I am pretty sure that the ramp in this subway station is a steeper gradient than the ADA warrants. So, my suggestion would be to replace the sign with a new one that explains exactly what is wrong with the ramp. For example, if the ramp is not up to ADA standard (a slope  of 1/2 ft.), then say exactly that. WARNING: THIS RAMP IS NOT TO ADA STANDARD. Or CAUTION: STEEP GRADIENT.

After traveling down the elevator (or the ramp), there is a second elevator that leads up to the street. My family and I took this elevator to go to Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately, this building was closed, as it was under construction. After taking pictures of the outside, Mom and Gina went back to the subway, and headed downtown, while Dad and I ventured back to the other side of the subway to go up town.

My sister playing Vanna White at Carnegie Hall

When my dad and I reached the subway station, we went down the elevator that we had taken up to the street earlier that morning. We went over to the information desk and asked the attendant to please open the accessible door. I need to ask the attendant every time I want to progress to the train as there are turnstiles that any able bodied person just passes through after swiping their MetroCard, but as a person who uses a wheelchair, I cannot physically pass through turnstiles. Another thing I am unable to do is swipe my MetroCard; fortunately, I was traveling with my dad, so he could swipe my card for me. However, I am pretty independent, and question whether or not I could travel the subways by myself. My first obstacle is actually getting down into the station, but once I am down, who is going to swipe my card? Do I trust a random person, or will there be an attendant at the information booth and will they assist me? 

Okay, back to having to check in with the attendant. We asked him to open the accessible door, and he did when my dad swiped my MetroCard. We went to the next elevator that we needed to take in order to head north. Well, it was broken. I found it odd that the attendant did not ask us if we were headed north; therefore, he did not tell us that the elevator was broken. I found out why the attendant at the INFORMATION booth did not inform us the elevator was broken: HE DID NOT KNOW! When my dad told the attendant, he was shocked. So shocked, he was apologetic and gave us two tickets for the next time we road the subway. 

So, our plan to go to the Natural Science Museum was foiled since it would take too long to walk or ride the bus there and back. By the time we would arrive to the museum, we would not get our money's worth before we had to venture back to meet up with my mom and sister near Rockefeller Center. Instead of visiting the museum, my dad and I ventured around Columbus Circle, experienced a New York City marketplace (that went on for blocks), and we also found Rockefeller Center. 

Columbus Circle was the only area that I found a crosswalk that did not have a curb cutout at both ends. The first time I crossed, I was pulled up the curb, but the second time, I found an alternative route to access the curb. Even though I had to deal with the missing curb cutout and the elevator mishap at the subway station, I really enjoyed Columbus Circle; the architecture is unique, and I absolutely loved the fountain!  

Favorite fountain I found in NYC

After taking pictures in Columbus Circle, my dad and I continued our venture through the streets of New York City. We came across a marketplace that seemed to go on forever; we could not see the end. I love to go to the market here in Bellingham, so it was exciting to see one so large. We browsed through about four of the tent lined blocks and then decided we had seen enough. We did end up having lunch at the market; I ate a thai chicken kabob and my dad enjoyed a corn dog. We also stumbled across a sweet treat that both of us could not pass up: deep fried Oreos.  

At the market

The deep fried Oreos 

When we were finished exploring the market, my dad and I went to Rockefeller Center. We looked at the flags and saw where the outdoor skating rink is in the winter. We found the elevator to go down below the street level where there is a mall like area with Starbucks, restaurants and bathrooms. Dad and I sat at a table for a while, then we decided to head in the direction of where my mom and sister would exit the subway. As we headed in that direction, my dad received a text from my mom that they should be a little longer than we thought, so we stopped and sat down by a fountain. 

After about four hours of separation, I was extremely happy to finally be reunited with my mom and sister; I really needed to use the bathroom and my dad and I could not find one that was accessible and unisex! I am so glad that Dad and I had explored Rockefeller Center earlier in the day and that I had discovered exactly where the elevator sits and that there are actual bathrooms that I could use! 

Our next stop: F.A.O. Swartz. This toy store, featured in the movie BIG, is located near the Rockefeller center. When we first arrived at F.A.O. Swartz, I thought I was not going to get to go inside as the courtyard area in front of this toy store is up three steps. I kept driving along the steps until I came to the end of the court yard. There I found a ramp that was tucked away near the building. When facing the main entrance to F.A.O. Swartz, the ramp is located to the far left. So, my initial assumption was wrong; I could get into the toy store! 

Once I got inside, I learned that there was a lower level of the toy store that could be accessed by a set of stairs or a ramp (that is located on the right side of the store when just having entered through the front doors). There is also an upstairs as well, however, there is only a set of stairs to access the second level. Never the less, F.A.O. Swartz is a pretty sweet toy store; the ton a toys, candies and figures that fill this store are so BIG! There are life-sized stuffed animals, giant lolly pops and peeps, along with a humongous minion from Despicable Me!

Gina and I with Zoltar from the movie BIG

PEEPS

With a Minion from Despicable Me

Onward we went to the next store on our list: Bloomingdales! Getting there was an adventure. A construction company was working on one corner of the store. This meant that there was not a curb cut out where I needed to get down. However, a temporary ramp had just been poured. This was neat because I have never experienced this before; here in Bellingham, every time I have found a curb cut out to be out of service, there just is not one for a while. Even though I was impressed with the fact there was a temporary ramp, I was disappointed to find out that when I drove down it, I sank in the fresh, gooey pavement. My question is, why was this ramp not blocked off until it was dry and solid? I wish someone would have informed me that the pavement was still wet. When I exited off the sidewalk via the temporary ramp, I sank into the squishy pavement, covering my tires in black goo. I was super embarrassed to go into Bloomingdales when we arrived, as I did not want to leave tire prints on their nice, shiny floors. Fortunately, the majority of the goo had rubbed off by the time we got there. To my relief, I did not make a mark on the tile floors of Bloomingdales. 

I really enjoyed exploring Bloomingdales. To get up to the main store, my sister and I took a small back elevator. From there, there were about nine elevators working on all main floors on which we could all ride. Gina and I browsed for awhile and found a ton of cute things, but they were way too expensive for our college student budgets! When we were finished looking around, we went to find our parents. They were waiting for us in the restaurant. We eventually came to a stair case which has an accessible lift for those of us that are unable to access the stairs. As we approached the staircase, one employee ran off to go get the key that activated the lift. Once we made our way to the stairs and were waiting for the nice man to return with the key, another employee asked me if I had been assisted yet and I had the pleasure of telling him, "yes"! I did not end up using the lift, as my parents were finished eating and joined us at the lift and then we exited the store the way Gina and I had entered. I was so amazed at how helpful the employees were at Bloomingdales. Thank you so much to anyone who helped us while we were there!     

In my family, we could not go to New York City and go to F.A.O. Swartz without going to Toys R Us. So, we headed to Time Square. My sister and I were curious to see what the Ferris Wheel in the center of the store actually looks like. We did not end up riding on the colorful wheel, but we did explore the store. There is an elevator; it is in the center of the store as well, tucked right behind the Ferris Wheel. I did not necessarily enjoy my time spent in Toys R Us; the elevator was dirty and there were a ton of kids that made it difficult to move around. I was glad when it was time to venture some where else.    

The Disney Store is located right in the middle of Time Square. When we went inside, there were employees that automatically told us what we would find upstairs and said they would show us to the elevator whenever we would like to go up to the second level. All the workers were helpful here too. Even when I could not get to the check out counter, they made it possible and easy to pay. Now it may be because they did not want to hurt their business, but I do not think that is the case. I have been shocked at how many places that are not completely accessible, hurt their business by letting a costumer's needs slide by. I was impressed by the employees at the Disney Store throughout my entire visit; even to the point when two different workers headed to open the door for me as I was leaving, even though I was not alone!  

After our long day of shopping, we just wandered around the streets of Times Square while we were deciding what we should eat for dinner. We were all pretty hungry, so we ruled out going back to my grandma's cousin's house to make dinner. We kept on walking though the sea of people; while in this dense area, we saw and heard so many diverse things. There was a group of people all dressed as different characters like superheroes and Hello Kitty; they all wanted people to get their picture taken with them in return for money. We also saw The Cowboy and a black man who claimed we could not get this (referring to himself) at Starbucks! I also was informed by a guy that, "there are male stripping midgets over there," while pointing into the crowed. Fortunately, we were headed in the opposite direction and I just kept rolling along. 

Mom, Gina and I in Time Square

When Mom and I were in London, we ate at the original Hard Rock Café. So, I thought it would be cool to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Café in New York City too! In NYC, the gift shop is located on the floor right off the street, while the actual restaurant is located one floor down.  There is an elevator that is located at the back of the gift shop, in the storage room. It was quite interesting to travel through all the shelves and boxes. After about only fifteen minutes we were seated. I ordered a tasty salad! 

Before we left the restaurant to head back "home" for the night, we used the bathroom; they are located on the same floor as the restaurant, but on the opposite side of the building. There is a handicap stall, but it can be kind of tricky getting there while having to maneuver through all the people.   

The lights over the bar in the Hard Rock Café

Gina and I at the Hard Rock Café

Overall, it was a good day. I had an amazing time with my dad at the market and I am pretty sure my mom and sister had a great adventure as well. It was quite intriguing for me to visit such large, popular stores and to top it all off, I had a delicious dinner with my family at an amazing restaurant! 

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part II (days 8&9)

After driving through the rest of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, we made it to New York City. We arrived in this crazy city of lights on a Thursday night. We went straight to where we were going to stay; my Grandma's cousin's house. We had never met our grandma's cousin before, none the less, she opened her house up to us. She lives in a beautiful home in the Bronx, and is so kind and hospitable; I am so grateful that she welcomed us into her home! I loved getting to meet and talk with her!

Crossing the George Washington Bridge

George Washington Bridge (after we had crossed)

On the morning of our first full day in New York City, we drove to 96th street where we parked our van in a parking garage, then hopped on the subway. This was quite an experience for me. I had never been on a subway in my power wheelchair, only in my manual chair. When getting on the subway, we had to be quick in order to jump the gap; someone had to pop my tires up the bump onto the train. Once we safely made it onto one of the cars, we were on our way! First stop: Lincoln Center. 

On the subway! 

We exited the subway at the 66th street station, then we walked to Lincoln Center. Here, we saw the Opera House, and Juilliard, along with one of the many beautiful fountains in this city. We also came across an outdoor elevator, which made it so I did not have to travel all the way around the block (since I could not access the stairs), and a "ticker tape" stair way. 

At the Opera House 

My sister sitting on the Lincoln Center fountain

       

BEWARE OF STAIRS IN CENTRAL PARK! 

After we visited Lincoln Center, we walked over to Central Park. I do love the natural beauty of Central Park; this area is made up of many trees, winding trails, and wild life, and is nestled in the middle of this busy city. However, to my disappointment, many of these curvy pathways lead right into stairs. These stairs are not labeled on the map that we were handed in the park. So, as a tourist, these stairs came with quite a surprise. The other unfortunate thing is, not all of the trails that branch off the main paths are labeled on the map either. This makes it extremely difficult to find an alternative route to a desired destination. My recommendation would be that stairways are labeled on maps, and that alternate routes are listed as well. This would not just benefit people in wheelchairs, but those who use walking aids and anyone pushing a stroller.     

Entering Central Park

When we came to a stairway, my dad and sister continued on to find our destination and to meet up with family, while my mom and I ventured on our blind detour. After looking at our map many times, getting directions from three different people, and then making some educated guesses, we finally made it to our destination: Turtle Pond. 

There are actually turtles in this pond! 

My sister and the little guy

We met up with my grandma's other cousin (who lives in New York City as well) at Turtle Pond. From there, we all went to get lunch. We ate at an outdoor "walk-up" restaurant located in Central Park that serves hotdogs, and according to my grandma's cousins, the best orange juice ever. 

While the others were ordering food, my mom and went to use the bathroom. As we were walking towards the facilities, a women pushed passed us. At first, I thought nothing of it, but as I entered the bathroom, I saw that same lady walk into the only handicap stall. Now, I would not have been bothered by this -- if it was the only stall open -- but there were five other stalls open! I waited and waited for that lady to be finished with her business; a family with three children came in after me, all went to the bathroom and left before this lady finally came out of the handicap stall. When she did come out, she would not even look at me. At least, when I actually had the chance to enter the stall, there was plenty of room for both my mom and I. 

My dad, my grandma's cousin and I strolling through Central Park

After we ventured through Central Park, we decided to ride the bus down to South Ferry. There we would get on the Statin Island Ferry (which is free), and ride it across to Statin Island and back in order to take pictures of the Statue of Liberty. The busses are super accessible, and even though they are way slower than the subway, they go more places. On my very first bus ride in New York City, I was amused by the bus driver. He did not hook my chair down with any restraints, nor did he offer me a lap belt. This was totally cool with me, but the reason for my amusement is here in Bellingham, every bus driver takes the time to latch and secure all four restraints, and then on top of that, they ask me if I would like a lap belt; this is a huge contrast!

After about an average of five minutes per block, we did finally make it down to South Ferry. We entered the ferry terminal to find it swarming with people. As we walked though the turn style, the switchbacks and down all the ramps, I felt as if I was a part of a cattle heard being guided to the destination. We made it onto the ferry; the ride was cool and refreshing. We could see the Statue of Liberty, and took a ton of awesome pictures! When we reached the Statin Island terminal, we asked one of the ferry workers if we could just stay on the ferry, even though everyone was told to exit the boat. Since we were not venturing out onto the island, we did not want to fight the traffic, and to quickly navigate through an unknown ferry terminal. The ferry worker radioed his boss, and then told us that it would be fine if we hung out in the back of the boat, while passengers exited. The ride was so relaxing, and I loved getting as close as we could to the Statue of Liberty!

     Mom, Gina and I on the Statin Island Ferry

View from the ferry

After we crossed to Statin Island and back, we walked to Ground Zero. On the way there, we passed through Battery Park, and by the Wall Street Bowl, which were both featured in the Nicolas Cage movie, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, as well as Trinity Church, which can be viewed in the Nicolas Cage movie, National Treasure.     

Ground Zero

After we found Ground Zero, we walked to the nearest subway station that was listed (on the website) as being handicap accessible. However, when we arrived there, we found that the elevator was not broken, but blocked off due to all the construction being done in that area. My mom walked down the stairs to talk to the man in the information booth. He informed her that we should walk to the courthouse subway station, there we would find an all accessible entrance to get onto the subway. This was news to us, as the courthouse station is not listed on the website. After about an hour of wondering around, we called our family, and they suggested we hop on a bus to get to where we wanted to go. So, we rode the bus to the Empire State Building. 

Riding the bus takes a lot longer than taking the subway. This was not a problem earlier in the day, as we were not in a hurry. Unfortunately, this was not the case this time, as my sister wished to watch the sun set from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. We made it to the entrance of the building, just as the sun slipped behind the horizon. 

By this time, I really needed to use the bathroom. My sister and I were the only two in our party going up, but my mom still had to get checked to help me in the bathroom. The handicap bathroom was locked and separate from the rest of the of the toilets. An employee had to unlock the bathroom for me. 

When my sister and I went up, there were two elevators that we road in; Gina and I were the only two in the second. When I got out to the observation deck, I realized that the venture around the deck was going to be a tight squeeze. The deck was about four feet wide and cram packed with people. This made it a challenge to maneuver around. On top of the tight quarters, on more than half of the deck, there was a cement wall that was at least five feet tall. This made it impossible for me to view the city from those sides of the building. In one section of the building, I could view the city, but you can only look at that one section so long. I decided to go down an meet up with my parents, but my sister stayed to snap a ton of pictures in order to capture the beauty of the city.   

I took an elevator all the way down to the second floor, but from there, I was told to exit the building via the store elevator next door. I found the elevator, and took it down to the ground floor. When I found the exit to the street, I asked someone to open the doors for me. Then, I was loose on the streets of New York City; it was nighttime, and I was by myself. My parents were waiting for us in the bar; however, since I was not twenty-one, I could not just roll right in and find them. Even though my mom had texted to inform us her phone was going to die, I called her. Fortunately, I did end up reaching her, as my phone was going to die too! I enjoyed being able to venture out of the Empire State Building and being on the streets of the Big Apple on my own (though it was just for a short while)!

View from the Empire State

The city all lit up

Apple in the subway station

   

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part I (days 1-8)

About a month ago, my mom, dad, sister and I all piled into our minivan with the destination of New York City in our minds. The first stretch of driving was simple and easy; we have traveled from Bellingham to Spokane many times. In Spokane, we stopped for the night; we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. We try to stay at a Holiday Inn Express as many times as we could since  Holiday Inn Express tends to have a standard and we know what we are going to get. However, Holiday Inn Express, along with the majority of other hotels, do not have handicap rooms with two beds. We as a family of four have learned to adapt to this and we just get a room with two queen beds instead of a handicap room with a single bed. I have never stayed in a Holiday Inn Express that does not have an elevator and the majority of them have an adequate amount of room for me to maneuver my chair. It also could be that they serve cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I think this is the real reason.

My dad's yummy breakfast

On our next chunk of millage, we drove for thirteen hours though all of Idaho, the majority of Montana, and a corner of Wyoming in order to get to Rapid City, South Dakota. On the way there, we used three different rest stops, which all had handicap door openers. I only have seen this out of state; never in Washington!
When we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Rapid City, to my surprise, there were automatic door openers there too! I have never seen door openers at a hotel before! That was not the only thing that was super amazing about this Holiday Inn Express. They had a handicap room (and yes it actually was accessible) that had two queen beds! And they did not stop there! In this hotel, I found the best handicap accessible bathroom ever. It is the bathroom located in the lobby. This handicap bathroom was larger than a typical handicap stall; I had enough room to turn around in front of the toilet and exit the bathroom forward (a luxury)! But what made this bathroom even more extraordinary was that the stall was big enough for the door to open in. This is so convenient as it is extremely difficult to shut the stall door when using a wheel chair and the door swings out. When I still had the ability to take myself to the bathroom, I had to have someone shut the door in order for me to lock the door (or if this person was a friend, they would just hold the door). Now whoever assists me, shuts the door. However, in this bathroom in the Rapid City Holiday Inn Express, I could shut the door by myself!

The best bathroom stall ever!

We stayed in Rapid City, North Dakota as Mount Rushmore stands nearby. I was so excited to see Mount Rushmore and when I finally arrived, I was not disappointed! The location of this amazing national memorial is so beautiful and on top of the natural beauty, the artistic ability of the men who chiseled the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln into the side of a granite mountain is spectacular! Gutzon Borglum had a spectacular idea and I am so glad that the majority of it was carried out and that I had the opportunity to see this spectacular sight in person. What made this place even more special to me is how accessible the grounds are. First of all, there were so many handicap spots to choose from! There were spots to CHOOSE from, and I do not mean like two or three! There is an elevator from the parking garage right up to beginning of the walkway to the memorial and a ramp located right next to the stairs; not way off somewhere else that specified that it is only for those who need it. The trek to the face of the mountain was smoothy paved and easy to navigate. I noticed many other people in wheelchairs roaming around the grounds of Mount Rushmore as well. I thought this was pretty neat, as I almost never see more than a couple people in wheelchairs in one place at the she time.   

Dad, Mom, Gina and I at Mount Rushmore!

After our time at Mount Rushmore, we decided to stop at a dinosaur park that was created by the WPA during the time of FDR's presidency. I enjoyed stopping at a piece of history that was unknown to me. Even though it is not handicap accessible (there are handicap parking spots, but stairs up to the dinosaurs), it was still a great experience. Gina, my sister, carried me up all the stairs so I was able to have the opportunity to see the stoned dinosaurs. I would love for this park to be updated, so therefore it would be made handicap accessible. However, this park is so old and not a "mainstream" tourist site. So, if someone complained about the unfriendly access and demanded a remodeling of the park, this cool piece of history would probably just be torn up so it would be equally fair for no one to see. It is just easier that way.

 Gina has been training for this all year!

Mom, Gina and I posing with the T-Rex

When we completed our historical site seeing in South Dakota, we jetted up to North Dakota; we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Bismarck. This hotel was pretty nice, but did not meet the standards that I had created from our stay the night before in Rapid City. Even though there was not a handicap room with two beds, this hotel did have pretty big rooms (I had plenty of space to turn my chair around in front of the beds)! While we were in Bismarck, I experienced on of the most intense storms I have ever witnessed. The lighting was ridiculously awesome; continuous flashing and sporadic bolts that would streak across the sky! On top of the amazing lighting, the storm also brought a downpour. The window was not dotted with rain drops nor had many little individual steams running down it, but it looked as if one large single stream was running down it. To me, it looked as if someone was washing the window. Not only was the lightning and the rain crazy, but the wind was crazy as well. The wind was so strong that the window was moving! I heard on the news that there were gusts of wind up to 75 miles per hour. There was also hail at one point. Fortunately it never got too large. There were warnings of potential golf ball sized hail, which can be destructive. Since we were at a hotel, there was not a spot to park our van under shelter in order to protect it, so my dad ended up parking the front half under a bank drive through until the worst of the storm was over (other people had the same idea, as there were a couple cars parked there as well). Parking our car under a bank drive through is not the only cleaver idea that was carried out while we were on our trip. My mom and sister ate Bismarcks in Bismarck! 

Gina and Mom eating Bismarcks in Bismarck!

After experiencing crazy storms and donuts, it was time to venture on to minnesota to visit my uncle, aunt and cousins. They live in Grand Rapids, so that is where we stayed for two nights. In Grand Rapids, Minnesota, there is not a Holiday Inn Express. Therefore, we stayed at an AmericInn. This hotel was a little older and did not have an elevator. On the bright side, the hotel did put us on the ground floor and the rooms were huge; I could easily maneuver around the room, all except for the bathroom. It was really nice to visit my uncle, aunt and cousins. On the first night, we went to my aunt's parent's house to see them and to have dinner. Later that night, my mom, dad and sister all played pool in the pool room back at the hotel.

Dad playing pool in the pool room

The next day, we all went to one of the thousand lakes in Minnesota. The park we went to had multiple handicap spots (which it did not need to legally) and the area was pretty accessible. It was also a beautiful day to spend outside; the sun was shining and the sky was so blue. We all had a picnic lunch and my cousins cooled of by going for a swim. I am so glad we got to spend time with them and soak up some sun!

My mom, uncle, cousin and dad eating lunch.

After hanging at the park, Mom, Dad, Gina and I went back to the hotel. Mom and Dad went out for a bit, while Gina and I relaxed at the hotel. When Mom and Dad returned, Gina and I decided to explore the town of Grand Rapids. Earlier we had driven by some cool looking old buildings that had been turned into many little shops and we thought it would be fun to check them out. However, we were disappointed when we found out that I could not get in. The buildings are old and probably have not been recently remodeled, so they do not have to be accessible. It was still sad that I could not get in. Instead, we took our business elsewhere. We went to Grand Rapid's actual mall and my cousin was not kidding when she said there are very few stores there. After our quick walkthrough, we went to the new part of town. There we went to Maurices, a store that is not new to us, but is new to Grand Rapids.  We found an interesting sight at this Mauricas: the handicap parking symbol. The head is huge!

Did someone make a mistake or are they trying to say something?

Look at that big head...

Gina and I browsed around the store until we ran out of time. We drove back to the hotel to pick up Mom and Dad. We met my uncle, aunt, cousins and my aunt's parents at Cedars for dinner. The building is accessible and the handicapped spots are right in front of the building. The drive was pretty wide; other cars had plenty of room to get by. When pulling into the parking lot, the drive loops in front of the building then down and around below the building. Another section of the parking lot sits about five feet below the building.

At dinner with the fam 

When we were all finished eating, we went to my uncle's house to say goodbye. We then went back to the hotel to go to bed. The next morning, we got up and drove to Madison, Wisconsin. Here we ate dinner at a fun little shop where everything on the ceiling moves and there is a carousel outside! I had a delicious salad and mom and I split a yummy ice cream cone.

Hot air balloons just floating around 

Dad, Mom and I in front of the carousel with some ice cream!

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Madison. This hotel was pretty nice, but was the squishiest hotel that we stayed at; the room was small and it was hard for me to maneuver around the room. However, at this hotel, they gave every guest two free drinks before 7:00 P.M., along with the continental breakfast! And they also had fresh lemon ice water in the entry upon arrival; a refreshing treat after a hot days ride.

When we got up the next morning, we ate breakfast and then we were on our way to Sandusky, Ohio, via Kalamazoo, Michigan. Here we met up with Gina's best friend and her family for lunch! It was so fun to see her across the county and to meet her mom and little brother. We then continued on to the Holiday Inn Express in Vermillion, Ohio (right outside of Sandusky). This hotel room was pretty tight as well, but that is the toss up we have to deal with when we rather have two beds. On a positive note, being in Sandusky meant that we were now on the home stretch for reaching New York!