Joshua Tree National Park: An Autism Vacation Destination

I almost forgot to post this -- we spent New Year's Eve at California's Joshua Tree National Park, near Palm Springs. It was one of our best family days ever. Ever ever ever. 

If your child with autism likes to hike and boulder, I couldn't imagine a better place to go -- as long as you're prepared. Joshua Tree is high desert, and in December that means ow-my-nose cold temperatures. If you go, check the weather report beforehand, take it seriously, and dress appropriately!

For hiking, I'd recommend the Barker Dam trail. It is a relatively flat 1.5 mile loop -- flat in terms of elevation gain, not footing. There were many bouldery moments, which as a family of billy goats we all loved.

Barker Dam trail - outbound

We found snow! And ice! Mali is holding up a small slab of frozen H20.

Iz testing the lake to verify that yes, indeed, it is frozen.

The reservoir created by Barker Dam is small but lovely. It attracts the area's fauna, but to Seymour's disappointment we did not see any Desert Big Horn sheep.

Iz pushing her personal bouldering limits.

There's always time for a game of "my cheeks make excellent bellows"

See? Joshua trees! Return leg from Barker Dam.

There were even petroglyphs. Though these ones have been messed with.

We hit several other sites in the park, but the kids' favorite was Skull Rock and the bouldering behind it. The rough-textured granite rocks make climbing easy -- almost too easy. Your kids may get over-confident about their new super human climbing abilities, so mind them closely. There are many sharp drop offs on boulder backsides, and kids may not notice how high up they are climbing, and could get stranded.

Leo billy-goating -- with close supervision.

Bouldering wonderland!

Wear jeans or other tough trousers. After a couple of hours of gamboling over the rough-textured rocks, Mali ripped the bottom right out of her pants! Which led us to sing her an impromptu personalized version of the SpongeBob Square Pants "Ripped Pants" song. She was mortified and made us all swear never to share it.

We stayed nearby in TwentyNine Palms, at the Fairfield Marriott Inn. The hotel seemed set up for families, with complimentary breakfast, huge clean new rooms, and free wireless. Score! Recommended, especially with a spanking AAA discount rate.

I think we'll be going back. A single day, no matter how full, was insufficient to appreciate this beautiful park. We're hoping to come back, possibly even camp (!). 

Have you ever been to Joshua Tree National Park? What did you think?

Oh My Goodness

That's the kid-friendly phrase I've been overusing recently. To describe the fun-filled BlogHer10 SF Area Meetup that took place at my house this past Saturday. To communicate exactly what it's like to look at the Contributors page on The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism and realize how much ass we're kicking and good we're doing, and how much more excellence is in the pipeline. To see Can I Sit With You? featured in BlogHer's Back to School campaign. To imagine the fun I'll have with Leelo's Godmother Hayley and her other bridesmaids during this weekend's pre-wedding retreat in Santa Barbara (there will by a psychic, oh yes). To have Leelo out of school for five straight weeks but in such a good happy busy space that I've not scheduled any respite or therapy to fill what would normally be his school hours.

Upon realizing I'm leaving in nine days to moderate the BlogHer10 autism panel and read my My Baby Rides the Short Bus story at Bluestockings in Manhattan. Oh. My. Goodness.

Overwhelm, even good overwhelm, usually sends me running to the hills and away from the computer. Which means the kids and I spent most of today tromping around the Sebastopol area. Iz acclimated to the frame backpack she'll be wearing during her High Sierra backpacking camp as we wove our way through (and sometimes over) trees both upright and fallen in Armstrong Redwoods. Mali made friends with most of the passersby, and complimented the womens' shoes (her new social savvy engagement tactic). We took Leo's iPad with us on the trail, which looked kind of kooky, but we were then able to use First-Then Visual Schedule (oh my goodness, Good Karma Apps developers, PLEASE let me help you fine-tune the next version, your app could help every last iDevice-using kid like Leelo) to successfully reassure our boy that yes indeed, we would be eating lunch after our hike. He was especially reassured when we got to the "eat ice cream" icon and hit Screamin' Mimi's.

We then scooted to an all-family meeting at SF's Ferry Building (details why to come) for which it was imperative that our girls behave. As Mali and Iz have recently been possessed of a synergy most foul -- especially when spending the night at their Godfather M's during my and Seymour's 15th wedding anniversary Beach Blanket Babylon/Rose Pistola/Chinatown evening out -- I had no qualms about bribing them. Iz's carrot was Echo Mountain blue cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. Mali's was BabyMouse: DragonSlayer, because ever since Jennifer L. Holm read how much our family likes BabyMouse in my Want Good Comix 4 Grls Pls Thx roundup on BlogHer and so very kindly sent the girls an advance review copy of BabyMouse: Cupcake Tycoon, Mali has been obsessed with putting together a complete collection. It was a good, fun, worthwhile meeting even though it took place during Leelo's witching hour. Can't wait to tell you what it was all about!

And then we picked up Seymour from work and we drove home and all collapsed because Oh my goodness, we lead a rich, full, breakneck-pace life!

Before I collapse completely (which will happen after I finish my paid work shift plus edit and post tomorrow's Thinking Person's Guide to Autism post), I have to direct you to two more pieces of Goodness:

When Facts Backfire is from Joe Keohane at The Boston Globe, came to me via Seymour, and is critical reading for anyone who wonders why Tea Party members and hard-line antivaxxers can continue to be such unrepentant, ignorant dickheads even when confronted with evidence that shreds their arguments. Excerpt:

Most of us like to believe that our opinions have been formed over time by careful, rational consideration of facts and ideas, and that the decisions based on those opinions, therefore, have the ring of soundness and intelligence. In reality, we often base our opinions on our beliefs, which can have an uneasy relationship with facts. And rather than facts driving beliefs, our beliefs can dictate the facts we chose to accept. They can cause us to twist facts so they fit better with our preconceived notions. Worst of all, they can lead us to uncritically accept bad information just because it reinforces our beliefs. This reinforcement makes us more confident we’re right, and even less likely to listen to any new information.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire 

I also love Autism Talk TV Ep. 6 - Steve Silberman Pt. 1from WrongPlanet.net's YouTube Channel. Silberman wrote the oft-cited Wired autism article The Geek Syndrome. In the video, he talks about the genesis and long-term effects of his article, how he thinks some of the things he wrote about autism may not be accurate and why, and how he wanted to expand on the topic of every single paragraph in the article when he wrote it ten years ago -- and how he now just may do so. Worth your time.

What kind of goodness is happening in your life lately?

Hiking Season Resumes!

You've never seen such a happy boy in your life. Leo skipped and giggled for the entire 2 1/2 miles of trail. I guess it's been a while since we hiked at this preserve. I guess he's been missing our early-morning weekend hikes. Which I am resuming because 1) OMG look at that spring sky, GOODBYE SUCKY WINTER WEATHER and 2) Both Leo and I need more exercise and 3) The pathway through the poison oak stretches of this trail is now more than 12 inches wide.

Leo and I liked these trailside flowers. Seymour says they are Mule's Ears, a native species. I didn't bother to look them up for potential contradiction points, as I figure anyone who gets asked to visit the Mythbusters studio must know everything.

Here we are at Leo's favorite serpentine rock outcropping. If he were a periadolescent girl, this shot would illustrate how pensive he is about the My Little Red Book I'd found for him, or the fact that I'm being asked to show him how one shaves one's pits. But since we are talking about Leo, perhaps he is mulling over the fact that night time absorbent gear is being deep-sixed this month. PRAY FOR US.

Brilliant color: possible without messing with saturation sliders. Who knew? You can see this tree from the top of our driveway -- which is nowhere near as close as I was when taking this shot -- and I had thought the tree was dead-dead-deadski. But if you squint and put your nose to the screen (or click to enlarge) you will see that the tree is a-bursting with branch-tip greenery. Yay. I have similar hopes for greenery-bursting in the seedling pots Mali and I planted this weekend.

Speaking of Mali - Look, there she is! This is her restaurant, Soublime (the spelling of which is specifically NOT THE SAME as her Uncle's restaurant, Sublime.) Note flowers taped to the sign. After I specifically told her that I really like the flowers better on the bush or in the ground. HI DEFIANT FIVE-YEAR-OLD. Not the most fortunate photo of Iz. Definitely a photo which shows you how fortunate we feel to be dining al fresco on such an embarrassingly beautiful California spring morning.

Hope you are well,

-SHE WHO WRITES IN ALL CAPS WHEN PUNCHY

Success! Christmas & the Las Vegas Strip

And this is how we did it: With a visual schedule. Leo's need to anticipate his day was even more important than usual in the unfamiliar though very cool environment of his grandparents' home. Scribbly torn post-it icons were fine -- once we told him what each one was, they were accepted into his personal canon.

Another centering item was this toy, the name of which I cannot remember but which kept Leelo and his sisters occupied for hours, and which I found at Target during a morning Las Vegas toy & materials & last minute gifts run with my friend Kate. Supervisor M had brought Leo a metal-pin version years ago, which he also loved, but he kept tweaking the pins -- and then it wouldn't work properly, and then we had drama. With this plastic version, you can pluck out any bent pins and carry on.

 

We did a decent job prepping and accommodating Leelo, I think. He was in such a good space that he not only enjoyed Christmas morning but posed for pictures with his sisters:

His grandparents, ever thoughtful, got him a very cool set of therapeutic stepping stones. Leelo loved them, and, having a puzzling sort of mind, immediately fit them together into balls:

Mali's Auntie Bree got her this fashion puppy. It comes with high heeled shoes and a tiara! Mali is enamored of her very L.A. gift from her very L.A., very smart auntie.

The kids spent a lot of time in the pool even though the air temperature was less than 15 degrees above freezing. We also made sure to get out and hike in Las Vegas's beautiful Red Rock Canyon. Mali was not thrilled, but then her legs are a lot shorter than everyone else's. (Can you see the Luxor in the skyline behind her?)

 

Iz and Leo are almost always enthusiastic hikers. And oversaturated ones! (Oversaturated photos are de rigeur for parenting blogging, yes?)

 

Leo also tolerated and even enjoyed dinner at a nice sushi restaurant and then at an even nicer -- nice meaning *white tablecloth* restaurant on Christmas Eve.

This made us cocky.

So ... we took Leo to the Las Vegas Strip.

And he did fine! How? Well, let's just say we're thankful for the ubiquity of a certain coffee purveyor and their complimentary long thin green objects.

 

We toured the new City Center (really cool, and I say that as someone who avoids both malls and casinos), then walked to New York New York so Iz could ride the rollercoaster. Our fun was multiplied by meeting up with our friend Skip (who is not a huge fan of rollercoasters but rode anyhow because Iz asked him to) and his sister Liza (who took this picture, in which I look LIKE HELL but that's neither her nor the camera's fault).

 

Fun in Las Vegas. Who'd've thunk? Not me, not a year ago when we thought family travel might never happen again.

Our only bonk was a big one: We didn't arrange for respite. Leo's need for 1:1 supervision is stepped up in environments that are not our home, which meant that Las Vegas was all me & Seymour, all the time. And Leo doesn't just require watching; he needs to be engaged. I think we managed to balance socializing with Seymour's very accommodating parents, getting our Xmas organized and deployed, and ensuring that the girls had a good time, but we were both exhausted by the time our visit was over (and I also had to work, which Seymour covered as best he could but which still meant a few late nights on top of long days).

We'll get respite next time. Right now we'll just savor Leo's success, and knowing that our family can travel again!

Bay Area Hikes With Children With Autism

Summer has officially started, not because Leelo's last day of school was five days ago, but because at this moment all three kids are swimming in the pool while I watch them over the rim of my laptop and wipe drops of chlorinated water from its screen.

Leelo and I have already started our daily summer excursions, to help exorcise his "this is not my usual routine!" tantrums, and keep his summertime soul intact. Today we did a three-mile trek through the forbidding poison oak groves of otherwise much-loved Edgewood County Park. It was just the two of us as the girls have a few more days in school.

Leelo is often at his best as a 1:1 boy, and was at his truly very best today. I decided to experiment with not letting him have new straws or snacks on the trail (he has been obsessing over both recently), and he not only resigned himself to being denied, but asked for kisses and hugs instead. He was a cheerful, happy, engaged boy for the entire hike. He didn't complain or dawdle, not once.

It was one of the best mornings we've ever had together. Positively blissful. His Superman shirt and forehead curl didn't exactly curb my adoration.



Leelo and I hike a lot. A lot a lot. Sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, and sometimes as a dynamic duo. We both need the exercise, and he needs an outlet for his excess energy. If we put in real mileage, it makes us both more cheerful.

We've spent so many hours trekking through so many Bay Area parks and preserves; it's time to formalize our opinions about the best San Francisco Bay Area trails for kids like Leelo. (Note that every one of these parks has a bathroom in the parking lot or at the trailhead.)

UPDATE MAY 2011: Castle Rock State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park are both slated for closure in July 2012 due to state budget cuts.

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Families With Small Children: Summer
Little Butano Creek Trail, Butano State Park



Little Butano Creek Trail, in Butano State Park, is an ideal hike for kids with autism or ADHD, and toddlers. It is a 1.5 mile (3 miles return), easily followed trail with plenty for kids to look at (banana slugs, caves, shallow creeks, bridges, boardwalks). It is mostly flat, shady, and surrounded by my favorite kind of Redwood splendor.

Be mindful: There is much to tempt children who love to play with water.

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Families With Small Children: Winter
Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, Belmont



Not great for families with members in wheelchairs because at the moment you have to squeeze through the bike barriers to access these trails, but otherwise excellent for winter trekking. We don't go during the summer because it is on an exposed ridge, with not one tree. Lots of gently sloped trails that turn back on themselves, so you can hike as minimally or as much as you want to.

Be mindful: Do not go during a cross country event!

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Families Who Like to Clamber
Castle Rock State Park, above Saratoga



Bouldering opportunities and the small enclosed spaces so beloved by my son and his friends abound. It's a popular site for rock climbers, so if you want to avoid people, go early or on a weekday. It's an uphill, half-mile hike to get to the bouldering area.

Be mindful: Keep an eye on your kids, even if you think they have common sense (none of mine do; not really, not yet). There are quite a few drop offs on the backsides of the boulder clusters.

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Families With Kids Who Never Run Out of Energy
Sweeney Ridge from Sneath Lane Trailhead, San Bruno



This is a history-rich trail that just keeps going up, up, and up. You can even bring dogs, if you keep them on-leash. The clear-day views are fantastic.

Be mindful: Not for the easily winded.

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Families With Kids in Wheelchairs
Sonoma Coast State Beach Vista Trail, near Jenner



A fully-accessible trail with cut-out picnic tables, mostly level trails, fabulous views, and accessible bathrooms. Note that this trail is north of Jenner, and so not a casual outing for most Bay Area residents.

Be mindful: It can be windy, so make sure everyone brings layers.

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Families Who Like Tidepools and Sensory Soothing
Bean Hollow/Pebble Beach, Año Nuevo State Park





This one gets two pictures. Pebble Beach at Bean Hollow is one of our all-time favorite places for Leelo to indulge in sensory play. The smooth pebbles that make up this beach feel so good on his hands and feet; he will dig in them indefinitely.

There are tidepools at the north end of the beach, and the very easy trail at the south end of the parking lot leads to even more of them. Great exploring for nimble children accompanied by watchful parents.

Be mindful: The water is cold, the waves unpredictable, and the submerged rocks plentiful. Stay on the upper part of the beach, and do not turn your back on the ocean. Beaches are not even remotely wheelchair-accessible.

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Families Whose Children Like to Play in the Water
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas



Lovely place to take small children. On warm days, you can let them splash in the shallower areas of the creek, which is accessible from the outer rim of the plentiful picnic areas/parking lot. Wide, level trails (converted from rails) make for easy hiking, offshoot trails head up hills and into redwood groves. Mostly shady even in summer, and very picturesque.

Be Mindful: Cultivate mutual respect with visible cyclists, as you will be sharing trails with them.

We Hike

We like to hike. We like to climb. We like our kids to hike and climb.

Since we live in the Bay Area, we can hike and climb in a different park every day, should we want to. Which is a good thing, since the kids' Memorial Day Weekend is four days long, and hiking and climbing is one reliable activity our family can do together.

Scenes from the first two days of the weekend:

Briones Regional Park


Castle Rock State Park


Castle Rock State Park