Other Places

Other Places
            If you are a person with physical, neurological, developmental or other extraordinary challenges, traveling may feel close to impossible. If you are a caregiver of someone who needs daily or hourly supervision and care, you may also feel travel is out of reach.
            When my sons were little we managed to fly to visit relatives around the U.S., in Japan and England, but as travel difficulties increased for my severely autistic son, our range of movement narrowed. Nowadays, a day trip to a location fifty miles away is a big event for our family, and those outings become our “travel memories.”
            We don’t stop trying to expand our horizons, but we also make the most of the stunning views and opportunities to explore nature and beautiful urban landscapes right here where we live.
            I joyfully offer Northern California hikes on HikingAutism because they are places I love and want to share, but also because I’m largely restricted to this geographical area.
            Looking at photos of distant places is a wonderful treat. I hope others can imagine being on the trails they see in my photo galleries even if they can’t visit directly.
            I can’t physically get to where readers live easily, but I would love to know some of your favorite walks from around the country and the globe. What if readers could share easy walk descriptions for others to enjoy? Now you can!
            World Walks is a new section of Hiking Autism where HikingAutism readers can share favorite family-friendly walks. For “armchair travelers,” this is a wonderful opportunity to see places others love to walk.
            Go to the World Walks section to see shared walks and also how to submit a walk of your own.
            To kick things off, I asked a couple of HikingAutism friends to contribute favorite walks. Many thanks to Marjorie Turner Hollman for sharing a couple of her favorite overseas walks, one in Ireland and the other in Canada. Check out Marjorie’s walking site Easy Walks in Massachusetts, and her Easy Walks book series. Thanks also for two favorite Washington State walks shared by autism advocate Betsy Greiner Hicks, founder of Autism Odyssey and a generous spirit who helps others understand autism better through her experiences with son Joey, an active walker and biker. Thank you for the kickoff support, Marjorie and Betsy!
            I look forward to seeing favorite walks from readers over coming weeks!
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Japanese Tea Garden Stroll, a local site that makes us feel like we’re visiting a distant land. Cherry blossoms were peaking when we walked by this week.
            The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism.
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 56): Japanese Tea Garden Stroll