Berlin, Germany -

In 2004, my friend Nicole and I decided to go to Berlin, Germany for 10 days during our spring break.  She proposed the idea to me because she had always wanted to travel there. At that time I had only been to Greece and Turkey and was itching to go back to Europe. Italy and Spain were high on my list and honestly never thought about Germany. Being that Nicole was very petite and unable to assist me physically to any extent, I was very concerned about Berlin’s wheelchair accessibility.  Nicole is an incredibly throughout researcher and assured me that Berlin and our hotel would be accessible enough, so we booked our flights and soon enough were on a plane to Berlin.

Our spring break fell in April which is a month in Germany when the sun does not come out much and is on the chillier side.  I still was optimistic that the sun would peak through since I am a California Leo, but it didn’t. Nonetheless, the cooler weather ended up adding to the uniqueness of the memory and Nicole and I rolled with it, often stopping for Chi Tea.  When we arrived at our adorable Domicil Hotel we were greeted by a warm and welcoming staff that showed us to our room. I held my breath in anticipation of seeing the bathroom that was supposedly accessible. I have encountered many disappointing setups despite what the reservationist tells me. However, it was not the case this time. The bathroom was magnificent and truly made my stay ever so comfortable. It was exceptionally large with a small pull-down wooden bench and a hand-held shower nozzle that I could roll right up to. An accessible roll-in shower is always my top concern. If a hotel has that then everything else is will work out.  The staff was lovely all around and helpful in every way. The hotel also offered a continental German breakfast which was a convenient and healthy way to start our day.

Berlin was a marvelous city and in 10 days we could not do and see all we desired, but we tried. Nicole had a general itinerary that I was happy to follow and so each morning we would wake up fairly early, had a little breakfast and eagerly headed out to explore the city. We walked a lot and I enjoyed the overall flat terrain and newly paved sidewalks. The Domicil Hotel was about a 10 minute walk to the train station called the S and U Bahn, which allowed us to explore more of Berlin. Not every station was wheelchair accessible but most were; maps at the stations indicated these stops. Sometimes we walked quite a bit to get to our planned destination but it didn’t matter because we were here to be in the city and feel her unique energy. Plus, it’s a joy to see and experience something you were not expecting, like an outdoor flea market with all kinds of treasures.  The name of the station we often started at was called Zoological Garden and we later found out there was a zoo right there in the middle of the city but it was one of the most depressing zoos I have ever been too.

For the most part our daily activities centered around the arts. We saw Roman artifacts at the Pergamon Museum, a well-rounded collection of fine art at the Zu Gast In Der Neuen National Gallery including many Picasso pieces, and modern art the Deutsche Guggenheim. Late one afternoon we enjoyed the soothing sounds of a world class pianist at the Berlin Philharmonic. We were also pleased to stumble upon a small jazz club with a local live band and had a chill night listening with a drink and flavored clove.  Not too far from our hotel was the Komische Opera, hosting many modern plays, operas, ballets and more. Nicole and I saw a modern dance/ballet called baRock.  All around Berlin were incredible displays of architecture. Living in California where earthquakes require buildings codes, I had never seen such limitless imagination in architecture design.  Even the historical Reichstag Building had a dome and roof terrace added where you can get a 360 view of Berlin via the spiraling internal ramp, which had resting points along the way for manual wheelchairs.

Berlin is also a city with a lot of history and it was my desire to see a little bit of it and so we walk alongside the Berlin Wall, or what’s left of it, and felt its profound significance. The Berlin Cathedral, built in 1451, was also a sight to see with its ceiling-high stained glass windows even if you are not of that religion. We choose to not plan on visiting sites dealing with the Nazis and holocaust but did stop at a couple of places while we were out walking. A movie theater that served beer and wine, a new concept for me, was showing “Good-Bye Lennon,” and so we bought tickets to add to our historical experience.

Besides spending one night’s immersed in the music and arts Berlin has to offer, one can easily get swept up in the hip nightlife scene. There’s everything from pubs to funky beach bars to fetish clubs, many with live bands playing standard rock, alternative and techno.  In light of this, Nicole and I decided to dedicated one night to heaving drinking and partying and can honestly say it was one of the craziest nights I’ve ever had and will leave it at that. Berlin lives up to nightlife expectations just be sure you are careful.

Due to the cooler weather, there were few beer gardens alive and serving. One afternoon we did run into one and stopped for a tall stout German beer though we were basically drinking alone. We didn’t dive full into German cuisine but one day did enjoy a tasty spicy German bockwurst hotdog.  Surprisingly, Berlin had many Asian inspired restaurants that were incredibly tasty and authentic. Our favorite was a charming place called Jules Verne with delicious Thai food.

I had no idea what to expect of Berlin. I knew it was a modern city but still could not help but picture a countryside village in Germany with lots of lederhosen. Though I am sure the more isolated places of Germany are lush with beauty, they are likely far less accessible than the world city of Berlin. For a little over a week Berlin captivated me like a mystery novel, never knowing what was around the corner and what adventure us two characters would experience.  We could have stayed at least another week in Berlin but doubt that we could have covered everything that makes this city great. Regardless, the small window of time exploring Berlin was an accessible adventure never to be forgotten and a destination I recommended to any world traveler.


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Candy Harrington has been covering accessible travel exclusively for the past 15 years for her magazine Emerging Horizons. Traveling for as long as she can remember, the only continent she has not been to is Antarctica.

Please tell me a little about yourself and your magazine, including where you have traveled to:

I’m a travel writer, with a specialization in accessible travel — that’s travel for people with mobility disabilities, from slow walkers to wheelchair-users. I’ve been a travel writer for some 35 years, and have covered accessible travel exclusively for the past 15 years. I’m the founding editor of Emerging Horizons (www.EmergingHorizons.com), a magazine that focuses on travel for wheelchair-users to slow walkers, and the author of several accessible travel titles, including Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers  (www.barrierfreetravel.net), which is now in it’s third edition. I also write regular columns for other outlets, accept feature assignments and craft web content — all on the subject of accessible travel. My goal is to describe access so travelers can decide what options are best for them. I’m also very big on people learning about their rights and the logistics of accessible travel, so they’ll know what to expect and be prepared when they hit the road.  I can’t really list all the places I’ve visited, (again, I’ve been dong this for 35-plus years and the list would be pretty long) but I can say that I’ve traveled extensively.  I’ve visited all 50 states and have been to every continent except Antarctica.

What is your favorite part of running Emerging Horizons?

Well, it’s never boring, and I enjoy a challenge.  That’s why I got into accessible travel in the first place — I was bored covering mainstream travel. That’s certainly not the case today.

When did you begin traveling internationally? In general, how do you think traveling has improved for someone in a wheelchair? What obstacles are still being faced?

Well I visited Canada and Mexico when I was about 7 years old, but didn’t take my first international journey beyond North America until I was almost 17. I graduated high school early and pretty much just bummed around Europe for a year. That’s what we did in those days. We called it “finding ourselves”. Unfortunately I found myself broke in Paris, so I also had to work a bit!

I think accessible travel has improved over the years because more disabled people are out and about and the market has somewhat responded to it. For example, there’s more wheelchair-accessible ground transportation available today than 25 years ago.  I remember one of my wheelchair-using friends telling me that the only way he could get to the airport back then was in an ambulance — not exactly a great start to a vacation. Could there still be some improvement?  Sure. I’d like to see truly accessible restrooms on the wide body planes; and it appears the new Dream Liner will give us that. All in all, I think things are moving in a positive direction.

Are you still traveling? If so, where is your next trip planned for?  How do you select your next travel destination?

Of course!! I don’t think I’ll ever stop traveling.  Plus, you can’t exactly cover accessible travel from behind a desk.  I don’t think I’ll ever totally retire either. Our next trip is a western states road trip (about 3-4 weeks long), with lots of outdoor time and national parks. Also considering a short hop up to Quebec for their summer festival in early August. Then in the fall we’ll do a longer road trip to Texas, followed by a jaunt over to Germany (Saxony), and then on to North Carolina for my husband’s family reunion (our only personal trip for the year). Beyond that we don’t have any firm plans.

Generally speaking I look at reader interest to select my editorial research trips. Right now there’s a huge interest in US driving trips, so we’ve been doing a number of those. I get suggestions from readers, and of course PR professionals also contact me. And sometimes I just stumble over something blindly. I do a lot of research before I even begin to plan my editorial research trips. Hotel selection depends on the type of article I’m writing — sometimes it’s a city center property, while other times it’s a secluded country inn. It all depends on the destination and the slant of the piece — there isn’t really a norm for that at all.  But I have selected properties before (especially inns and B&Bs) based on reader  recommendations. I did a whole book on accessible inns and B&Bs (www.accessibleinns.com) and I took ever suggestion and lead I could get. It was a massive project.

What place was so wonderful and accessible that you have gone back more than once?

Well, we don’t usually re-visit a destination for editorial research unless there’s been some huge changes or access upgrades; however that’s not to say that I haven’t seen some pretty cool accessible things along the way — sites or attractions that go above and beyond in the access department.

Take the accessible tidepools at Yaquina Head up in Oregon, for example. You can just roll right down to the tidepools at low tide; and if you want to stay overnight, there are wheelchair-accessible yurts located nearby, just south of Waldport at Beachside State Park.

And the then there’s  the accessible treehouse at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Virginia. It’s huge, and again, you can just roll your wheelchair right up into it.
And last year, I stumbled across a rafting outfitter that is able to accommodate wheelchairs on their Colorado River day trips. Black Canyon Adventures is based outside of Las Vegas, and they have four-hour trips starting just below the Hoover Dam. It’s a nice easy float and because of the design of the raft, you can just roll a wheelchair right down the center aisle. And they’ve also installed a great ramp an their put-in/take-out spot. It’s a fun trip and seeing the Hoover Dam from below is awesome.

On a personal note, I totally enjoyed our three-week driving vacation through Ireland. Again, we did absolutely no work on it, and my husband and I just loved it.  We’d definitely go back.

For a wheelchair user traveling for the first time, what destination would you recommend?

Well that depends entirely on what they like to do.  There’s no one correct answer for everybody. For example, if you like the big city and museums and shopping, you’d probably be pretty disappointed with a national park vacation, no matter how accessible it was.  And although many theme parks have good access, they’re just not everyone’s cup of tea.. So I really hate the “theme park” answer to that question (which seems a common answer given by many travel agents — they think that you’ll love Disney World just because you’re in a wheelchair). Truth be told, there are lots of accessible choices out there, which is why I wrote 101 Accessible Vacations; Travel Ideas For Wheelers and Slow Walkers (www.101accessiblevacations.com) — to give people accessible choices based on their own personal tastes, likes and dislikes.

I would however recommend that first-timers take a shorter practice trip near home, before setting out on an international adventure. That way you can work out the kinks, and if things really go wrong, you can just pack it up and head home. It’s also a good learning experience, because no matter how well prepared you feel you are, it’s always a different experience when you’re actually doing it in real life! Some people need a few practice runs, before they feel comfortable with the concept. It all depends on the person. You’ll know when you’re ready for the big trip.

What are the worst obstacles to overcome when traveling for a wheelchair user? Please explain why.

Well, if I have to pick the worst obstacle, I’d say it’s bathrooms. True, there are a lot of accessible facilities out there, but if you can’t find one when you have to go, well, that can pretty much put a damper on the day.  Nobody likes to have an accident in public. So my advice is to plan your day in advance and try and figure out where you can take restroom breaks. Some cities have accessible pay toilets, and most large hotels have accessible restrooms in their lobby. And most newer fast-food joints have pretty good accessible restrooms. Just don’t wait until the last minute to make your plans.

And when reserving an accessible hotel room, make sure you find out the bathroom details. There are many types of accessible guest rooms. For example in Europe, an accessible guest room merely has good pathway access, while an adapted room had an adapted bathroom. And even in the US, not all accessible guest rooms have roll-in showers. If you need a specific feature, you should specify that when making your reservation. Otherwise, you may end up with a bathroom that won’t work for you.

What are your thoughts on the current setup for air travel for those with physical handicaps, such as a wheelchair?

Well, I’d say most first-world countries do a pretty good job, especially on the larger planes. I know a lot of folks would like to be able to just wheel their own chair on the plane and lock it down for the flight, but that’s something that’s just not going to happen.  That’s not me speaking, that’s the DOT and FAA — it would be a huge safety issue. Of course when you get to smaller planes, there are even more obstacles. But compared to 25 years ago, I’m thinking we’re light years ahead — look how many wheelchair-users you see in airports these days. In days of yore, many times the airlines denied wheelchair-users passage. But a change in attitude, coupled with updated access laws has helped alleviate many obstacles previously encountered by wheelchair-users.

Have you ever needed to use the medical system of another country while traveling?
If so, what did you think of the experience?

I’ve had to use medical services around the world many times over the years, and to be honest I’ve really never had a bad experience. But the incident that left the biggest impression on me is when I was traveling in a remote part of Northern Thailand, and ended up getting Cholera. I’ll spare you the graphic details (a lot of folks eat at their computers!) but the owner of the guest house I was staying at summoned the local medical practitioner to tend to me. I was a bit hazy for a few days, as he treated me with herbal concoctions and alternative remedies. I’ve never been a big fan of Western Medicine (I think drugs are over prescribed and in some cases end up hurting us more than helping us) but that experience sold me on alternative treatments and Eastern Medicine. And that’s something I still practice today. So it was a good learning experience for me.

What would you say of attitude while traveling?

I don’t really understand the question, but if you’re asking what kind of attitude I think folks should adopt, well I think the first thing they need to realize is that travel is unpredictable, and you need to be prepared for that. I think you need to plan for the “what-if” situation and develop some solutions to possible problems.  That way if disaster strikes, you’ll already know what to do. For example, what would you do if your wheelchair broke while on vacation? A good solution to that problem would be to find a wheelchair repair facility at your destination and take your wheelchair there. So if you find an appropriate facility in advance and carry their contact information with you, you’re one step ahead of the game.

What is something you always travel with and something you are happy to leave behind?

Well, I never leave home without my husband Charles (who also illustrates all my work — he’s a photographer). We made an agreement many, many years ago that we wouldn’t ever travel alone — and we never have. And I always leave checked baggage at home.  I’m a totally carry-on gal — 2 days or 2 months if it doesn’t fit in the carry-on, it just doesn’t go!

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making adventure accessible

Santa Cruz, CA –

Being a California born wheelchair traveler, even in the winter months it is necessary to take a trip to the ocean to get my saltwater fix. The California coastline comes to life in way never seen during the warmer season with enormous winter swells that draw surfers from miles around.

Monterey Bay offers many surfing spots along the jagged rocky shoreline, Santa Cruz being one of the most well known cities with numerous such spots. You can almost always spots s surfer or two at Steamer’s Lane, which is located right below the historic surfing museum on West Cliff Drive (Access Guide: Ocean Walkways), and during the winter months they cover this territory like ants (top 2 photos). Even right in front of the Santa Cruz Wharf and the Dream Inn at Cowell’s Beach, intermediate surfers ride the waves from sun up till darkness (bottom 2 photos).

If you follow the Pacific Coast Highway 1 north to San Francisco (below photos) there are tons of state beaches long the way, the majority having some wheelchair accessible feature to help you get closer to the ocean. It’s highly recommended that you take this journey, no matter what time of year; even if it’s for a couple of hours or a day trip while in the general area.

Boston, MA –

Boston is an accessible destination for a wheelchair traveler and one of my favorite places to date.  Just wandering around the city with no plan or tour guide you will be immersed in history. Every couple of blocks a new landmark will catch your eye and a lot of the time they line up side by side. There are so many that you’ll honestly have to be selective, though try to at least get close every time you spot one.

One common historic landmark that you’ll see all over the city are churches. All beautiful and unique in there own way. I did not venture inside all the churches; many looked to not have wheelchair access but there are enough that do, plus there’s lots of Boston to see.

I got lost in downtown Boston and happy I did because I got to see a part of Boston I did not intend to. Some architecture of downtown Boston was really remarkable. Even intermingled between corporate businesses and walking suites there are historic buildings. Adjacent to downtown Boston is Chinatown.

Wheelchair Traveling Guide: Boston, MA
brought to you by wheelchairtraveling.com

Santa Cruz, CA –

New changes have been made to a few of the Santa Cruz Wheelchair Access Guides,
including Ocean Walkways and Downtown.

Wheelchair Traveling Guide: Santa Cruz, CA
brought to you by wheelchairtraveling.com