[rollingpix]

I went to Vancouver B.C. in the early spring of '05 by myself. The trip was completely spontaneous, just started looking for a place to go on google and saw that Vancouver's entire public transport system was w/c accessible. I bought a roundtrip ticket from Orlando to Vancouver via Atlanta on Priceline for under $600, and researched a hostel in the city for $20.00 a night.

I put a large backpack on the back of my powerchair, with extra legbags, catheters, clothes...the neccessities, my camera etc. I travel quite a bit and kinda have a good system. You WILL do wheelies with all the extra weight on the back, but that can be fun. I have never had a prolem with flying, neither will you if you follow this rule...Assert Yourself in the airport!

If you are by yourself explain to the Security, "you will have to take off my shoes, no I cannot stand up for you to do a cavity search..etc" When you are getting ready to board explain how you will need to transfer, especially explain if you have spasms, people will drop you if you start kicking like a chorus girl! Explain everything, not just for you, but for those following you.

Be careful, make sure to empty your legbag, or to wear one if you IC, airplanes do not have w/c's so you will not be getting in the pisser.

The hostel that I stayed has a private room w/ roll in shower, very nice, and two blocks away from the water. As I said it is only $20.00 U.S. I didn't have healthcare set up before I left, but when I got there I played telephone tag and got a great agency named IQ Homecare to help me out. Very good agency, look up Tracey, her company really knows it's stuff.

Vancouver is great, very accessible and friendly, pot is cheap, cigs and booze are not. The entire public trans is accessible, I strongly suggest you go. I was going to stay a month, stayed two, and going back in the spring.

You can look at some pix of Vancouver at my site on the fdollowing pages.

http://rollingpix.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_...ix_archive.html
http://rollingpix.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_...ix_archive.html

[hillarymcarter]

Hey rollingpix..I looked at your blogspot and I went to the quad humor teeshirts. They were hilarious! I got my hubby two of the paralyzed ones. My favorite "yes, I'll give your kids a ride for a quarter"!!