18 replies to this topic

[Webwych]

What's the most adventurous trip you've ever made? Was it accompanied or alone and how did you manage? I'm just interested to know.

[longhaul]

I went on a road tour of N.W. Mexico in 1977 with a buddy. I had to wire my chair up to get in the bathrooms. We went on this back road that had signs saying "No elpasso" the road was real rough just rock and dirt mostly, after a couple of hours we ended up in a little village of 20 or so adobe houses that had no electricity or running water and there was pot drying beside the buildings. We bought beer from a guy who sold it from his house while his family was eating dinner. On the way out we came across a group of men in white cloths with Sombreros and rifles on horseback just like in the movies leading a string of donkeys loaded with who knows what, they yelled at us to stop but we got the hell out of there el pronto. On the main highways the trucks played this insane game of chicken seeing how close they could get to the oncoming cars and trucks we were half drunk and fully stoned so we got into it. They didn't know what to think of us two gringos my buddy is a big guy 6 ft 5" with long hair and beard and me in my chair driving a hopped up 68 Chevy Malibu fixed up for back country driving we didn't drink the water so all we drank was beer and smoked loads of pot. The people were real friendly it was a great time, we really lucked out that we didn't get arrested.

Edited by longhaul, 25 August 2008 - 06:03 AM.

[wbalenov]

I think my trip alone, down thru Patagonia in S. America...as well as my trip to Zambia, when I fell out of my chair and broke my leg...got a blurry Xray and it took 35 hours to get home! lol

..Walt!
N. America's Disabled Adventurer.

[DaveP]

I've had a couple of adventurous holidays... For the month of Dec 98 I flew to San Fransisco and rented a car with hand controls and drove to New Orleans, via Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, a couple of 1-horse-border-towns and New Year in New Orleans. Stayed away from the usual tourist routes and big cities, and only went to backwater places.

Spent the Millenium in Australia. Had a month around Perth and south-western tip. Got hold of a small boat so we could watch the bands and fireworks set up on the beach for the Millenium and it broke down on our way back and Fremantle is a busy shipping port!

I had a Norwegian girlfriend and she lived on top of a snow-covered mountain, along a goat's track, in the middle of no-where. One Xmas we fell out and she kicked me out, so I had to find my way back to the airport in the snow in my hire car, via a ferry to cross a Fjord, etc. That was funny - not at the time but looking back on it!

I drove back to the UK once on my own and missed my return ferry. I had run out of money and wasn't sure I'd even be able to cover the cost of fuel as I now had to pay for a new ferry to France and drive thru' France and Spain to get home to Portugal.

Last year we went to the Cape Verde islands, that are only just being developed so everything is very basic. Not such a big adventure but lots more islands there to explore, so we'll be going back to a differnet island next time.

[Webwych]

Haha thanks for the replies, very interesting!

I wanted to know because I am having a hard time convincing my Dad I can be left at a gig on my lonesome, so it's good to know that people who are more disabled than me have owned much bigger challenges!

[russ1]

I took a two week skiing holiday in the states including a transatlantic flight, just myself and another wheelie. Partly for the skiing and partly to prove to myself that I could do it without able bodied helpers (although we did have able bodied instructors on the slopes). Not really that adventurous in terms of some of the things that some people have done but was a big step for me 3 yrs post and was the first time I'd been away from able bodied help.

Your Dad will worry about you, none of us parents want to let our offspring out into the big bad world on their own. You just have to convince him that it's time he started to let go, that your disability isn't a reason that you should be any different to all those other kids out there and that there's not that much that can go wrong and the worst that can happen is he'll get a phone call to come sort you out.

[Webwych]

russ1, on Aug 25 2008, 10:22 PM, said:

I took a two week skiing holiday in the states including a transatlantic flight, just myself and another wheelie. Partly for the skiing and partly to prove to myself that I could do it without able bodied helpers (although we did have able bodied instructors on the slopes). Not really that adventurous in terms of some of the things that some people have done but was a big step for me 3 yrs post and was the first time I'd been away from able bodied help.

Your Dad will worry about you, none of us parents want to let our offspring out into the big bad world on their own. You just have to convince him that it's time he started to let go, that your disability isn't a reason that you should be any different to all those other kids out there and that there's not that much that can go wrong and the worst that can happen is he'll get a phone call to come sort you out.

I could understand (sort of) if I was a kid but I'm 35 for cripes' sake! Thing is I'm not as fit n feisty as I was when we had this discussion 3 years ago when I went to a big rock festival (which turned out ok in the end because I had some good friends to meet me there) and to a certain extent I know I'm not as capable of handling myself as I used to be and accepting that is really hard for someone who used to ride horses and do all kinds of other stuff. I just hate being perceived as vulnerable, it really grinds my gears you know?

[HiltonP]

Travelled round the world in 1998.

[Webwych]

HiltonP, on Aug 27 2008, 10:13 AM, said:

Travelled round the world in 1998.

There's a story behind that one - do tell!

Oh, and I am going to see Slipknot! AAAGGGH!!

[azx43]

Webwych, on Aug 25 2008, 02:37 PM, said:

russ1, on Aug 25 2008, 10:22 PM, said:

I took a two week skiing holiday in the states including a transatlantic flight, just myself and another wheelie. Partly for the skiing and partly to prove to myself that I could do it without able bodied helpers (although we did have able bodied instructors on the slopes). Not really that adventurous in terms of some of the things that some people have done but was a big step for me 3 yrs post and was the first time I'd been away from able bodied help.

Your Dad will worry about you, none of us parents want to let our offspring out into the big bad world on their own. You just have to convince him that it's time he started to let go, that your disability isn't a reason that you should be any different to all those other kids out there and that there's not that much that can go wrong and the worst that can happen is he'll get a phone call to come sort you out.

I could understand (sort of) if I was a kid but I'm 35 for cripes' sake! Thing is I'm not as fit n feisty as I was when we had this discussion 3 years ago when I went to a big rock festival (which turned out ok in the end because I had some good friends to meet me there) and to a certain extent I know I'm not as capable of handling myself as I used to be and accepting that is really hard for someone who used to ride horses and do all kinds of other stuff. I just hate being perceived as vulnerable, it really grinds my gears you know?

Don't let your dad get to you too badly, Webwych! Pretty much ALL fathers are like that, and want to protect their children forever anyway. My parents seem to finally be learning to let go of me, and I know that my grandpa (my dad's dad) sometimes gets on the nerves of my father; he says that he still treats him like a little boy.

I thought that I was adventurous until I read about some of the stuff y'all have been doing! I am very outdoorsy, it's just part of my personality that I have to be outside and be connected to nature. For me, life is an adventure!!

[Webwych]

azx43, on Aug 27 2008, 03:38 PM, said:

Don't let your dad get to you too badly, Webwych! Pretty much ALL fathers are like that, and want to protect their children forever anyway. My parents seem to finally be learning to let go of me, and I know that my grandpa (my dad's dad) sometimes gets on the nerves of my father; he says that he still treats him like a little boy.

I thought that I was adventurous until I read about some of the stuff y'all have been doing! I am very outdoorsy, it's just part of my personality that I have to be outside and be connected to nature. For me, life is an adventure!!

Hehe, yeah I actually sat and talked to him last night and it appears wires got severely crossed - the only thing he had a problem with was me not knowing anyone at the gig I wanted to go to, but it turned out ok as one of my friends is going to the gig in Newcastle where we have family so we're going to 'kill two birds with one stone' - I get to my gig and my parents get to see friends and family .

The funny thing is I've been to Frankfurt on my own twice!

[cosmosmallpiece]

I drove Twice across the Sarahra in 1974 and comming back in 1975 from Oxford to Central Africa with a friend,
and 7 time from Oxford to Sharjah via Saudi Arabia alone.
IN GOD I TRUST THE REST PAY CASH.

Edited by cosmosmallpiece, 05 September 2008 - 01:21 PM.

[Webwych]

cosmosmallpiece, on Sep 5 2008, 02:18 PM, said:

I drove Twice across the Sarahra in 1974 and comming back in 1975 from Oxford to Central Africa with a friend,
and 7 time from Oxford to Sharjah via Saudi Arabia alone.
IN GOD I TRUST THE REST PAY CASH.

Now that sounds like fun! I would love to start in Southern Spain and drive right down to the very southern tip of Africa

Edited by Webwych, 05 September 2008 - 04:14 PM.

[BillS]

Next April I'll be driving solo across the USA to celebrate my 50th birthday. Six weeks of hotels/motels and seeing all of the sights I can. I'll be hitting New Orleans, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, LA, San Fransisco, Naigra Falls, Montreal, New York City and a lot of cities in between.

So far my biggest trips have been a lot of trips down to Orlando and Walt Disney World. Ive driven down solo a couple of times but usually fly.

[Webwych]

BillS, on Sep 5 2008, 10:14 PM, said:

Next April I'll be driving solo across the USA to celebrate my 50th birthday. Six weeks of hotels/motels and seeing all of the sights I can. I'll be hitting New Orleans, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, LA, San Fransisco, Naigra Falls, Montreal, New York City and a lot of cities in between.

So far my biggest trips have been a lot of trips down to Orlando and Walt Disney World. Ive driven down solo a couple of times but usually fly.

Well I hope the weather is nice and *quiet* for you when you get to New Orleans!

[janine]

I had a good laugh reading your adventure! It made my day! I think you would enjoy South Africa where I live....Only have to worry about elephants,lions and gamerangers...!

[Slowlegs]

BillS, on Sep 5 2008, 09:14 PM, said:

Next April I'll be driving solo across the USA to celebrate my 50th birthday. Six weeks of hotels/motels and seeing all of the sights I can. I'll be hitting New Orleans, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, LA, San Fransisco, Naigra Falls, Montreal, New York City and a lot of cities in between.

So far my biggest trips have been a lot of trips down to Orlando and Walt Disney World. Ive driven down solo a couple of times but usually fly.

Hi guys, wow.
Your trip sounds a lot like mine Bill. A lot of interesting and awesome tales on here. Mine isn't nearly as exciting but there is a point. A few years ago, I decided I was sick of just working and saving for a rainy day. That is all I seemed to do in life. My injuries are mainly internal and I get a lot of medical complications which did prevent travel.

I have had over 100 ops and still have them every once in a while. My specialists did a great job, one in particular who decided against the wishes of all his colleagues to actually start reconstructive surgery after the others left me to die. One of the complications is that I get deep vein thromboses which had prevented me travelling. I had always wanted to visit the USA and drive a Mustang convertible as when I was in hospital I watched movies like Bullit over and over again.

Problem was there was a 12 hour flight between me and the USA. One day I just got sick of being told "no you can't". I went to the specialist and said I was going and got the meds I needed. With ostomy and bladder supplies as well as drugs I filled a back pack of medical supplies. Basically I kept one of everything I had needed in the previous year as well as anti DVT stockings. I had to inject myself with blood thinners before every flight of over 3 hours and made sure I kept up my water intake for the ostomy and to prevent bladder infections. I took two broad spectrum antibiotics and if I felt infection symptoms I would change antibiotics. I am no longer in a chair which made it easier but I travelled around the USA alone for almost a month.

There were lowlights and highlights. My lowlight was having someone try to pick pocket my backpack in New York, I felt like a real country hick there but by the time it came time to leave I loved New York like the rest of them. Some of my highlights were picking up a jet black Mustang convertible with hand controls in LA (which took six weeks for an awesome travel agent to arrange) and driving to Vegas. I was driving over a hill on the freeway and in front of me there was a view of a valley that looked like an Eagles CD cover. On the radio came James Brown with "Living in America. I never sing in public or in front of people but hell, I was singing at the top of my voice with the stereo on full volume and I must say I even had tears of joy in my eyes. Some people were staring but I really didn't care, I was just having a ball.

I was also invited to share a table with an actress named Lauren (wow she was gorgeous) and her friends in a blues bar in Los Angeles and got asked out for drinks by a couple of air hostesses (who I had given compliments to before my flights without realising they would be on my plane) on the red eye to Chicago.

As I said before though, it probably sounds like it pales in comparison to what some have posted on here. Thing is, one of the things which limits us is ourselves. Often, others think we can't do things or think it is better for us not to do things because they themselves feel it is too risky because they have their own fears for our safety without realising what is important and that does rub off. I am planning another trip next year but this time it will be to Europe as well as the USA. Hopefully it will provide even better memories than the last one did. If you want to travel, then go do it. Get insurance for what you can and take meds for what they won't cover.

[fatdave]

I just got lost in north st.louis (a very rough place, if you are white and no im not racist!) it was an adventure!

[Hapahowlee]

fatdave, on Oct 24 2008, 03:41 PM, said:

I just got lost in north st.louis (a very rough place, if you are white and no im not racist!) it was an adventure!

Dave, what the hell were you doing up North??? We used to live up North, but in North St. Louis County, which is probably close to getting as bad as North City by now.

Okay, so I'll attest to Dave having a real adventure in North St. Louis. Lucky you got out alive buddy!