Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
research projects. Contact them for a
catalog listing trips and costs. Projects
have included studies of glaciers in
North Cascades National Park and pro-
grams on chimpanzee communication.
8 Specialized Travel Resources
TRAVELERS WITH
DISABILITIES
When making airline reservations,
always mention your disability. Airline
policies differ regarding wheelchairs
and Seeing Eye dogs. Most hotels now
offer wheelchair-accessible accommo-
dations, and some of the larger and
more expensive hotels also offer TDD
telephones and other amenities for the
hearing and sight impaired.
The public transit systems found in
most Northwest cities either have reg-
ular vehicles that are accessible for rid-
ers with disabilities or offer special
transportation services for people with
disabilities.
If you plan to visit Mount Rainier
or Olympic National Park, you can
avail yourself of the
Golden Access
Passport.
This lifetime pass is issued
free to any U.S. citizen or permanent
resident who has been medically certi-
fied as disabled or blind (you will need
to show proof of disability). The pass
permits free entry into national parks
and monuments and can be obtained
through the visitor center at either
Mount Rainier or Olympic National
Park.
Many travel agencies offer cus-
tomized tours and itineraries for travel-
ers with disabilities.
Flying Wheels
Travel
(
&
507/451-5005;
www.
flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted
tours and cruises that emphasize sports
and private tours in minivans with
lifts.
Accessible Journeys
(
&
800/
846-4537
or 610/521-0339; www.
disabilitytravel.com) caters specifically
to slow walkers and wheelchair travel-
ers and their families and friends.
Wilderness Inquiry
(
&
800/
728-0719
or 612/676-9400; www.
wildernessinquiry.org) offers trips to
the San Juan Islands for persons of
all abilities.
Organizations that offer assistance
to travelers with disabilities include
the
MossRehab Hospital
www.moss
resourcenet.org), which provides a
library of accessible-travel resources
online; the Society for Accessible
Travel and Hospitality (
&
212/447-
7284;
www.sath.org; annual member-
ship fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and
students), which offers a wealth of
travel resources for all types of disabil-
ities and informed recommendations
on destinations, access guides, travel
agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals,
and companion services; and the
American Foundation for the Blind
(
&
800/232-5463;
www.afb.org),
which provides information on travel-
ing with Seeing Eye dogs.
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Seattle is one of the most gay-friendly
cities in the country, with a large gay
and lesbian community centered
around the Capitol Hill neighbor-
hood. In Capitol Hill you'll find
numerous bars, nightclubs, stores, and
bed-and-breakfast inns catering to the
gay community. Broadway Avenue,
Capitol Hill's main drag, is also the
site of the annual Gay Pride March,
held each year in late June.
The
Seattle Gay News
(
&
206/324-
4297;
www.sgn.org) is the commu-
nity's newspaper, available at book-
stores and gay bars and nightclubs.
Beyond the Closet, 518 E. Pike St.
(
&
206/322-4609
), and Bailey Coy
Books, 414 Broadway Ave. E. (
&
206/
323-8842), are the gay community's
two main bookstores and are good
sources of information on what's going
on within the community.
