White House Visitor Center

Date of Visit: March 25, 2012

The last time we went to the White House Visitor Center was back in 2006.  It really has not seemed to changed much since then other than the video they show is at least partially updated with there being footage of the Obamas.  Interestingly, though, some areas still do not include them, such as the Presidential medals display not including Obama.  If it was 2009 or even 2010 that would be understandable, but seriously its 2012 and it seems ridiculously outdated.  Now if they just stopped doing the Presidential Medals, then it should at least say something about it.  However, I rather doubt the tradition has ended.


The Visitor Center was still worth a visit for us, though, as we got 2 stamps for our National Park Passports.  One is for the Star-Spangled Banner National Trail and the other is for President's Park - The White House.

Overall the White House Visitor is still a nice stop, if you have not been there, yet.  They have a button operated automatic door.  The security check requires all bags and stuff in your pockets to be put through machine, but they did not do a pat down of Mik like at the airport.  However, they did ask for him to lean forward to make sure he was not hiding anything behind his back.  Also, if you walk through the metal detectors are on here, which is not always the case at the Smithsonian Museums where at least this time of year are usually just looking through bags.


After the Visitor Center we were going to just head over to some memorials on the National Mall, but I realized Mik did not remember ever actually seen the White House in person.  He might have when he was little, but I am pretty sure even in 2006 we did not walk up to it.  We just went and saw it from the Ellipse side, which coming from the Visitor Center required a rather round about way of going the long way around a statue (Sherman?) due to the road blocks and steps by the quick way to walk in.  However, it is not a big deal and really it is better to walk further and view the White House from the Lafayette Square side, which provides a closer view and there are some good statues to look at in the square.  It was cold and we were trying to get the memorials done as much as possible before it began to rain, so Mik was only up for the viewing it from what was closest for us at the time.

Destination Info:
White House Visitor Center
Southeast corner of 15th and E Streets
Washington, D.C.

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

Date of Visit: March 24, 2012

It was a rainy day, so we took Mik's manual wheelchair.  We planned to go all the way up to Arlington House (the actual National Park), but we only got as far as the President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Gravesite before the rain began to really come down and it got to be too hard to keep pushing Mik up the steepness.  This would have been much better with the power chair if only it had not been raining.

The cemetery's website notes on accessibility only mention that you can get a pass to drive your vehicle to the sites by showing your handicap placard at the visitor center.  They do have a tour bus option that you can pay for to take you to the main places, but not sure if they are easily wheelchair accessible because I did not want to pay the $8.75 per person even if it was.

To get up to the JFK gravesite there is handicap ramp up to the right.  Once you get to the top there is another smaller ramped path up to the eternal flame.  There did not seem to be access to the area of the memorial with steps up to it at top of first ramp and before the stepped way up to the eternal flame.  However, it really started to rain when we got up here, so did not even go and see that part myself.


Overall the ramps to the gravesite and eternal flame are fine.  At least grade wise they are good.  The only problem was that as we came down the narrower one from the eternal flame it is not quite even with the main path.  Mik's front wheels do rather stink on his manual chair compared to past ones, so even this minor unevenness meant trouble.  Normally I can tilt the chair back and the little wheels off the ground, but due to the backpack and going down an incline there I had to turn the wheelchair around to get over the stupid little bump.  On a good weather day I probably would not have mattered, but when it was rainy and slippery it seemed like a big thing.

Even though we did not get up to the Tomb of the Unknown or Arlington House, it was worth just going to the Eternal Flame.  This was Mik's first time here and he was pretty impressed seeing a flame as we got up to the gravesite and it was raining.  Of course, at the time he only knew we were seeing JFK's grave or I did not tell him it was called the Eternal Flame.

Destination Info:
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Gravesite
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

Arlington National Cemetery Visitor Center

Date of Visit: March 24, 2012

Our goal for the day was to see various things at Arlington National Cemetery.  Because of the rain, we took Mik in his manual wheelchair.  Because of the hills and the rain, we did not see quite as much as we planned, but we did at least get some National Park Passport Stamps, which was a top priority for us.

We started with a stop at the Arlington National Cemetery Visitor Center.  There are ramps up and automatic doors to enter on the far end.  Inside we grabbed a map to help guide us to the other places we wanted to go.  Mainly, though, we just headed to the bookstore.

At the bookstore we got four stamps for our National Park Passports.  The stamps were for George Washington Memorial Parkway, Marine Corps War Memorial/Netherlands Carillon, Arlington House - Robert E. Lee Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.

Destination Info:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

First Adventure Travelling with Power Chair on Airplane

Mik got his awesome power chair that can put him in a standing position back in December 2011.  Yesterday was the first time we took it on an airplane.  We suspected it could be an adventure/misadventure, as there always seems to be a high probability of one every time we fly.

In Chicago as the boarding was finishing for our flight to DC, the gate agent came in and asked if the back can be taken off the wheelchair.  Since, we had just gate checked the manual wheelchair, I thought she was taking about it and told her there were release levers for it.  She came back a few minutes later and asked me to come show them.

I thought the manual chair was just outside the door and I would quickly help them.  Well, they then escorted me down the steps to below the plane and around to the cargo loading area.  It turned out they wanted to reduce the height of the power chair.  I do not know how they did in on the first flight, but here they were trying to not put it on its side and did not know how to make it flatter.

I have not done much playing with Mik's controls, but I knew if could lay flat since it can go laying to standing.  It took me about 5 minutes, but I figured out the recline mode and got it flat so it could go in the cargo area without being laid down.  It was then kind of funny to watch them roll it up on to the conveyor belt tilted down as they had to release the brakes to roll it up there and then of course with the brakes released it tried to roll backwards.

As usual our flight out of Chicago was delayed.  I am pretty sure it was pretty much entirely the power chair's fault, but it was nice that they cared about not putting it on its side if they could avoid it.  Now I know to lay it flat when we check it in, but I kind of liked getting the adventure of going below to see them load it.

Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom - Stitch's Great Escape

Date of Visit: July 31, 2011

Stitch's Great Escape is a rather weird attraction, but the special effects of the thing coming down around your neck is kind of cool.  There are even several spots for wheelchairs to park and have a thing come down to be able to experience the special effects.  The funnest part, though, was seeing Mik's wheelchair glow in the dark.  There are a few other rides it glows well in (Haunted Mansion for one), but this one is the best because there are parts of pretty much pitch black.  Overall the whole thing was not really our type of thing, as it is mostly just dark and Stitch escaping and such, but it was worth it to see Mik's wheelchair glow.

Destination Info:
Magic Kingdom - Stitch's Great Escape
Lake Buena Vista, FL

Walt Disney World: Monorail

Date of Visit: July 30, 2011

Mik hates buses, so when we wanted to get to the Magic Kingdom after a movie at Downtown Disney with Dad we thought it would be better to have Dad drop us off at the Monorail.  Mik kind of likes the Monorail better than buses, but the ramps are not fun and with no tie downs the wheelchair moved a lot during the trip.  Only thing that made it better was it was shorter than a bus ride.

Destination Info:
Walt Disney World - Monorail
Lake Buena Vista, FL

Walt Disney World: Hollywood Studios - Star Tours The Adventure Continues

Date of Visit: July 30, 2011

Star Tours is pretty much the only transfer ride I will do with Mik since it is an easy seat to seat transfer and there is no rush with the ride vehicle not being on a track.  We had already done the new Star Tours in Disneyland and I did not much care about doing it in Disney World, but it is one of Mik's favorite rides, so we decided try the WDW version.


It ended up being a good choice to do it at Disney World because you actually get a better queue experience than Disneyland.  At Disneyland we just get the boring outside line and little bit interesting one room experience, but you miss out on seeing C3PO and the ride vehicle model in the regular queue when you go in the side door for the elevator.  At WDW we ended up skipping the whole line (I think only because the wait time was not that long) and going a separate way to the loading area.  We still skip the inside queue, but the way it is set up a WDW allows you to get an overlook view of C3PO and the vehicle model.

The actual boarding process is just like at Disneyland, though.  You can roll the wheelchair into the ride vehicle and the Cast Member will take it out and bring it back at the end of the ride.  The armrest can be swung to the side to make transferring easier.

Destination Info:
Disney's Hollywood Studios - Star Tours
Lake Buena Vista, FL