Prince Rupert Loop

Nisga'a town of Gitwinksihlkw, northeast of Prince Rupert, BC

Nass Valley, BC

Autumn brings the search for gold -- golden trees, that is.  Inspired by our original legendary and questionably-intelligent trip to the Arctic Circle (the trip itself was brilliant; the timing and mode of transportation were the questionable part), we once again packed up the Prius for our fourth annual Canada trek, anticipating the beauty of the western provinces and hoping for the gold of deciduous trees in autumn.  We were not disappointed.  British Columbia was as breath-taking as remembered -- an entire province worthy of national park status in all of its settings.  We lucked out on timing with fall colors this year, stumbling across swaths of golden deciduous trees, sharing the stage with the evergreens, like Easter eggs nestled in dark green hills.  This year, we headed up the coast to Prince Rupert, on a route similar to what the BC Tourism Board has cleverly packaged as the Inside Passage Circle Tour.

Ferry to Vancouver Island

Similar to last year's Bella Coola Loop, we began by driving north from Seattle, crossing over to Vancouver Island, spending the night in Nanaimo, befoew driving north to Port Hardy to catch the BC ferry.  Unlike the previous year's trip, we didn't spend any time on the journey northward, pausing only to ascertain that the ferry crossing was gorgeous and that Nanaimo, with its mouth-watering  bakery, would be a great place to live.

At the northern shore of Vancouver Island, we boarded the ferry to Prince Rupert.  Although it required more driving, the BC ferry from Port Hardy was significantly cheaper and had a better schedule than the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Bellingham, WA.  Since the ferry trip was overnight, we booked a cabin.  We spent most of the journey outside on the rear of the boat, watching the scenery.  The boat traveled past green forested hills with many waterfalls.  On one of the narrow beaches, a large elephant seal was sunning himself.  In the water, porpoises played, and humpback whales journeyed south.

Passing by open water the first night, the seas were rough for a few hours.  Because of this, the elevators were closed.  Luckily, we were forewarned of this, so I made sure I was on the floor that our cabin was on. The accessible cabin on the ferry was perhaps the best in terms of accessibility that I've seen in any hotel.  

BC ferry from Pt Hardy to Prince Rupert

After a peaceful night and calm day, we pulled into Prince Rupert.   We were greeted by a huge port, with cranes busy un/loading containers between trains and ships.  As we later learned, the Port of Prince Rupert is the third largest in Canada -- soon to surpass Vancouver and become the second, after Montreal.  It boasts the deepest harbor and the shortest route to Asia (saving three days over Vancouver).  This information was shared with us several times; I'm sure the excitement was only compounded with the decline of the fish canning industry.

Hanging out on the back deck at our cabin at
Cassiar Cannery

We drove through town, picking up groceries at a large supermarket, before driving about 30 minutes on to Port Edward.  After the paved road turned bumpy, we reached the Cassiar Cannery -- an old cannery that has been converted to several guest cabins overlooking the Skeena River.  Each of the lovingly restored cabins is located on the shore of the river, with a deck and a view out the back.

North Pacific Cannery

We took a guided tour of the North Pacific Cannery near Port Edwards.  Most of the site was accessible, and there were only a couple of cabins/displays that a wheelchair couldn't reach.  (There was even an accessible stall in the restroom, which was twice as large as the others, but, unfortunately, it had no bars.)  In the second half of the 1900's, safety regulations required production facilities to install sterile concrete, which was prohibitively expensive.  This change, along with mechanization, improved freezing techniques, and changing tastes led to cannery consolidation and relocation, spelling the end of BC's residential wooden canneries on stilts over the water.

Trail to Butze Rapids

Prince Rupert, with over 8 feet of rain per year, is Canada's wettest city.  Indeed. except for a few scattered hours of sunny blue skies, it rained the entire time we were there!  Due to the weather, we weren't able to tackle any of the local trails, but I did stop in at the Visitor Information Centre to ask about accessible trails.  I was told that the loop trails and trail to the rapids at Butze Rapids were accessible to wheelchairs, as was the best hike in Prince Rupert -- the Rushbrook Trail.  We'll have to return in the short months of summer -- when the skies tends to be less rainy -- to confirm this advice.

Prince Rupert, along Atlin Terminal

We spent a rainy afternoon in the small downtown of Prince Rupert, exploring the views from the short boardwalk next to the (accessible) Atlin Terminal with its retail shops.   We stopped for lunch and a hot drink at Cowpuccino (accessible washroom) and for information at the Visitor Information Centre (the accessible washroom had been turned into a storage closet, but the men's and women's washrooms had accessible stalls).

Skeena River between Prince Rupert and Terrace

We then drove from Prince Rupert to Terrace in the last downpour of our trip.

Nissga'a Memorial Lava Beds

The following day, we cast aside our plans for a day trip to Kitimat in favor of a local recommendation to head north through the Nisga'a Lava Beds.  A fortunate stroke of serendipity!  We've travelled quite a bit, so we've seen quite a variety of spectacular geography.  This trip, however, introduced us to new and unexpected sites, stunning scenery, cultural and historical learning, animal life, and a welcome and unanticipated focus on accessibility.

Lava Beds

This fantastic scenery and day tour were made possible by a terrible tragedy.  Approximately 250 years ago, a lava flow from Canada's last volcanic eruption decimated the surrounding land and two Nisga'a (First Nation) villages, killing over 2000 people.  Today, the Nisga'a have developed a self-guided auto tour through this amazing natural landscape, starting north of Terrace, driving through the Nass Valley, and ending at the coastal village of Gingolx.   The tour goes past the lava beds, a provincial park dedicated to the Nisga'a people, Nisga'a villages, totem poles, and a museum. 

Trail to Vetter Falls

Gingolx: end of the auto tour at the Pacific coast

I can not recommend this tour highly enough!  The visitor's center, museum, and several trails are all wheelchair accessible, there are accessible outhouses and washrooms along the way, and the self-guided auto tour map designates and explains accessibility on the route.  To top it off, this was our best wildlife viewing from the car.  As we approached the end of the road near the coast, Ted was lamenting that we hadn't yet seen his second favorite boreal animal -- the porcupine.  Within minutes, we saw three different quilled specimens waddling on or beside the road!

Telegraph Point rest stop along
the Skeena River

The next day we drove back westward along the Skeena River to see the views on a clear day.  It had just snowed in the mountains, so the gold trees shimmering on a white background made a beautiful day even more so.

Exchamisiks River trail

We hiked at Exchamsiks River, west of Terrace.  This fabulous park, home to a campground being re-forested, includes a short, accessible loop trail on a mossy, partially paved road through old-growth Sitka spruce, salmon berry plants, birch trees, and devil's club plants.  We took a short side-trip down to the river, with a view of a bridge, rocky cliff, and waterfall.

After the hike and a short westward drive, we turned around and went to the east again.  Past Terrace we passed the turn-off for the Cassiar Highway, leading north to the Arctic Circle and flooding us with memories of adventures and beauty from the trip four years ago. It was a poignant reminder that the past doesn't always just end.

Add caption

We stopped in the town of Smithers -- a cute little touristy place, surrounded by majestic mountain scenery (and, I am told, some of the best fly fishing).  We enjoyed a leisurely  morning at the farmers market and lunch at Two Sisters Cafe (good food and an accessible washroom), and then we headed down the highway to the northern metropolis of Prince George.   As we drove, the mountains gave way to forests.   In Prince George we awoke to the putrid smell of a paper mill, triggering memories of my childhood in northern Wisconsin.



East of Prince George, we headed to the Ancient Forest.  We had discovered this gem on our previous trip north, and I am still amazed.   The accessible boardwalk meanders through old growth red cedar trees, alongside a stream.   The boardwalk ends at a small waterfall, and the entrance boasts picnic tables and a shelter, along with accessible outhouses.  The accessible hike was built by or with the foundation of Rick Hansen -- the "Man in Motion" from St Elmo's Fire.

Ancient Forest boardwalk

Ancient Forest endpoint

After our hike, we returned to the highway.  We made a brief stop at the bird refuge at the Nechako Riverside Park in Vanderhoof.  That was a disappointing tangent, since there were no accessible outhouses, no significant hiking trails (there was only a packed gravel trail along the water), and -- sadly -- no birds, except for crows.

Mt Robson

We drove eastward, as the forests now gave way to mountains, and we entered the edge of the Rocky Mountains.  We made a side-trip to Mt Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.  There, we followed the Berg Lake trail through the trees, along a rushing river; it was hard-packed and wide, with occasional mountain views, but it was quite steep, and we had to spend too much time and energy battling big rocks, meaning we turned around after only thirty minutes -- luckily, that allowed us to get to a mountain viewpoint in time to watch the sunset colors

We spent the night in the cute mountain town of Valemount, then we headed south.

Helmecken Falls in Wells-Gray Provincial. Park

We tried -- unsuccessfully -- to find moose off of the side roads, and we finally drove into Wells-Gray Provincial Park, where a long road led to a spectacular view of the majestic Helmcken Falls  We spent the night in Clearwater.

Othello Tunnels Trail at
Coquihalla Provincial Park

The next day, we continued southward, stopping at Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park near Hope, BC to hike one of my favorite trails, the Othello Tunnels Trail.  The trail is closed in winter due to the danger of falling rock, but it is exactly the rock that makes this trail special during the rest of the year.  The hard-packed (usually) gravel path travels next to the sheer rock cliffs of the raging Coquihalla River as the path passes through 4 former train tunnels (bring a headlamp) in the woods.  I once saw another woman hiking in a manual chair with a Free Wheel; it was feasible, but she envied my Freedom Chair when struggling through the few spots of loose gravel.



After the hike, we headed back to the US, to Seattle, to regular life, and to appointments and  commitments.  I'm sure we'll be back for another tour of the colors next autumn, and I have a feeling we'll be back in this magical province long before then!

Accessibility along the route

1. BC Ferries:

En Suite washroom on BC Ferry
from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert

Sleeping cabin on BC Ferry
from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert

Both the ferry from Tsawassen to Schwarz Bay and the ferry from Pt Hardy to Prince Rupert were accessible.  You should tell them you're disabled (bring a card or placard to show proof) before running the transaction to buy tickets, in order to receive a discount.  Then, hang your disabled placard on the rear-view mirror and flash your hazard lights to warn the ferry loaders that you have special needs.  You should be parked near the elevator, with room to maneuver to and with your wheelchair, although you may need to provide them instructions on your needs.   The ferries have an elevator from the car decks, which can take you to the lower passenger deck (coffee shop, gift shop, cafeteria, seating), the upper deck (inside and outside seating), and the deck with passenger cabins (Pt Hardy to Prince Rupert ferry).  There were unisex, single-stall disabled washrooms at various locations.  The amazing accessible sleeping cabin on the Pt Hardy to Prince Rupert ferry had plenty of room, no threshold, a triangle trapeze over one of the twin beds, a large and very accessible en suite washroom, complete with many grab bars, a roll-under sink, tilting mirror, shower with a pull-down seat and hand-held nozzle, and a toilet.

Rear deck on BC Ferry
from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert

Public washroom on BC Ferry
from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert

2. Accessible outhouses:

Accessible outhouse with ramp at
Telegraph Point rest stop along
Yellowhead Highway

"Accessible" outhouse
(if you can get there/in)
at Coquihalla Canyon
Provincial Park

The Yellowhead Highway (16), running from Prince Rupert through Prince George and beyond, is a major component of the Alaska Highway route; so -- perhaps not surprisingly -- there were fairly regular rest stops with outhouses designated as accessible.  Most were actually accessible, although many were accessible inside only -- large and with bars, but accessibility was denied by loose gravel and/or a raised floor.






3. Accessible washrooms: Accessible washrooms were relatively available, although they varied widely in meaning.  Good bets are museums, visitor's centers, gas stations, restaurants, and cafes.

Large "accessible" stall
without bars at
North Pacific Cannery

Accessible washroom at
Cowpuccino Cafe
in Prince Rupert

4. Lodging: Most tourist towns had at least one accessible room at some hotel, although it required research, advance booking, and direct phone calls to book one (even with all of that, at one hotel, a "definitely" ours accessible room had been given away by the time we arrived!). Here's where we stayed on the trip:

Ferndale, WA
Super 8
ADA room with high bed and space beside it
Large bathroom had toilet with horizontal grab bar, shower/tub combination with bars, a wheel-under skink

Nanaimo

Grand Hotel  (north of town)

Wheelchair accessible room was not available, but clerk offered available room, which was partially accessible.  Entrance had no steps and wide doors.  Bed was low (same height as wheelchair), with space beside it.  Bathroom had short horizontal and vertical bars by toilet, walk-in shower with built-in bench and built-in shower head above.

Prince Rupert 
Cassiar Cannery (Port Edwards)

View from back deck of cabin
at Cassiar Cannery

Ramp across marsh to cabin
at Cassiar Cannery

Research shows that there were accessible hotel rooms in hotels at the Crest Hotel and the Inn at the Harbor. We chose to stay out of town at the cabins of an old fish cannery.  Each cabin an amazing view, with a deck overlooking the Inverness Canal. The owner had a great attitude toward making things accessible, taking out the bathroom vanity and removing the bathroom door to allow a wheelchair to enter and reach the toilet, and building a small ramp to get to the boardwalk that led to the cabin across the marsh.  Unfortunately, the bed was super-high.  The owner claims that he will soon renovate one of the cabins to be completely accessible. The location is beautiful, as long as you like the noise of passing trains!

En suite bathroom at Sandman
in Terrace

Terrace
Sandman 
Queen bed was not not too high, with space to put wheelchair next to bed and get everywhere
The bathroom had a toilet with a horizontal bar one one side and a floor-to-ceiling pole on the other, and a tub/shower combination with hand held shower, shooter stool, and bars.
(This is the room that had been given away our first night)






Smithers 

Sunshine Inn

En suite shower at Sunshine Inn
in Smithers

En suite bathroom at Sunshine Inn
in Smithers

Accessible hotel with auto door and accessible room
Good height queen bed, with space beside bed and all over for wheelchair
Bathroom had roll-in shower with fold-down chair, hand-held shower, and bars; also toilet had horizontal bar on one side and vanity on other.

Prince George
Super 8 (north part of town)

Lobby at Prince George Super 8

Wacky tiki-themed first floor, with small pools and small kids, tropical plants, was dark, stuffy, and tired
Wheelchair accessible room had a perfect height queen bed, with space for a wheelchair beside it

En suite bathroom at
Prince George Super 8

Large bathroom had a vertical angled and horizontal bar beside toilet, and a walk-in shower with hand-held shower, fold down seat, and several bars (although they may have all been high)








Valemount
Super 8

En suite bathroom at Valemount Super 8

Big room, king bed, space for wheelchair

En suite bath/shower at Valemount Super 8

Wide door to large bathroom, with roll-under sink, shower/tub combination with one angled bar, and toilet with no bar on either side.

Clearwater
Clearwater Lodge

En suite bathroom at Clearwater Lodge

En suite shower at Clearwater Lodge

Automatic door and inside ramps, leading to front desk, accessible washrooms, and 2 accessible rooms -- large, with two queen beds and lots of space by beds and in room. Large bathroom, with roll-under sink, toilet with horizontal and angled bar, and was curtained off as a no-threshold shower with shower chair and hand shower,


Hint about high beds.  At one hotel (of course, I've forgotten which), the bed was much too high.  I asked for a roll-away bed, which they provided, but the room was too small to set it up.  So, we took off the tall mattress from the htoel bed, and instead
where did I use the mattress from the rollaway bed?  it was firmer and the right height . (Terrace?)

Wheelchair Hiking Gathering

Wheelchair Hiking Gathering of 10/26/19

Q: Was it successful?

Goals:

1.     Meeting opportunity for hikers with wheelchairs

a.     56 attendees, with 15 volunteers

2.     Exchange information on wheelchair hiking opportunities

a.     Publicity for Ian’s Ride, Metro Tacoma Parks, Islandwood, WA Disabled Hikers

b.     Involvement by Outdoors for All, with demonstrations of Freedom Chair and TrailRider

3.     Exchange information on accessible trails

a.     Tales of Trails guides (Vicki and Kennedy)

b.     List of accessible hikes (Denise)

c.     List of accessible trail info (Jenny)

d.     Rails to Trails magazines

e.     Books from Candy Harrington about trails/travels for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

f.      Involvement by WTA

4.     Create platform for future contact and exchange

a.     Created Facebook Group “Wheelchair Hiking”

b.     Compiled list of those interested in developing future online platform on accessible trails and those interested in attending/planning a future gathering

Unstated Goals:

1.      Inclusivity and profile in the (non-disabled) hiking community

a.     Hosted by the Mountaineers: they have offered to help any interested wheelchair hikers navigate the Mountaineers’ process of volunteering to lead hikes

b.     Involvement by WTA

c.     TV: KOMO 4 News (aired short piece at 11pm that night)

d.     Newspaper: Seattle Times (will publish article in near future)

2.     Improved trail accessibility and ways to find accessible trails

a.     King County Parks interested in feedback for future ADA trails

b.     WTA interested in future possibility of better filtering and describing accessible trails: They have offered to train anyone interested in adding to trail reports

 Q: Was it successful?

A: Yes

Former Yugoslavia -- Slovenia

Bled Island on Lake Bled near the town of Bled (in Slovenia)

Our last destination in the Former Yugoslavia was Slovenia.  That's Slovenia.  NOT Slovakia.  This small country of just over 2 million inhabitants is probably best known to the outside world for its presidential brides (Melania Trump) and Olympian ski jumpers.  Beyond the iconic Lake Bled (pictured above and on every tourist brochure), a varied playground beckons the tourist; within a small region, there are alpine mountains, Adriatic coast, medieval towns, giant underground caves, vineyards, thermal spas, and agricultural fields.  Centuries of foreign rule is evidenced in the architecture and culture.  An extremely short war resulted in independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and an efficient and progressive government assured a relatively rapid and successful bid for EU membership.  According to Rick Steves, Slovenia is unique for its haystacks, beehives, and polka. My agrarian genes are behind me at this point, so I don't have much interest in the former two, but growing up in Wisconsin has hardwired my body to polka.

Gelato in Portoroz

The desserts and gelato are outstanding.  We happily explored the cream cakes in Lake Bled, the desserts of the riverfront cafes in Ljubljana, and the gelato of the seaside cafes in Portoroz.   All of these cafes were set against a backdrop of natural beauty; it was no wonder that we met Western Europeans moving to Slovenia.  Unfortunately for my love of linguistics, excellent English was prevalent..

Skrbovinca in Ljubljana

Slovenia is one of the most disabled-friendly countries on the planet.  In 2018, the capital city of Ljubljana was named the second most accessible city in the EU (first place went to Lyon, France).  Coming out of the accessible restroom in downtown Ljubljana, I met Emir Okanovic, who was on a break from his work at "Skrbovinca," an old town gift shop which sells handicrafts made by Slovenian residents with disabilities.  Emir told me that the accessibility of Ljubljana, and indeed of Slovenia, was a conscious policy derived with the support of the city and national government in recognition of the aging of the population and the economic logic of accessibility.

Accessible train in Ljubljana

Accessible car in Ljubljana

The center of Ljubljana is flat and pedestrianized.  The cobblestones have low profiles.  There is free parking by the Ljubljana Castle, and the gondola ride down from the castle to the old town is free for people with disabilities. Public transport in green electric cars and trains is wheelchair accessible,

Designated wheelchair restroom
in Old Town Ljubljana

Free "wheelchair trailer" in
Ljubljana

There are locked and designated wheelchair-accessible toilets in the center of town; if you don't have a Eurokey for access, you can get one at the Skrbovinca shop or wait in front of the restroom doors where guards at the other end of a camera can buzz you in.  The tourist office offers a city map created specifically for disabled tourists, and there is a downloadable app for your phone, entitled Ljubljana by wheelchair.  If that isn't enough, the main tourist office offers free use of a "wheelchair trailer" -- actually a power assist bike handle and third wheel (made in Slovenia) that attaches to the front of most manual wheelchairs and goes incredibly fast.  It's available during office hours for a refundable deposit.

Villa Pacug: a thoroughly
wheelchair-accessible hotel
(complete with ceiling tracks
and lifts) near the Adriatic Sea

This inclusive attitude extends throughout the country.  The Slovenian tourist agency website includes a webpage dedicated specifically to accessible travel.  The same group that wrote the "Ljubljana by Wheelchair" app has created a web directory especially for people with mobility impairments for all of Slovenia, "Pridem." There is a strong and active "Association of Paraplegics," which provides information to tourists.  In addition, the association owns several adapted and accessible vacation rooms and houses, including Villa Pacug, which is equipped with its own therapy room, disabled rooms, and electric hoists and tracks( https://www.domparaplegikov.si/en).  No Limits Tours offers tours, hotels, van transportation, and equipment (including wheelchairs, hoists, and sit skis).

Row boat ride in Lake 

As do all good tourists in Slovenia, we spent a day in the town of Lake Bled.  The town is filled with tourists, but for good reason.  With Bled Castle perched on the mountains above and Bled Island scenically positioned in the middle of Lake Bled, the scenery is superb even in the rain.  Tourists often ride the Pletna boats to the island in the middle of the lake and then climb 99 steps to ring the church bell.  Obviously, that's a bit tricky with a wheelchair.  I read about one wheelchair user who was lifted into the Pletna boat, but I read a few more suggestions by wheelchair users to skip the non-accessible boats and steps and to just admire the island from the shore.  Having an able-bodied and willing husband and brother as traveling companions, we decided to select another option and make the rental rowboats work.  With able-bodied people ferrying from the boat rental dock to the public dock (where I waited), and me not caring how it looked, we made it work -- dumping me in the back of a row boat with my husband and one of the teenagers, while my brother ran my wheelchair from the public dock to the car.  We then paddled to the island, where my husband disembarked and climbed the stairs to the church bell, while we rowed around the island.  On the way back, I even managed to row a little, but lacking core muscles, that was nearly a disaster, so it didn't last long.


Bled offers other accessible opportunities, which we didn't  experience: There is a path around the lake, which is sometimes packed gravel and sometimes paved. I have read that it takes a couple of hours to circumnavigate, and there are a couple of challenges -- one short stretch where stairs send you out to ride the road a bit, and one steep hill to climb-- but the route is ultimately accessible. We did not visit Bled Castle either, but I have read that it is accessible.




We ended our visit at one of the many lakeside cafes, enjoying the famed local cream cake.  We sat at the Panorama Cafe (which has an accessible restroom, besides the tasty desserts).

Julian Alps up the road from Bled

Planice ski jumps

Had it been clear, we would have then driven to Lake Bohinj and tried to go up the Vogel Cable Car (still not sure if it's accessible).  Instead, we proceeded up the road to the northwest, alongside the paved bike path, through the Julian Alps, stopping to build stone dams (kids) and then view the Olympian-producing year-round Planice ski jumps near Kranskja Gora.

Slovenian Music Evening -- 5 hours of polka!

Not far from Bled, the descendants of Slavko Avsenik carry on his musical tradition, which started in 1953 with the first Avsenik Ensemble. The first family of Slovenian polka offers a Slovenian Music Evening once a month. The accordion player was magical and the multi-generational audience was captivated -- singing and dancing to nearly five hours of polkas and waltzes. The food was traditional Slovenian, the guests were almost all Austrian, and the songs were half in Slovenian and half in German. Unbelievably, there was even vegetarian food and a wheelchair-accessible restroom. I was blissed out all evening!

Postojna Cave

Postojna Cave

The following day was still rainy, so we headed underground.  We drove to the karst region in the southwest, to Postojna Cave.  I've heard that Skocjan Cave is less touristy, but it is inaccessible, so we headed to the more-touristy Postojna Cave.  The cave is impressive, beautiful, and huge; the tour lasts about 2 hours, including a long train ride, followed by a guided walk through the lit cave.  Is it accessible? Well, sort of.  There is disabled parking on the top near the bus parking, there is an accessible restroom, and the entrance/exit is accessible.  On the tour, we disassembled my manual chair, and they stuffed it in the seat behind me on the train.  At the end of the train ride, we re-assembled the chair for the guided tour.  The tour followed well-lit, well-paved paths.  However, the paths went up and down VERY steep hills, so I was thankful for the energy and good-will of my nephew and nieces.  A power chair would not have fit in the train, and a manual chair would struggle on the steep hills.  So, while it was wheelchair-accessible in theory, it would take a special chair -- actually the detachable power assist for rent at the Ljubljana Tourist Information Office (see below) would work perfectly! -- to be truly accessible.

Ljubljanica River

Ljubljana riverside cafes

The capitol city of Ljubljana, population 280,000, lies in the center of the country.  The Ljubljanica River meanders through the city, crossed by many bridges, and lined with outdoor cafes.  The heart of the city is a pedestrian zone, including a good part of the river, as well as the Medieval old town.  It is the perfect place to spend a lazy day exploring the local cafe culture.  There are many museums, which we didn't visit, being short on time and traveling with at least one teenager morally opposed to museums.  Unfortunately, we also missed touring the alternative neighborhood of Metelovka and the unique youth hostel there.  Above the city is the Ljubljana Castle, with its museum (I've heard it can be accessible, but as I mentioned, we were avoiding museums), restaurants and a coffee house, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms.

Gondola from Ljubljana Castle

We parked at the Ljubljana Castle (disabled and free parking), and ate at the Castle Restaurant Na Gradu.  We then took the gondola (accessible and free for the disabled person and one companion) down to the city.

Assembling the wheelchair trailer

We started at the tourist office on Krekov Trg (Square), picking up the city map of accessible places and the power assist "wheelchair trailer."  Since the attachment was new and had only been used a couple of times, the entire staff gathered round enthusiastically to try to figure out how to assemble it!  With the help of our tools and Ted's mechanical knowledge, we finally got it.  They warned me that they had limited the top speed to 50 kph (30 mph); Except for one small, terrifying test, I actually never went above the first of of five levels of speed.

We spent that day -- as well as a future afternoon -- walking/wheeling around the center city, exploring the side streets and souvenir stores, crossing the river on different bridges, and testing out the ice cream and cakes at the riverside cafes.  We also went shopping at the market, where we bought souvenirs and strawberries.









Because we needed a lot of space for our large group, we rented a luxury apartment outside of the Old Town.  The inside was not particularly accessible, but the entrance was flat and there was an elevator up to our penthouse apartment.  We stayed there for our first several days in Slovenia, driving to the castle to get into town and driving a few hours each day to visit Bled and the Alps to the northwest and Postojna Cave to the southwest.  There were, however, accessible hotel rooms in the city.

Our final days in Slovenia were spent on its small piece of Adriatic coast.  In the mainly car-free town of Piran (with an accessible bus to get there from a parking lot outside of town), we ventured the cobblestones of the old town, watched the skateboarders on the town plaza, walked the waterfront promenade, ate ice cream in the seaside cafes, and photographed stunning sunsets by the lighthouse.  There was one -- and only one -- wheelchair accessible restroom in town.  It was locked, so it was probably not as disgusting as the free public toilets nearby, and it was most likely truly accessible inside as well.  However, nobody in town seemed to have a key, and we did not have our own EU key, so we were not able to get inside.  For future travel and travelers, finding out how to get an EU key to disabled restrooms would be key.

One of hundreds of sunset photos

Main square of Piran

The nearby town of Portoroz seems to be a modern tourist beachside destination.  A short stretch of imported sand has created the only sandy beach on the Adriatic Coast (the rest of the beaches are rocky).  The busy street fronting the beach is lined with shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes.  We stopped at the regionally famous Kakao Cafe for the deservedly famous cakes and ice cream.  As an extra bonus, the cafe has an accessible restroom.

Next to the Croatian border are the Secovlje Salt Pans, renting salt pans to local residents, who work and tend the pans, then harvest salt produced from the sea every summer, selling it back to the company.  The northern part, Lera, is accessible to wheelchairs.  One travels about one mile on a wide, hard-packed gravel path flanked by salt pans and white egrets, past the gift shop, to the visitor center with a movie about salt production.

Villa Pacug salt-water pool
near Portoroz

While visiting the Adriatic Coast, we stayed at Villa Pacug near Portoroz -- an fantastic finale to our trip.  Historically, the villa was a vacation center for workers at a metal fence company.  Then it became a place for paraplegics to receive treatments and rehab. Now it is re-inventing itself as a spa-hotel, which is open all year and to all guests (able bodied, as well as wheelchair users).  Wheelchair-users will be amazed at its accessibility features (the hotel design committee included wheelchair users), such as roll-in showers, electric hoists, bed lifts, and ceiling tracks, as well as its therapy rooms.  Everyone will be amazed by the salt-water outdoor pool and breakfast buffet.  Perhaps the best thing is the helpful and knowledgable staff.

With an attitude of inclusivity and it supportive and active network, Slovenia was -- and is -- a super place for a wheelchair-using tourist to visit!  With its varied tourist offerings and landscapes, it is a super place to visit for all.  In fact, I would love to go back and make better use of the network of wheelchair lodging facilities, including Villa Pacug.  On the one hand, I wish Slovenia and its inclusive orientation success; on the other hand, I hope it doesn't become swarmed with foreigners!

Accessible Travel Websites:
Association of paraplegics (including accessible lodging): https://www.zveza-paraplegikov.si/en
Downloadable app of accessible Ljubljana (limited, but exists): http://www.ljubljanabywheelchair.com
Accessible travel info: https://www.slovenia.info/en/plan-your-trip/accesible-tourism
Directory for mobility impaired: http://www.pridem.si/en
Ljubljana tourism and power drive free rental: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/explore-the-region/visitor-information/accessibility-of-ljubljana-by-wheelchair/

Accessible Travel Articles:

http://www.newmobility.com/2017/06/slovenia-sunny-side-alps/

Wheelchair Travel Blogs:
https://spintheglobe.net/dir/2017/09/30/ljubljana-coolest-accessible-city-youve-never-heard/
http://www.wheelchairwanderings.com/category/uncategorized/destinations/slovenia/

Wheelchair Travel Agencies:
https://nolimits-tours.com/tour/best-of-slovenia/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpmfb3ZFrts

Wheelchair Hotels
Association of paraplegics (including accessible lodging): https://www.zveza-paraplegikov.si/en
Villa Pacug near Portoroz:  https://www.domparaplegikov.si/en