Grandma and Handicap 13 year old going to Washington DC from Simi Valley

I want to take my 13 year old grandson to Washington DC starting trip June23. He has mild CP and can walk with a walker and uses a wheelchair for visiting big area sites. We are driving and want to see historical sites representing founding of United States. It will be his course of study for 8th in California. Does anyone have any ideas for ways to go to see the best sites? I am a teacher and we are on a budget but will be using motels and eating out. Ending our trip is optional. I would appreciate recommendations for clean hotels and places to eat. Thank you grandmapeaches

Welcome!

How much time do you have for this trip? Do you have a list of sites you want to see yet?

In the green top menu under Maps, you can select Map Center and plot out a route, and there will be flags all the way across for various attractions. I would also buy a Rand McNally road atlas and look it over. If you are interested in national parks and other attractions administered by the National Park Service, the nps.gov site is invaluable.

If you are on a budget, the best deals on livable motels will generally be at Interstate exits away from the larger cities.

You can use the Hotels and Motels feature under Reservations in the top menu to research hotels in specific areas. You can also do that at hotels.com and tripadvisor.com and get user reviews. Tripadvisor will also have restaurant reviews if you want to try places that aren't known quality major chains. The best way to find good local restaurants is ask the locals - I always ask the advice of the front desk at the hotel.

I am a member of Wyndham Rewards and generally try to stay at one of their properties - Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada among others. I tend toward the budget end of the scale and I'm not terribly fussy. However, I have had a few of those that are unacceptable - conversely I've stayed in real budget places such as Motel 6 and independent "mom and pops" that were quite nice.

I don't see the need to get reservations unless you want to stay in or near a busy major attraction (such as the Grand Canyon) but I would always advise you to ask to see a room before you take it on a walk-in.

Can I assume you don't need a full handicap access room, but you either need an elevator or a ground floor room or one reachable by a ramp?

We have about 4-5 weeks and I don't have any sites on my list until we get to Washington DC. I was hoping that others taking the trip might have some suggestions. Thank you for your guidance with the Road Trip America. I am brand new to the site. You are correct with the assumption. We don't need a full handicap room, but we need ground floor or elevator.

Sites on your list - - well, one of the first things I'd do is to grab a big road map of the USA and see what interests you and your grandson. If you are hoping to ensure that this trip hits a lot of major points in 8th Grade Social Studies curriculum for CA, then I'd definitely look for places of historical and natural influence. There are SO many that come to mind that you might have to limit yourselves! You would definitely have some time to do a loop trip - - out there via one route, returning through another.

Going out there via a southern route, you could follow I-40 (see the Grand Canyon, native American sites, detour up to Santa Fe to see the old church there and some of the art galleries, Amarillo (though not educational, your grandson might enjoy the Cadillac Ranch there), Memphis and Nashville, and a short detour down to Great Smoky Mountains NP, up I-81 or go further east and then north on the Blue Ridge Parkway and/or Skyline Drive in Shenandoah before heading east to DC along I-66.

Along the more northerly route, you could take roads to follow Lewis and Clark's journey from St Louis to Portland, OR. I-90 would also take you close to Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and Custer State Park in South Dakota.

Since this is your trip, though, I'd really suggest that you look at maps and the places here in RTA to see what's interesting to you. This should be fun for your grandson, and not feel like he's in school all the time! :-)



Donna

Donna, thank you:) It gives me a great place to start. Grandma peaches

What a treat for you and your grandson. With 4-5 weeks, you might want to visit some historical sites in VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY and MA associated with the 13 colonies and independence. If you decide to go to Yellowstone, then see if your grandson wants "Wild West" time in Cody, WY.

I have to put in a vote for Native Americans: Monument Valley or Canyon de Chelley. Take a guided tour.