Ideas to stay busy during the COVID-19 outbreak
Many of us are sequestered at home (some voluntarily and some not), in an effort to quell the spread of COVID-19 – nearly all of my traveler friends have cancelled their upcoming travel and are hunkered down at home. This is a tempting time to travel with the deep discounts the airlines are offering, but I have concerns that if I jumped on a plane to head somewhere fun I might get stuck there quarantined, or even worse if the airline industry decides to take a 30 day pause like the cruise industry did. Many of us are spending our time looking for something to do. I have compiled a list of ideas to direct your time toward while we wait for this all to blow over.
Learn a new skill
Many companies including Adobe are offering one or two month free subscriptions to their services while we wait for the virus to run its course. Embrace this and head over to YouTube to find a multitude of tutorials and classes to help you learn a new skill. I am taking time to hone my skills at illustrator CC, it is something I have always wanted to learn more about and that has been occupying my days. Right before the virus hit, I happened to buy a Udemy.com course on illustrator CC and I have been working my way through it. As a travel blogger and photographer, I never saw the real draw for illustrator other than making logos. It may not be a skill I use every day in my creative life, but it is something I wanted to learn to do.
Research your next trip!
Wanderlust will hit all of us sooner or later. Take some time to research your next destination on this site or others. I have been to lots of places and will be putting up new location reviews as I have time to write them during this quarantine.
Learn a Language
There are a million resources to learn a new language. Phone apps like memrise work well with screen readers and can teach you a new language in a very comprehensive way. If you always wanted to go to another country, take this time to learn the language of your destination country so you have a leg up when you get there. I have personally used and had great results with https://www.rosettastone.com/ They have a ton of different languages and like memrise teach in a very comprehensive way. If you don’t want to go the paid route, there is always YouTube. Free language tutorials are all over YouTube. The quality is hit and miss, but it is free so what do you expect?
Learn a musical instrument
Pick up that guitar or recorder that has been sitting around for years and learn to play. YouTube has a ton of comprehensive courses for free that you can take at your own pace. Many have weekly challenges and are laid out just like a class you would take in school. If you want a higher quality education option, check out Udemy.com they have a variety of classes on most instruments.
Speak to relatives
Make some calls and talk to the people you don’t talk to often. This can be a great time to catch up on the events of the day as well as keeping you both occupied for a while.
Take up yoga or meditation
YouTube or Udemy offer a ton of options on yoga and meditation. If you are anxious about the quarantine or what is going on in the world in general, meditation can be a great tool to help you get focused and find your center. Yoga can also be a wonderful way to stretch the kinks out and build that core up like you have been meaning to. Be warned, once you start, you will fall in love with the results. The only bad thing is that you will hurt in places you had no idea could hurt at first.
Be patient
This will pass and we will all get back to our normal lives. Don’t waste the time you have during this quarantine – when this is all over, look back on this time with fondness for the time you spent learning a new skill – whatever that may be.
What do you think? I would love to hear your ideas about projects or other constructive uses of your time that you are employing to keep busy during these crazy times. Drop me a message on my social media links below.
Hey! I love to hear from my readers! Feel free to contact me via my social media sites I would love to hear your thoughts on this or any of my other articles! Until then, get out and get shooting!
My Photography site: http://www.tahquechi.com/
My Bodyscapes project: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
My travel site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Covid-19 and Travel
As the coronavirus (covid-19) continues to spread around the world, many concerns have arisen about travel, especially with a guide dog. This blog is non-political, so don’t expect me to “bash” the current administration for their effectiveness in dealing with this virus. Instead, I would like to share with my readers what I have learned about the virus (from friends who are in the health care industry), my plan to weather this biologic storm and how it affects my travel plans in the near future.
First, let me state that I am not a physician or associated with the healthcare industry in any way, therefore you should take my advice with as much caution as you would from anyone else in your life that has an opinion but is not a doctor. I will say that the first thing you will hear from me and anyone else writing about this virus is the importance of washing your hands and not touching your face. Whether you are looking to keep yourself healthy during flu season or if you have just attended a sporting event at your local stadium, it is a good idea to wash your hands often and thoroughly. There are opportunities for infection all around us, and it doesn’t hurt to take a moment and wash your hands after going to places like the grocery store where you are touching carts that others before you have handled.
Traveling visually impaired with covid-19 (coronavirus)
It is tough to tell what and where you are touching when traveling to an unfamiliar location, so tossing a small container of hand sanitizer in your pocket is a good idea. Remember that there are restrictions on the size of liquid you carry with you on a plane. I carry a small one-ounce bottle with me. If you use eye drops, the smallest bottle is usually one ounce, so gauge the size of your purchase by that. When standing at a counter paying for your purchases, be especially present about where your hands are. I am paying with cash whenever possible to avoid touching the ATM and debit card machines. According to the CDC, there is no need to wear a mask when traveling, the only time a mask is best is when you might be sick. Using a mask at this point will help to reduce the possibility of infection to those around you. If you are a cane user, be wary of where you set your cane down and don’t be afraid to disinfect it with Clorox or other disinfectant wipes. Remember that if you set your cane down on a counter to pay for your purchases then pick it up its no different than touching the counter yourself. I use a belt cane holster, which gives me a place to store the cane when not in use that I can be relatively sure about the cleanliness.
Where we are currently
With a rapidly developing virus like covid-19, by the time an article like this is posted things could have changed radically, so please refer to the cdc.gov website for the latest data. As of this writing, March 7, 2020, these are the current statistics for the covid-19 virus for the United States. This is according to the CDC, which I consider to be a reputable source for this kind of information.
- Total cases: 164
- Total deaths: 11
- States reporting cases: 19
* Data include both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since January 21, 2020, with the exception of testing results for persons repatriated to the United States from Wuhan, China and Japan. State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between CDC cases and cases reported by state and local public health officials, data reported by states should be considered the most up to date.
What are the symptoms and severity of the virus?
From the CDC.gov website:
The complete clinical picture with regard to COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. While information so far suggests that most COVID-19 illness is mild, a reportexternal icon out of China suggests serious illness occurs in 16% of cases. Older people and people of all ages with severe underlying health conditions — like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example — seem to be at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.
Learn more about the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.
How does this relate to travel?
The reason I have only added cases in the United States in this article is because I would not recommend traveling internationally at this point. I have cancelled my international travel plans through summer. This is not due to CDC recommendations, I choose to do this to minimize my potential exposure to the virus. I think that cancellations of large public gatherings and entertainment festivals is very telling. South By Southwest and Ultra Music Festival have both been cancelled as of March 6, 2020. The CDC and WHO have not issued shelter in place or other recommendations, however participating in large public gatherings like these in my personal opinion are not worth the risk.
I have reservations for a trip to Vegas this month, but at this point I have not decided whether I will be traveling. I have a friend who works for T-Mobile and he has told me that they have suspended all travel internationally and domestic. I think this is also telling in that they are not panicking, but rather suspending travel out of an abundance of caution. In particular, Vegas seems like a poor choice given the close proximity of travelers and the potential for infection from all the slot machines and other surfaces we touch regularly when hanging out in Vegas. I’ll let this go for a bit longer and see what next week brings in terms of new cases and the direction of new infections.
What about a Guide Dog?
My guide came from Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they do a great job of keeping their program alum appraised of concerns like covid-19. They don’t sensationalize the data and offer practical advice for their clients. Recently, they sent out an email with a message from their Veterinary Medical Director, Dr. Kate Kuzminski, DVM, on the subject:
“As you may know, dogs (and cats) do get coronaviruses which cause short-lived respiratory and gastrointestinal signs. To be clear, the COVID-19 strain we are now seeing in people is not the same strain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no animals in the United States have been identified with the virus, and there is no evidence that dogs or other pets can contract or spread COVID-19. At this time, experts have not expressed concern about transmission to or from animals and many health organizations have indicated that pets and other domestic animals are not considered at risk for contracting or spreading COVID-19. Since animals can spread other diseases to people, appropriate hand washing is always recommended when handling animals.”
There you have it, earlier this week there were stories about animals in China with the disease, but at this time the CDC is not concerned about our animals getting the virus. This can change, and I will of course update this article if the situation changes. If I end up going on my Vegas trip I will bring my guide.
Stay safe out there, make good decisions about your exposure to public events. Make sure that you are getting your information about this virus and it’s progression from a valid source, and above all don’t panic. This isn’t our first rodeo with a virus like this, and we will get through it. I would love to hear your thoughts on travel with the virus concerns looming. Are you cancelling your flights? Are you stockpiling food and toilet paper? I would love to know where you are with this. Oh! and wash your hands!
Hey! I love to hear from my readers! Feel free to contact me via my social media sites I would love to hear your thoughts on this or any of my other articles! Until then, get out and get shooting!
My Photography site: http://www.tahquechi.com/
My Bodyscapes project: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
My travel site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
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