WHEELING THROUGH AMERICA: 10 BARRIER-FREE TREASURES FROM BIG CITIES TO NATIONAL PARKS TO EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN part 3

MONUMENT VALLEY

Monument Valley, with its iconic buttes and mesas, sits on the border of Utah and Arizona, contained wholly within Navajo Tribal lands.

Its cyclopean rock formations -- familiar from myriad car commercials, movies and Marlboro ads -- thrust up from the desert floor with a majestic eternalness that captivates even the most world-weary among us.

Visitors with disabilities can drink in the stark beauty of the Mittens, Merrick Butte and many other formations from the wheelchair-accessible visitor center with its multi-level outdoor observation platforms.

For the red dust under your fingernails experience, tour the valley floor with a Navajo guide.

While wheelers can ride in the wagon caravan being pulled along, a gentler ride can be had in the cab of the pick-up truck next to the guide.

Monument Valley Tribal Park, Monument Valley Utah, 435-727-5874, www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm
Navajo backcountry tours, 435-727-3231, www.gouldings.com/english/tours.htm


Tomorrow: Wolf Park

WHEELING THROUGH AMERICA: 10 BARRIER-FREE TREASURES FROM BIG CITIES TO NATIONAL PARKS TO EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN part 2

BROOKLYN BRIDGE

What American landmark could be more iconic than the Brooklyn Bridge?

And what could be more exhilarating for a disabled visitor to learn that the pedestrian pathway is 100 percent barrier-free?

The moment you start the ascent up the pedestrian path (above the parts for trains and cars), your heart skips a beat.

One could traverse John Roebling’s steel cable suspension bridge a thousand times and discover something new every 1,600-foot journey.

Rolling west into Manhattan an hour before sunset, one can gaze north for dazzling perspectives of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings illuminated by the low-hanging sun.

The fellow walkers on the 1883 masterpiece are pure New York street theater – fat, skinny, loud, private, friendly, hurried, strange, local, immigrant, tourist, banker, pauper.

Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan to Brooklyn New York, 212-360-3000., www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dot/html/motorist/bridges.html

Tomorrow: Monument Valley

COOL PLACES – ACCESSIBILITY AND COMFORT ON THE ROAD THROUGH THE FOUR SEASONS: PART 2

COOL PLACES PART 2

By Steve Wright and Heidi Johnson-Wright

The United States is brimming with cool places in the desert, on the Pacific Coast, in the most urban surroundings and even in the subtropical swamp.

These places are cool because they’re hip, they’re cool because when you gaze on their natural and manmade charms, you’re sure to shout out “how cool!” and they’re cool in terms of climate – if you pick the right time of year.

Here is a guide to four wheelchair-accessible major destinations, with information on picking the right time of year and tips for staying cool in all four seasons.

Los Angeles

Swimming pools and movie stars – there’s more to LA than the stuff of the Beverly Hillbillies, but it sure is swell to beat the June midday heat (temperatures top out in the high 70s that time of year) by hitting swimming pools in the morning, the cinema during the day and the haunts of movie stars at night.

What would a visit to LA be without a trip to the cinema? And what film buff would go to a dull megaplex in the Valley when a combination of history and urban development blend wonderfully at the ArcLight Cinemas?

ArcLight is a movie lover’s dream, with lots of independent and art film screenings alongside the mainstream blockbusters. The barrier-free site has 14 modern theaters, a movie-themed café bar and the best silver screen-oriented gift shop in town.

The grand draw is the Cinerama Dome: a unique, geodesic-shaped theatre originally built in 1963. ArcLight is the perfect place to immerse one’s self in film for hours while escaping the midday sun.

Next door is Amoeba Records’ wide, uncluttered aisles in a warehouse-size setting that maintains the retro feel of the coolest of the independent college record store.

Less than four miles from ArcLight and Amoeba – not even enough distance to get tangled up in legendarily horrible LA traffic – lies a true oasis in Tinseltown.

The Original Los Angeles Farmers Market begs the question: “How could something so genuine and organic be left in La-La Land?” Who cares why, just roam the complex for fresh fruits, veggies, snacks and more.

Accessible parking is plentiful, as are accessible restrooms. The aisles are plenty wide for maneuvering and the merchants are so friendly and folksy, it’s hard to believe they are located in the heart of jaded LA.

Since you’re on vacation and not likely to have a gourmet kitchen back at your hotel, opt for one of more than a dozen ready-to-eat options. Freshly-cooked food from every ethnic kitchen know to man – there’s even a killer Cajun joint – is there for the feasting at the open-air but nicely shaded communal tables.

For a pricier meal in a hipper-than-thou location, hit the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills. This is a primo spot for lunch, dinner, drinks or parties by the pool. Everything is accessible, including a spectacular third-floor suite equipped with a gorgeous roll-in shower.

This retro-cool and Sputnik-chic boutique property features outdoor dining at its Zagat-rated blue on blue restaurant. Grab a poolside table, order up some innovative California cuisine and you just might find a hot celebrity in the cool comfort of a poolside cabana.

Editor's Note: The idea for Cool Places came from a friend of ours who has Multiple Sclerosis. Folks with MS generally do not fare well in the heat and humidity -- thus the need to travel to the subtropics or desert when it's cool out.