San Francisco, CA -

With views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marina District of San Francisco is a beautiful way to explore the shoreline of the bay. One of the most popular areas is the Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a bustling hub of fresh fish markets, tourist shops, and restaurants. The Fisherman’s Grotto is by far the most well-known because it was the first sit-down restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf. Nearby is a wonderful place called Buena Vista to get Irish coffee. There is no permanent ramp to the front entrance but a wooden one can be brought out. It’s a little cramped once you get inside but oh so worth it. If you are not in the mood for an Irish coffee then you have the choice of a full bar and large pub menu.

Also in this area are ferry’s that can take you to Alcatraz. From June-September is a high tourist season for this attraction, so it’s highly recommended that you purchase your tickets online at least a day in advance (if available). It is possible to get tickets the day of during this time but if this is your plan then get to there in the morning. Once you get over to the island there is an accessible front entrance to the famous cellblock where the Birdman of Alcatraz was incarcerated.

If you follow along the Embarcadero eventually you’ll see Ghirardelli Square a couple of block away up the hill on the corner of Beach and Larkins Street. This is a very steep hill so some assistance may be needed if not traveling by car. A good distance down the road, there is a great bay-side walkway that wraps around Fort Mason. In this neighborhood you can escape the over-crowed tourist areas and enjoy some refreshing open and views of Alcatraz and the Gold Gate Bridge. There are not that many places to get food really close by but there is the Safeway grocery store where you can get sandwiches and use the restroom.

The Fort Mason Center is a multi-complex that is rented out by various companies and organizations, check out the calendar of events. Some of spaces are home to resident non profit organizations provide you with information on printmaking, river rafting, broadcasting, theater, dance, marine ecosystems, and more. Located on the 3rd floor of Building is the Environmental Traveling Companions that takes groups of people with physical disabilities on outdoor adventures, like kayaking and white water rafting. This organization does not limit itself to the Bay Area or even California.

In the distance over the roof tops of the lavish bay-side homes you might catch a glimpse of a giant gold dome from the marina. This beautiful structure is actually the San Francisco Exploratorium: the museum of science, art and human perception. It is designed to spark curiosity—regardless of your age or familiarity with science. Touch, pick up, and tinker with hundreds of exhibits. It is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-5pm  and is a great place to take young children.  There is handicapped parking outside and admission is at a reduced rate for the physically disabled and if you are traveling with a large group and make a reservation they will also receive a discount, see complete disabled access information.

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Chad is a hunter and outdoor journalist who has always had a great love for adventure. He knows his boundaries but doesn’t let it stop him from being who he is. Recently, wheelchairtraveling.com was able to interview him on his experiences and his personal website, followmeoutdoors.com, that encourages others to get outdoors and enjoy some recreational activities.

1. Please tell me a little about yourself.

Well, I recently turned 41, which will mark my 25^th year as a quadriplegic, or as I like to tell people… professional disabled hunter.  I grew up hunting on the Texas gulf coast, and really fell in love with it the day my dad took me on a duck hunt when I was about 12. From then on, I knew I’d be involved with hunting for the rest of my life.

When I was paralyzed back in the summer of 1986 in a diving accident, it was the one thing I knew I couldn’t stop doing. Three months later, I was back in the woods deer hunting. Eighteen years after that, Streamlight & Buckmasters’ American Deer Foundation voted me Challenged Hunter of the Year for 2004.

In the between time, I’d been going afield after big game all across the United States and in three different countries. I created a website called Follow Me Outdoors in 1996 which has been one of the longest running and most extensive websites for disabled outdoors & recreation.

I also started free lance writing for magazines across the west when I discovered I had a talent for outdoor articles.  To date, I’ve been published in Rack Magazine, King’s Hunting Illustrated, Eastman’s Hunting Journal, Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine, United Federation For Disabled Archer’s Magazine, and Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine.

I have a degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science and another in Counseling from Texas A&M and the University of Houston, respectively. I suppose both are a study of animals. More recently, I’ve been finding ways to be more involved in hunting than ever before.

2. What was the inspiration behind your website, www.followmeoutdoors.com?

When I first got out of rehab and looking for info about adaptive equipment for disabled hunters, there wasn’t much to be had.  The internet was just getting started and the few bits and pieces of info I found were so hard to find that I decided to start my own site and put it all in one place.

3. Were you a hunter and outdoorsman before the chair?

Definitely!  I caught the fire pretty young.  I had a great childhood.  My dad taught me to hunt and my grandpaw taught me how to be a fisherman.

4. Who goes with you on your trips hunting or fishing? Do you camp overnight or stay somewhere?

My dad usually goes on the big trips.  Sometimes we’ll invite another hunting friend of his to come along.  A lot of hunting is simply being in the outdoors.  I have several friends that I’ve been on trips with too though, but those trips are mostly in Texas.

I have camped, but it’s tough.  We usually stay in a lodge or in a cheap motel as close as we can to where we will be hunting.

5. Where is the furthest place you’ve traveled to go hunting? Do you have a favorite place?

That’s an easy one, South Africa last year.  I believe it’s about halfway around the world.  My favorite place right now is New Mexico.  It’s such a beautiful state with so many different kinds of terrain, from desert plains to volcanic flats to mountains, but I haven’t been to Alaska yet.

6. Please explain a day with you hunting. What do you need assistance with? Are there times when you don’t need anyone’s help?

Cell phone alarm goes off a couple hours before sunrise.  I need a little help getting dressed and then my buddy and I will get all the gear together that we’re going to need.  Then he’ll load most of it in the back of my truck while I go get one of my dogs from the back.  I usually drive out to the blind or whatever field we’re hunting that day, and sometimes need help getting to the blind if we can’t drive right up to it.  After that, all I need some help with is getting my chest support straps on.

Oh yeah, there’s been plenty of times when I’ve hunted by myself.  Those are some of the best times because it reminds me of what it was like when I was younger.  It’s just nice to know you can still do some things on your own still.  I savor those opportunities.

7. What do you love about fishing? What is an experience you’ll always remember?

Fishing is more peaceful.  It’s a quiet sport.  Gives a man a lot of time to think about things and teaches him to think about things and to listen to all the little happenings that are going on around him.  I love everything about it, the smell of the salt air on the coast, the sounds of the bays at first light and a spinning reel’s drag whining when a bull red is stripping line off of it as he runs.

I’ll always remember fishing with my grandfather as a little boy on the coast & the first time I went 40 miles offshore fishing and caught my first dorado.

8. Was it the lack of available information on accessible hunting that inspired you to create your website or was it another outdoor activity?

Mainly a lack of info.  I wanted to make it easy for others who were looking.  Then when I started to add my stories from my own experiences, it really took off.

9. You seem to have done a lot of outdoors activities, but what is your favorite activity? Please explain. What haven’t you tired yet but would like to?

I love being in the water, so it would have to be swimming or something like water skiing or jet skiing.  It’s hot in Texas so we grew up in the water.  One thing I haven’t tried yet is SNUBA.  It’s like scuba but you don’t have to get certified or wear those heavy tanks.

10.  Are you doing these recreational activities every weekend? Couple times a month? As much as you can? What do you do the most of?

I do as much as I can, which turns out to be a couple times a month.  With SCI, there are a lot of times when you’re battling infections or some other kind of mystery pain.  Sometimes you just have to outlast it and then start going & doing again.

11.  Do you compete in any of the activities that you do?

No, I never was one for the organized sports.  The outdoors is my arena.  I do compete in poker.  Does that count?

12.  Are you more active pre or post injury?

Definitely pre.  My body just can’t handle as much now.  A person can still keep their mind active though.

13.  What would you say to a newly injured wheelchair user about personal growth through recreational activities?

That’s another easy one… get out and do stuff.  It doesn’t matter what, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it, just get out.  Figure out what it is your have fun doing and then do it.  I learned several new hobbies post injury, like writing, travel, photography & poker.  Be active and take good care of your skin.

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Woodside, CA -

Thirty minutes from San Francisco in the South Bay is a historical piece of land known as Filoli. Construction of the 654 acres was originally developed for a gold mining billionaire, William Bowers Bourn, and his family in 1915 however both Mr. and Mrs. Bourn died in 1936. The following year the property was bought by  Mr. and Mrs. William P. Roth, who owned the Matson Navigation Company. Mrs. Roth made Filoli her home for 75 years and when she passed donated it National Trust for Historic Preservation for future generations to enjoy.

The 36,000 square foot Georgian Estate is one of the finest remaining examples of early 20th century country estate architecture. Touring inside the estate is accessible for someone using a manual or electric wheelchair. There are two ramps to get inside but are no located near the main entrance. The first one is on the left side adjacent to the gift shop and the other is on the backside where the gardens are. While the property remains open, the doors remain unlocked. The rooms available for viewing are on the ground floor and tours are available but not required. Each room is magnificent and one can picture the aristocrat Roth family living in luxury and throwing extravagant parties as they loved to do. One of the most impressive rooms in the house is the ballroom (below top left photo), in which a live piano player on stage sets the mood and helps one to visualize its grandness. This room is the largest in the house with a ceiling height of approximately 26′6″. Surrounding this room are large paintings of Muckross, a country that the original owner Mr. Roth wanted to travel to but never got to due to paralysis from a stroke in 1921. Other rooms to see at the estate include a dining room (below top right photo), two kitchens, library and the “Drawing Room” (below bottom right photo) which was used as the room the ladies would retire while the men could smoked cigars and drink Brandy at the dinner table. Each room has its own unique character with exquisite craftsmanship and decor from the beams to the rugs, many materials imported from all over the world.

16 acres of formal gardens surround the estate of Fioli. It is no wonder why Mrs. Roth loved the gardens and would spend a lot of her time here. With so many different gardens and pathways it is easy to feel like you are wondering through heaven. There are water features all over the gardens to add to the renaissance ambiance. There is also a pool and green room. Not all 16 acres are accessible but a lot of it is. Some areas have even been converted to have ramps (below left photo). There is map available highlighting the wheelchair accessible path to explore the garden; otherwise, you could end up at a staircase or some other difficult obstacle. The pathways are made up of different materials: brick, stone, dirt, and gravel rocks. When it has been raining the gravel rocks and dirt blow mix together a bit and can be difficult to maneuver a manual wheelchair through.

In addition to the estate museum and gardens there is a cafe with a visitors center as well as a gift shop with unique items. The visitor center also holds a gallery of local artists that changes every couple of months and a small movie theater where you can watch a video on the history of Filoli. Fioli is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm and Sunday 11:00 am – 3:30 pm. The cost to visit and preserve Filoli is $5 for kids 5-17, $12 for seniors, and $15 for adults.

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San Diego, CA –

At the end of Shelter Island Drive is a large harbor in San Diego with an incredible view of the Gaslamp District skyline. Operating out of one of the offices right on the harbor’s edge is a non-profit company called Challenged America. This great organization offers adaptive sailing for adults and kids with disabilities. Anyone can sail through this program, paraplegics, quadriplegics, and the blind. Since it is entirely operated by volunteers an appointment is necessary. There is also no fee for this thrilling experience. One must also keep in mind that sailing depends on nature’s elements, and everyone’s safety is the most important.

I sailed with Challenged America on a beautiful day in April and considering I have never sailed before, I really did not know what to expect. When I arrived I was great by the friendly crew of Challenged America. All of them have a deep passion for sailing and were incredible people. The company has a number of boats that all have been donated over the years, some larger ones require a a full crew. There are all kinds of programs Challenged America is involved with, including a summer one-week clinic  for veterans.

To get down where the boats are are dock one must travel down a long walkway (shown above). About 85% of the ramp is at a decline of 65 degrees and the  remaining feet drops to about 30 degrees. Therefore, some may need assistance from one of volunteers, which they are happy to give. There were a couple of boats lined up and after a little maneuvering the crew got one positioned so I could be transferred into the boat. One volunteer assisted in slipping a hoist underneath me and then another pumped the crank the hoist was attached to that lifted me entirely out of my wheelchair. I was then lowered and guided to the seat of the boat with my cushion on it. Once I was seated I could see all the many ropes to sail the boat, again something I knew nothing about.

Although Captain Doug came along with me, I did a lot of the work and was involved with everything. Man, was it hard work! Right after I was put in the boat I was given a 2 minute lesson on what the names of the ropes, sails, and the rest of the parts were called. I had to be reminded a number of times what the correct terms were but it was fun. I had to use only sailing terms while operating it and Captain Doug was a good sport on teaching me. I would call out “Ready to Gybe?” then Captain Doug would answer “Ready!” and I followed with “Gybe Oh!” as one tack was switched to another. This had to be done when the boat was tacking or sailing directly into the wind. The photos below were taken as I left the harbor but went far out into the open bay with much larger boats. I sailed for about 2 hours but could have stayed out there longer if I wished. All and all in was an invigorating experience that I would recommend to any disabled person. For more information please visit Challenged America online.

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San Francisco, CA –

Being 20% larger than New York City’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a number of treasures to explore for a wheelchair traveler. The park consists of 1,017 acres in San Francisco’s Sunset District, the largest in the city, and is close to Ocean Beach. Inside the park are a collection of attractions but the park is also occasionally used for special public events, like the music festival Outside Lands. You can enjoy an entire day at Golden Gate Park without spending a dime. There are miles of trails and pathways of all kinds that interweave between towering trees, gardens, picnic areas, and water features. It is almost impossible to explore all of the park in one day.The largest garden in Golden Gate Park is the SF Botanical Garden.

The Conservatory of Flowers is a beautiful green house that is accessible for a wheelchair user but has an entrance fee. Nearby are the two museums of Golden Gate Park that are equally interesting in their own way: the CA Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum. Both are located on very flat surfaces with elevators and wheelchair accessible restrooms.

What is NOT so wheelchair accessible is the Japanese Tea Garden, which is located near the museums. Since the majority of the garden is not accessible it is FREE to enter, so do not even bother stopping at the ticket booth to explain yourself. Though the Japanese Tea Garden is not entirely accessible, including the tea house itself, it is still worth spending at least five minutes in the accessible parts to enjoy the beauty of it and take a few photographs. Some will be able to go further than others. For example, if traveling on the left-sided path you will cross two stone bridges, the second one is extremely narrow. If exploring on the right-sided path one way will lead you stepping stones and the other to cobble stones. For those using an electric wheelchair, the cobble stones are not a problem, but it is a gnarly surface for a manual one. Other pathways in the garden will be immensely steep and not ideal for any wheelchair user but if traveling with a companion than certain obstacles in the pathways can be tackled, including accessing the tea house.

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