COVID-19 Travel — Visit Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove this Summer

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The Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove

As a lifelong Sierra National Forest  resident, normally I wouldn’t set foot in Yosemite National Park in the summer months. There are just way too many people there for my comfort, during what I affectionately refer to as the “stupid tourist season”. But this isn’t a normal year – it’s a COVID-19 year. So with day-use passes required, and visitation capped at my favorite national park, I decided to roll the dice and pay a visit to Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove one hot August day. And here’s the skinny on how you can do the same thing for a wheelchair-accessible day trip to this secluded giant sequoia grove. Continue reading →

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The Disney Decision — Reasonable Accommodation vs Able-Bodied Abuse

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On June 22, 2020 US District Court Judge Anne Conway ruled on an Americans with Disabilities Act case regarding Disney’s reasonable accommodations for an autistic individual. In a disappointing ruling Conway found that Disney did not have to provide reasonable accommodations (10 front-of-line-passes) for Donna Lorman’s adult autistic son. Continue reading →

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Yosemite National Park – What’s Open and What’s Not

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Updated: June 23, 2020

Yosemite National Park recently reopened on a limited basis after the COVID-19 shutdown. The park is now operating on a reservation system.

 

 

For more information on the reservation system, visit http://barrierfreetravels.com/2020/06/yosemite-slated-to-open-reservations-for-day-use-required/.

And here’s the rundown on which facilities are open, and which ones are closed for the season. Continue reading →

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Xanterra National Park Properties Plan Reopening

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US National Parks are starting to open bit by bit. To that end here is the reopening schedule from the Xanterra Travel Collection – one of the largest national park concessionaires – for their lodges in and near some of the most popular national parks. All of the lodges listed below offer wheelchair-accessible rooms.

Guests are requested to wear masks or face coverings in all public areas. Continue reading →

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Rocky Mountain National Park Now Requires Reservations to Enter

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Beginning June 4, 2020, Rocky Mountain National Park will require visitors to have an entry permit or a camping reservation in order to enter the park. Entry permit reservations will available in blocks of two hours beginning at 6 a.m. each morning. The goal of this timed entry system is to allow the park to open in a way that gives visitors and staff an opportunity to comply with Federal, State and Local COVID-19 public health guidelines. Continue reading →

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Castaneda Hotel Offers Creative Covid-19 Safety Solution

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Installing a creative safety partition in the Castaneda Hotel

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly taken its toll on the travel and hospitality industry. For the most part leisure travel has been discouraged, and in some cases even prohibited for the past two months. And let’s face it, even if it were permitted, I expect there would have been a high vacancy rate. But now that some counties are beginning to open up, hoteliers are tasked with yet another hurdle — they must create policies and procedures to keep both their guests and their employees safe. Continue reading →

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Covid-19 and the Cruise Industry – What’s Next?

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The Covid-19 Pandemic will undoubtedly change a lot of things, from where we shop, to how receive health care. Once the dust settles and businesses begin to reopen, leisure travel will again be something to consider. And I think the travel industry is in for even more changes; in fact, I believe travel in post-Covid-19 times will be an entirely different experience, especially for cruise ship passengers. Continue reading →

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What Does the Future Hold for Travel?

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First off, I don’t have a crystal ball, so these musings are just my gut feelings. Let’s start off with the header I just put up on our Emerging Horizons website.

We invite our readers to indulge in a little armchair travel, or maybe even make plans for trips in the coming years; but gently remind you that now is not the time to travel. Stay home and stay safe. Continue reading →

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US Access Board to Update Rail Car Access Guidelines

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The US Access Board recently announced that they will be updating the access guidelines for rail cars. To that end they are seeking public comments on the issue. The regulations, which were last updated in 1991, apply to rail cars used in rapid, light, commuter and intercity rail systems. Continue reading →

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