Curb Free with Cory Lee

Curb Free with Cory Lee A travel blog devoted to sharing the world from a wheelchair user's perspective.

05/31/2026

🏞️ YOUR ACCESSIBLE GUIDE TO SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS 🏞️

🌲 In Visalia:
• Stay at Marriot Visalia
• Eat at House of Juju, Fugazzi’s, and Valhalla Restaurant
• Visit Visalia Farmers Market, Mooney Grove Park’s inclusive playground, and visit shops in the downtown area (all that I saw were easily wheelchair accessible!).

🌲 In Sequoia National Park:
• Enjoy accessible smooth trails to the General Sherman Tree and do the Big Trees Trail
• Explore the Giant Forest Museum (a companion care restroom is here)

🌲 In Kings Canyon National Park:
• Enjoy accessible trails in Grant Grove (to the General Grant Tree), to Roaring River Falls, and roll on the Zumwalt Meadow Trail
• Visit the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, which has a museum, gift shop, and companion care restroom

🌲 Extra Tips for Visiting the Parks:
• You can have free entry to the parks with your National Parks Access Pass (apply online if you don’t already have one)
• Book an accessible guided tour with Sequoia Parks Conservancy
• Pick up a copy of the Sequoia & Kings Canyon Accessibility Guide at one of the Visitors Centers within the parks
• The parks do have wheelchair accessible shuttles that can get you throughout the parks, but I rented a wheelchair accessible van from MobilityWorks in Pasadena

Enjoy the parks!! They are incredibly beautiful and easy to explore, no matter what your abilities are. 💚

Visit California Visit Visalia & See the Sequoias

It was an AMAZING day exploring Kings Canyon National Park here in beautiful California! 🌲💙 We kicked things off at th...
05/30/2026

It was an AMAZING day exploring Kings Canyon National Park here in beautiful California! 🌲💙

We kicked things off at the Kings Canyon Visitor Center. They had some awesome exhibits and a little museum on the park’s history. It was fully accessible, including a companion care restroom and a gift shop.

Next, we made our way to Grant Grove, just a short drive away. The fully paved trail led us to the General Grant Tree, which is known as “The Nation’s Christmas Tree.” It’s one of the largest trees in the world and a national shrine to veterans. There was a bit of fog, which made this giant sequoia feel even more majestic.

After that, we ventured deeper into the canyon (about an hour’s drive) to Roaring River Falls. The half-mile paved trail from the accessible parking area made it easy to reach the waterfall. A few steeper spots, but overall smooth and beautiful.

We wrapped up at the Zumwalt Meadow Trail. Though not paved, the hard-packed dirt was easy to roll on in my power wheelchair. I made it onto a bridge with stunning views of the rushing water and mountain scenery. Truly one of my favorite spots of the day!

We took a private guided tour with Sequoia Parks Conservancy. Our guide, Lindsay, was fantastic, sharing interesting facts all day. If you want a wheelchair accessible private tour, definitely reach out to them! I cannot recommend Lindsay enough… she’s an awesome human and truly cares about accessibility.

After the park, we returned to Visalia, which I highly recommend as a base if you’re visiting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. It’s about 1.5 hours from the Kings Canyon entrance. I’ll share more on Visit Visalia soon, but today was absolute perfection!! Days like this make me fall in love with travel all over again.

Visit California

I’m so excited to be in California!! I have some epic wheelchair accessible adventures planned throughout the state ov...
05/29/2026

I’m so excited to be in California!! I have some epic wheelchair accessible adventures planned throughout the state over the next ten days, but my first stop was Sequoia National Park… and it was absolutely incredible! 🌲♿

Of course, my first stop in the park was getting a photo at the Sequoia National Park entrance sign before heading deeper into the park. The winding mountain roads definitely keep you on your toes, and you’ll gain quite a bit of elevation as you travel through the park. If you’re prone to motion sickness, just know that the roads are very curvy for much of the drive, but if you can handle it, I promise it’s worth it!

The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world by volume and seeing it in-person was an unforgettable experience! There is accessible parking nearby, and a paved path leads to the tree. The pathway is smooth, but there are a few steeper sections along the way. Seeing this giant sequoia really puts nature’s scale into perspective.

One of my favorite spots was the Big Trees Trail. This wheelchair accessible loop trail is a little less than a mile long and features a smooth, paved surface with a few boardwalk sections. Best of all, it’s mostly flat and offers incredible views of the massive sequoia trees throughout the entire walk. If you’re visiting the park, this trail is definitely worth adding to your itinerary.

We also stopped by the Giant Forest Museum, which is fully accessible and packed with interesting exhibits about the park and its famous trees. There’s a gift shop with plenty of sequoia-themed souvenirs, and I was happy to find an accessible companion care restroom there as well.

If you have a disability, don’t forget that you can enter Sequoia National Park for free with a National Parks Access Pass. Otherwise, park admission is $35 per vehicle. Also, be sure to pick up a free copy of the Sequoia National Park Accessibility Guide at the visitor center near the park entrance. It’s an excellent resource that outlines accessible trails, viewpoints, and facilities throughout the park.

And lastly, if you’re interested in a guided experience during your time in the park, check out Sequoia Parks Conservancy! We had a private tour with our guide Lindsay and she did an awesome job of showing us the accessible highlights in just one day. She also taught us a lot about the park and sequoia trees. 😊

It was such a fantastic day exploring one of America’s most beautiful national parks. Is Sequoia National Park on your bucket list??

Visit California

05/28/2026

Behind the scenes of my incredible day on the ! 😁

05/27/2026

Thank you sooo much to The Kelly Clarkson Show for the fun interview and thank you to Numotion for the generous donation!! What a day!! 🤩

How do I even put into words how much this moment meant to me?! Being on The Kelly Clarkson Show was a total dream come ...
05/26/2026

How do I even put into words how much this moment meant to me?! Being on The Kelly Clarkson Show was a total dream come true. 😭💙

To have this platform to talk about wheelchair accessible travel means EVERYTHING, and I hope this appearance helps amplify the importance of accessibility within the travel industry.

Thank you to my mom, Sandy, and my best friend, Kela, for joining me for this incredible adventure in NYC! And thank you to Kelly and the entire team at The Kelly Clarkson Show for making this such an unforgettable experience.

Watch me on the The Kelly Clarkson Show TOMORROW, May 27th!!!

[Pictured with my friend Kela, my mom, and Kelly Clarkson on the set of The Kelly Clarkson Show]

We’re so excited for our first ever Storytime at a Barnes & Noble!!!! 🎉📚🎉 On June 20th, my mom and I will be reading our...
05/24/2026

We’re so excited for our first ever Storytime at a Barnes & Noble!!!! 🎉📚🎉 On June 20th, my mom and I will be reading our newest children’s book, Let’s Soar with Cor Cor, and doing a book signing afterwards at Barnes & Noble - Pinnacle at Turkey Creek in KNOXVILLE, TN!! It’ll start at 1pm on June 20th and if you live in the area, we’d absolutely LOVE to see you there! 😁

I can’t believe in this day and age there’s a new restaurant that isn’t wheelchair accessible. 😡♿️I’ve been so excited a...
05/23/2026

I can’t believe in this day and age there’s a new restaurant that isn’t wheelchair accessible. 😡♿️
I’ve been so excited about trying this restaurant in a nearby town, Chickamauga, GA, and finally talked my son, Cory, into going tonight.
We found wheelchair accessible parking and a curb cut about a half block away, and proceeded toward the storefront. We had already scoured the menu on the drive over and it all sounded delicious.
As we approached the door, there was a step to get inside. Cory and I both looked at each other in disgust. What in the world?! There was no way that he in his power wheelchair could get over that step. Why do they think that this is ok? 🤬 I’m surprised that they don’t want people who use wheelchairs or their family members to eat there.
We walked/rolled back to our van and drove around the back and didn’t see any signage for wheelchair users or an entrance for guests.
We then called their phone number and it was busy for over an hour and never got an answer. So disappointing. ☹️
We ended up eating at a delicious and accessible Mexican restaurant up the street, so at least our night wasn’t a complete loss.

05/23/2026

What is the most important accessibility feature in a hotel room for you??

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