Flying on Southwest with a Guide Dog
We arrived at the airport very early for our flight on Southwest to San Francisco from Denver. I was traveling with my wife and Fauna my guide dog, and we checked in at the kiosk without issue. The attendant asked if Fauna was a service animal and I stated that she was. I was ready for the other question, what service she provides, but that question never came. This was perhaps because the harness with Guide Dogs for the Blind was clearly visible. After completing our time with the TSA, we took the tram to concourse C, which is where Southwest is located. As you exit the tram and enter the main foyer of the concourse, there is a pet relieving room located on the left just past the McDonalds. We relieved and headed to our gate. They automatically marked us for early boarding, and we settled into the bulkhead for our flight.
I have always found Southwest planes to be comfortable, and Fauna always has plenty of room even when not sitting in the bulkhead seats (she only weighs 59 pounds). The flight attendants were attentive and respectful, and we arrived in San Francisco without issue. I know many read these blogs to comment about the mishaps that happen when traveling with a Guide Dog, but in this case the flight to and from San Francisco was flawless. My only comment is that compared to other airlines, Southwest employees don’t tend to ask if you need assistance getting to your destination/gate like other airlines like United and American do. Good Job Southwest.
Stay tuned for more tips and feel free to contact me on any of my social media links below if you have a tip to add for hotel week!
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Changes to service animals on planes
Great article outlining the upcoming changes to service animals on planes.
Tacos Tequila Whisky – Highlands location with a guide dog? Restaurant review
Four of us visited the Tacos Tequila Whisky Denver Highlands location last month for dinner. As my readers know, I am blind and on this trip I brought my guide dog Fauna. I followed the group in and the hostess was going to seat us inside until she saw that I had my guide dog. Fauna wears a traditional guide dog harness which says in large letters guide dogs for the blind. When I entered the restaurant I was rudely informed that because I had a dog that I was required to sit outside. I identified myself as blind and her as a guide dog. I was told that I needed to sit outside since this is their policy. We were seated outside (in the cold) and were the only ones in that outside seating area.
Perhaps Tacos Tequila and Whisky are not aware of the ADA rights associated with guide dogs users? As a guide dog handler I have every right any other paying customer has as long as my dog is not misbehaving (she never made a sound and she is impeccably groomed). I don’t think a wheelchair using customer would be asked to sit outside because they use a wheelchair, a guide dog should not be any different.
From my poor experience, it is apparent they need to take time to train their staff about legitimate service dog users and how to properly treat them. Now, I am willing to put my time where my mouth is, I am happy to offer assistance in directing to resources which will give their staff the information they need to better serve their disabled customers – so future guide dog users do not have a similar situation.
I have dined at this establishment in the Highlands many times and have never been so disappointed by wait staff as I was this visit. I took the time to inform them via their Facebook page, and never got a response until I sent them a second query. They finally responded with “we will look into it”. It is painfully apparent that Tacos Tequila Whisky need to take some time and review the rights of your disabled customers, and look up the ADA.
Some really cool news!
Photography is a big part of my life, and I almost always have my camera with me wherever I go. Along with all of my travel photography I also have several ongoing bodies of work, with that in mind I cam happy to announce:
Earlier this year I was invited to exhibit some my photography work at the Lighthouse for the Blind gallery located on Market Street in San Francisco. Since the gallery is in a particularly heavy traffic area, I fully expected them to want to show some of my Landscape work, or the images of my guide dog from my Fauna’s Adventures body of work – boy was I wrong! They are excited to show my Landscapes of the Body project, because they feel it is a unique look at the human form and features images that represent the way I see the human form. The show opens this January (My wife and I will be there for the opening) and will be on display in the gallery for six months.
Even though I haven’t posted about my Landscapes of the Body project in a while, I have continued to actively shoot for and evolve the image style, and since the Lighthouse for the Blind is hosting this exhibition, I have taken the work to the next level and collaborated with an awesome Colorado-based company called Duraplaq to create versions of some of the images which are fully tactile for those with no sight. I will have more information as the show grows closer, and I hope that my California friends can make it up to S.F. for the opening!!
More information about the opening reception will be forthcoming, so please check back – I would love to invite all of my Blind Travels readers to come and meet me, my guide Fauna and see some of my work.
Tips for packing for your guide dogs food
Traveling with a guide dog is always an adventure, the more you plan ahead the smoother your trip will usually go. This week begins hotel week here on BlindTravels.com where we focus on tips and tricks to make staying in a hotel with a guide dog easier. Each day we will be releasing a new hotel review and tip. Stay tuned for a special story at the end of the week!
My guide dog is on an AM/PM feeding schedule. She gets half her ration in the morning and half at night. I pack my dog food in the suitcase in single serving zip top bags. This way I don’t have to pack measuring cups and such. The beauty of packing in separate bags is that you can re-purpose the bags as waste disposal bags when the serving of food has been used.
Stay tuned for more tips and feel free to contact me on any of my social media links below if you have a tip to add for hotel week!
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Guide dog emergency
Traveling when visually impaired or with a guide dog is always an adventure, the more you plan ahead the smoother your trip will usually go. This week begins hotel week here on BlindTravels.com where we focus on tips and tricks to make staying in a hotel with a guide dog easier. Each day we will be releasing a new hotel review and tip. Stay tuned for a special story at the end of the week!
Your guide may be a bit off their schedule when traveling to a new location or staying in a new time zone. This can cause them to need to relieve more often and sometimes you may run short on waste disposal bags. If you get run out of waste disposal bags, there are usually a couple bags located in your hotel room that you can use in a pinch. The closet usually has a bag or two for either wet swimsuits or clothing to be dry cleaned, but if you are really stuck, there is usually a plastic liner for the ice bucket that can be used. Nobody likes to talk about this sort of thing, but it is a real problem.
There are rules and regulations about those of us who are guide dog handlers not having to pick up after our dogs, but please do. Try and remember to bring bags with you wherever you go. I keep some in the car, and in my treat bag. Setting forth a good example makes it easier for the next visually impaired guest to come along. Accidents happen that is a fact of life, but do everything you can to make your guide an ambassador for good dogs everywhere.
Stay tuned for more tips and feel free to contact me on any of my social media links below if you have a tip to add for hotel week!
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Location, Location. Location.
Traveling with a guide dog is always an adventure, the more you plan ahead the smoother your trip will usually go. This week begins hotel week here on BlindTravels.com where we focus on tips and tricks to make staying in a hotel with a guide dog or other service animal easier. Each day we will be releasing a new hotel review and tip. Stay tuned for a special story at the end of the week!
The location of your room in the hotel can make a huge difference when staying with a guide dog or service animal. When I check in, I always ask for a room that it located near the elevators for easy access to the outside relieving area. Explaining this when checking in will often get me placed perfectly for morning and evening relieving times. It can be tough to get up in the mornings when on vacation or in a new time zone, so factor this time in for your dog’s relieving schedule. Sometimes it is tough to remember that they will stay on their same relieving schedule regardless of your time zone.
Stay tuned for more tips and feel free to contact me on any of my social media links below if you have a tip to add for hotel week!
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Solving the toughest problem when traveling visually impaired
Traveling with a visual impairment is always an adventure, the more you plan ahead the smoother your trip will usually go. This week begins hotel week here on BlindTravels.com where we focus on tips and tricks to make staying in a hotel with a visual impairment or guide dog easier. Each day we will be releasing a new hotel review and tips. Stay tuned for a special story at the end of the week!
The first tip focuses on arguably the toughest part of traveling to a new location, finding your hotel room. I can’t tell you the number of times I have wandered aimlessly in a hotel trying to find the right room. Did you know that most hotels offer an escort to your room? If you call ahead a day or so in advance the hotel will often make sure there is a staff member available to get you to your room and most times they will give directions to the locations of amenities. This can make your first day in a new place so much smoother.
Stay tuned for more tips and feel free to contact me on any of my social media links below if you have a tip to add for hotel week!
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Traveling vis train with a guide dog
Taking short trips with a guide dog are generally painless affairs, but recently I thought my guide Fauna would be up to the challenge of a week long trip to California. We started with a 33 hour train ride from Denver on the California Zephyr and ended up with a ten hour car drive to Las Vegas before heading home. We were headed to California to see my son graduate from Dominican University. We had a great time, learned a lot and met some great new people. Here is the first article about the trip detailing our Amtrak ride.
Riding Amtrak long distance with a guide dog
I love to hear from my readers! stay in touch with me at my social media links below.
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Riding the rails with a guide dog
New article with a ton of great tips and tricks for riding Amtrak long distance with a guide dog. Fauna and I had a great time traveling to California from Denver riding Amtrak’s California Zephyr for 33 hours.
https://www.blindtravels.com/riding-amtrak-long-distance-with-a-guide-dog/