| TRAVEL
By Andrea Jehn Kennedy
One great way to vacation during this time of economic trouble is by spending it in a tent. For those who think vacations mean luxurious spas and mornings full of golf, spending your two week vacation roughing it in a tent just doesn’t sound like rest or relaxation. But just as accessibility has come a long way in the past decade, indeed so has camping. Here are some tips for campers of all experience-levels.
Beginners: “Bugs scare me!”
For those who have no desire to spend your summer break picking pine needles out of your hair in the morning, start small with cabins. Forgo the tent entirely and still squeeze a week or two of rest into your budget by finding a state or national park or recreation area near you that offers cabin camping. KOA campgrounds (koa.com) often have “yurts,” something between a tent and a cabin. These structures are temporary, but they’re more of a 21st century teepee with hard floors, sinks, beds, windows, and doors, and they’re sealed tight against the critters. You can even find locations with wireless internet and full cell coverage, for those who can’t quite leave the office behind.
You’ll still get the feel of the wilderness, be near to trails for hiking and lakes for fishing, and maybe even a national monument for sight seeing if you’re lucky. You can bring your own steaks to grill on the BBQ in the campground or scoot to the nearest town for a cooked meal, and still save quite a bit of money by trading hotel spending for cabin costs.
Intermediates: Car-camping experienced
This is our category. We need a bathroom and a tent site and we’re good. We throw everything but the kitchen sink into the truck and can go anywhere we want at 1/20th the cost of staying in motels. We bring our own Eureka Freedom Tent, the only tent designed for wheelchairs with a sliding door, a wheelchair compartment, exit windows, and pull tabs on the zippers. It’s an easy set up from the wheelchair and is even easier to break down if we find a better spot while out exploring trails during the day.
This group saves a little more money than the Beginners by spending the nominal fee on a camp site ($10-12 vs $30-40/night on a cabin), often discounted by passes such as the National Parks System Golden Access Pass or the Colorado State Parks’ Columbine Pass. Meals can be from the cooler or purchased in town, and activities can be free for hikers, fishers, and four-wheelers, or inexpensive if you want to kayak from the parks’
marina, take a history tour with a guide, or stop in to the local museum. Remember to book your camp site several months in advance if it’s in a popular area (anywhere in California, for example), and look online at the site maps to book your site by number to get the best bathroom with roll-in showers if they have them.
Experts: “A little dirt in your eggs never hurt anyone!”
This group knows their stuff and saves the most money by far. Roughing it to this group can even mean forgetting the toilet paper and being ok with mullein leaves. They don’t plan around the weather, and hang tarps in the trees for rainy day lounging.
They purchase food, drinks, and plenty of ice at the super store before leaving town, and they camp with friends to make camp setup and meals easier. They bring lawn chairs and toys and bathing suits, and can forgo a formal camp ground for a backwoods road that’s not even on the map. They get their recipes from the boy scouts Web site, wash with Dr. Braunner’s environmentally safe soap, and fishing rods catch the evening meal. Handcycles and kayaks make for the day’s entertainment, and campfires, complete with s’mores, replace the TV and couch.
Don’t let your budget preclude this year’s vacation. Take a second look at your nation’s wild assets and trade in your usual summer spot for a little fresh air and natural wonder. Whether you can’t be bothered with dirt or can’t be bothered with civilization, there’s something new out there for you to explore.
Andrea and her husband Craig are co-owners of Access Anything, travel consultants and writers specializing in marketing and education for all aspects of disability travel including recreation, adventure, eco travel, ADA rights and interpretation. Access Anything’s guidebook series, travel products, published articles and more can be found at www.accessanything.net.
Links to get you startedNational Parks Access: www.nps.gov/pub_aff/access/index.htm
Eureka Tent: www.accessanything.net/onlinestore
Scenic Drives: www.byways.org/
KOA Campgrounds: www.koa.com/where/usa.htm
Also search your State Parks for discount passes and camping accessibility
