Yellowstone National Park 2017
There is no other place like it. Yellowstone was the first national park. It is located on an active volcano. My wife, Pauline, was in a wheelchair. Planning this trip involved a lot of research into the places that were going to be accessible. She loved the water and waterfalls. I spent months reading and speaking to park specialists about where to go and directions for getting there. We stayed in an accessible cabin in canyon village. Using all the information from our research, we were able to see so much during our four-day adventure. Thermal features, geysers, mountains, rivers and waterfalls and an amazing diversity of wildlife. We were there in August and there were lots of people everywhere. There were more Japanese tourists with selfie sticks than there were buffalo. Am I allowed to say that? People were fantastic. If I had trouble moving Pauline, people always approached us to offer help. We also found lots of opportunity to get off the beaten path and to experience solitude, beauty and peace. It is the most amazing place I’ve ever been. It also made me so very proud of our country and our laws which help to make our parks accessible to people with disabilities. The ADA made it possible for Pauline to experience the wilderness from her wheelchair.