Accessible Road Trip to the USA: We're Home!

After 10 hours of driving from Philadelphia we're finally back in Toronto! Exhausted we've put together a list of our favourites, not so favourite and funny moments below.

Most accessible city: Pittsburgh, PA.

Most accessible hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh Downtown (Torrance), Holiday Inn Washington Capitol Hill (Terrence).

Least accessible hotel(s): Homewood Suite Raleigh-Crabtree, Raleigh, NC, Holiday Inn Express Baltimore, MD and La Quinta Inn St. Augustine, FL. due to no roll-in showers in the accessible rooms.

Most accessible theme park: Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Favourite theme park ride: Jungle Cruise (Torrance).

Best food place: Mert's Heart & Soul, Charlotte, NC (Torrance).

Best food place on the Disney Magic: Animator's Palate (Torrance).

Funniest town/city name we saw: Fancy Gap, VA (Torrance) and Bland County, VA (Terrence).

Favourite state motto: "We're Glad Georgia's on Your Mind"

Funniest brand we saw: Sheetz! in Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia.

Favourite ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Torrance), Orioles Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD (Terrence).

Best ballpark food: Perogies at PNC Park (Torrance), Crab Cake at Orioles Park (Terrence).

Most memorable moment while driving: Surviving the mega storm on the Appalachian Mountains (Torrance and Terrence).

Most memorable moment of the trip: Visiting the PNC Arena - the home of the NHL Carolina  Hurricanes, Raleigh, NC (Torrance), Visiting the Jefferson, Roosevelt, Dr. King and Lincoln monuments in Washington, DC (Terrence).

Least memorable moment of the trip: Unidentified bugs in our hotel room in La Quinta St. Augustine. They've apologized and refunded us but the bugs are still unidentified.

Funniest moment of the trip: When Terrence thought we missed the cruise cause he kept thinking we're boarding the Disney Dream and not the Magic.

Most expensive toll fare: $10.20 in Pennsylvania.

Favourite thing about the MV1: Feeling safe (Torrance) and good handling and powerful with a V8 engine (Terrence).

Least favourite thing about the MV1: Steep ramp (Torrance) and difficult to find controls on the dashboard when night driving and hard to reach certain buttons and cup holder without long arms (Terrence).

Read our previous entries:

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6 - 8 - On Disney Magic

Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas
Day 9 & 10
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Accessible Travel in the USA: Passing Through the City of Brotherly Love and Back Home to TO!

Today we're in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love and Philly cheesesteak. The first thing we did when we arrived is to go straight to towards the Citizens Bank Park sign and to watch the Phillies vs Dodgers. It's a large open ball park, with lots of space with a capacity for over 40,000 fans. We were lucky enough to have scored accessible seating in the 200 level right behind the foul pole. Even though the ballpark was not at capacity there were moments when you can feel the buzz of the fans. Since we're in Philly we tried the ballpark cheesesteak and it wasn't amazing, the cheese tasted a little like cheese wiz.

So far from all the cities we visited all the sports arenas, stadiums and fields all located in the same area. And this was no different in Philly with the Wells Fargo Center (home of the Flyers and 76ers), Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles) and Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) in walking distance of each other.

After the game we decided to head over to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall as I was very interested in seeing the bell. To be standing in the same place where the declaration of independence was signed is humbling. We stood there until 8pm to listen to the new bell on top of Independence Hall ring eight times before leaving.

We then headed straight for the Rocky statue! What a way to wrap up our trip to be in the same place where the Rocky movies were filmed. Rocky being a champion that perseveres, I felt a connection to him as a power wheelchair goaltender that recently won a champion for the first time in 10 years.

It's freezing here in Philly, we definitely miss the southern weather in the Carolina's and Florida! We decided to stop by Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks to pick up some Philly Cheesesteak, Pork Sandwich and Fish Cakes to go.

We're now at our hotel in Plymouth Meeting and getting ready for our journey back home to Toronto.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6 - 8 - On Disney Magic

Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas
Day 9 & 10
Day 12
Day 13

Accessible Travel: Moved by the Words of World Leaders in Washington, DC

 

In Torrance's words, Washington, DC was "governmentty", with lots of state department buildings.

The Holiday Inn Capitol Hill that we stayed at had the best accessible facility. Of all the hotels that had a roll in shower, this was by far the best (with the exception of Disney Magic). It was my personal favourite because of all the extra space and three beds!

Washington, DC is a city that you will need more then a few hours in! With lots of museums and monuments to visit. It wasn't planned that way but we made it in time for the Memorial Day weekend, so the city was full of life and energy. The first monument we visited was Thomas Jefferson, Torrance was in awe of the structure due to its size. I was moved by his words that's inscribed on the four walls surrounding his statue; freedom of religion, equality for state and people, and for institutions to adapt to the changing of times really resonates with my own beliefs.

We then visited Franklin D. Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor had this beautiful quote of her husband:

"Franklin's illness gave him strength and courage he had not had before, he had to think out the fundamentals of living and learn the greatest of all lessons; infinite patience and never ending persistence."

He served three terms as president and was very wise, I was very emotional after reading his many thoughts on the world many of which applies to our world today inscribed at his memorial.

We then walked over to Dr. Martin Luther King, one of the people I look up to. His passages also resonated with me, especially this one:

"Make a career of humanity, commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."

His "I Have a Dream" was one of the first official speeches I listened to when I was younger, it still moves me to this day.

After visiting Dr. Martin Luther King, we headed over to Lincoln and to the Reflecting Pool. To be able to stand in the same steps where Dr. King gave the "I Have a Dream" speech sent shivers down my spine as I stood there overlooking the area where he delivered the speech, a defining moment in the American Civil Rights movement.

Torrance really enjoyed the Lincoln memorial, something that he's seen on TV and movies many times and to see it in person really made him happy.

We really didn't make enough time for Washington, as we planned on catching the Baltimore Orioles vs. Cleveland Indians game that evening. A short drive to attempt to see the White House (didn't catch much of it, we'll be back for it though!) and passed by the Verizon Center and Capitol Hill and off we went to Baltimore.

We made it to Orioles Park at Camden Yards after an inning and got some good seats on the third base side of the park. The park was accessible we were able to get to our seats with ease, however there were no accessible front row seats like PNC Park. The best part of the game was the fan base! They were very passionate and cheered for good baseball regardless of the team. Of course when the Orioles scored the park would erupt! We were fortunate enough to watch the O's win (the Jays won that night and is now first in the division which was the cherry on top!). Since it was the Memorial Day weekend, they had a firework spectacular post-game!

What a trip it has been. Another day in Philadelphia and we'll be on our way home.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6 - 8 - On Disney Magic

Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas

Day 9 & 10

Day 11

Accessible Travel in the USA: Into Hurricane Country!

After driving over 10 hours from Orlando to Raleigh we finally made it into Hurricane country! Torrance's friend Jonathan Greeson of the North Carolina Electric Wheelchair Association (NCEWA) arranged for us to have a tour of the PNC Arena, the home of the Carolina Hurricanes and boy were we in for a treat!

Doug Warf, Vice President of Marketing and Executive Director of Kids N' Community Foundation took time from his day to give us a in-depth tour of the facility. We went from Canes Vision Room where they do all the video and broadcasting during games, to the ice level where the games are played, to the Canes and visitors locker room and even to the offices of the general manager (Ron Francis)! Even though it's a smaller facility compared to the Air Canada Centre, it felt less corporate and definitely more intimate.

Torrance even had a chance to interview Jonathan in the same room where the coaches hold the post-game interviews!

Let's just say we all walked away with huge smiles on our faces after the tour. We love the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes management is so supportive of the power wheelchair hockey league in North Carolina. They will be hosting their annual Carolina Fury vs. Carolina Hurricanes staff sometime this June / July so if you're in the North Carolina area do check out the charity tournament!

We're very thankful Jonathan, his dad Vance and Doug for making our day in Raleigh so incredible!

Read our previous entries:

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6 - 8 - On Disney Magic

Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas

Accessible Travel in the USA: The magic of Disney continues!

After spending three nights on the Disney Magic, we went straight to Disney World in Orlando, Florida! There are many parks within Disney World, but we decided to go for the classic park, the Magic Kingdom. Torrance has been there over 10 years ago with the Sunshine Foundations day trip to Disney World's Magic Kingdom, so this was a good homecoming for him.

What I love most about Disney World is their accessibility and how many of their rides are equipped to allow for someone in a power wheelchair. We went on several rides that was accessible and our favourite is the Jungle Cruise.

There were also lots of live shows and parades that happens throughout the day, and the best show was the evening electrical parade and fireworks to cap off the magical day.

The next day we went to Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure. Torrance has been looking forward to this day for a long time now, to see the Harry Potter's Diagon Alley and Hogwarts set. It brought back lots of memories going through the Dr. Seuss, Jurassic Park, and Marvel Comics zones.

The park rides, unlike the Magic Kingdom isn't accessible with most requiring someone that's able to transfer over to a manual wheelchair. However, that didn't stop Torrance from having a blast especially in the Harry Potter zone, seeing all his favourite parts of the story come to life. We had butter beer, went to the wand shop where he picked up a wand, stood in front of Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express!

After another magical day, we stopped by Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville for dinner and had an awesome time there as they had a live performance where we made a few request one being Torrance's favourite musician, Michael Buble and this performers rendition of Feelin' Good.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6 & 8 - On Disney Magic
Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas

Accessible Travel in the USA: The Magic of Disney on Water!

We had a wonderful time on my first cruise which was a four days three nights on the Disney Magic. When I first saw the cruise ship when we arrived at the port, I was so excited! After going through security, check-in and officially entered the main lobby of the ship, the crew announced publicly that our family has arrived and clapped as we entered. I felt very welcomed. From the lobby we made our way to our room, which is wheelchair accessible.

My favourite part is that the door had an automatic opening feature! The bed is a perfect fit for the portable hoyer lift because it had space beneath the bed for the lift to enter and was very comfortable for me. The design of the washroom was just right for me and my commode chair as the commode was able to fit over the toilet and with plenty of space in the shower. Overall there was lots of space for a wheelchair in the suite and it even had three beds! (One king size and a bunk bed).

Before casting off they held an opening ceremony party, I was just excited to feel the ship move and to see the water go by. Once the ship set sail, it took some time adjusting to the rocking of the boat. I was nauseous for the first few hours.

On the first night we went to Carioca's a Brazilian themed restaurant and where we met our server and assistant server that would take care of us for the next three dinners, Egi and Ralex. I ordered the swordfish but was too dry for me and I couldn't finish it, good thing we had an extra order of chicken which I was able to finish. That experience taught me to listen to Egi's recommendations for the next evenings.

That was our first night, more to come of the remaining days!

On our second day we spent most of it on the island of Nassau, you can read our island experience here. In the evening back on the cruise, it was pirate themed night! We had dinner at Lumiere's (yes the same Lumiere's from Beauty and the Beast), the food was decent, the dish that stood out most to us was the baked escargot.

After dinner there was another original Disney Magic show "Villains Tonight!". It was a wonderful show that showcased many of the villains from their movies. Since it was Pirate Night, there was a pirate party on the open deck after the show where there was lots of singing and dancing and even fireworks in the middle of the ocean!

On our final day we spent most of it on Castaway Cay, which is a private island owned and operated by Disney, you can read our island experience here. For dinner we dined at Animator's Palate, this was a favourite for me and mom as the room during dinner changes from black and white into colour! The food was probably the best out of the three restaurants on the ship. The final show is called "An Enchanted Classic", awarded the best original cruise ship show, this was by far the best of the three shows we watched about a girl that learns the value of dreaming.

The service and precision of the crew members were fantastic, except for when we were about to leave the ship there was some confusion to helping us bring onto shore the portable hoyer lift and commode chair having to go back and forth between guest services and our stateroom host. It got sorted out in the end but the process took longer than I would prefer. Besides that our family had a wonderful time on the Disney Magic!

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 7 & 8 - In the Bahamas

Accessible Travel in the Bahamas: Private islands and new experiences!

Our first stop on the Disney Magic was onto Nassau, New Providence. When I first got off the cruise ship there was a strong tropical breeze (which I almost lost my hat to) which felt good on my face and in town I didn't like the uneven sidewalks as they scared me because of the bumpyness. The walkways and stores however are fully accessible with ramps throughout the towns sidewalks. We decided to tour the island and was lucky enough to have found one of a few wheelchair accessible taxis operated by a gentleman named Gerard.

On the tour we made a stop at Fish Fry a local restaurant area to eat some conch, a local delicacy with a side of peas and rice which I enjoyed the taste of.

Even though we were able to find one of the few wheelchair accessible taxi drivers, the van wasn't the most suitable for sightseeing as it was difficult for me to see above a certain angle inside, so you can say I saw half the island during the 2 hour tour. Nassau is a quaint coastal town, and the buildings are beautiful with their pastel colours.

On our final stop in the Bahamas we went to Disney's private island Castaway Cay (pronounced key). Which had beautiful beaches with gorgeous clear blue water. Transportation around the island is accessible, they had a tram that took us to four different stops around the island. Of the two trams I went on, only one felt safe to me as the ramp on one of the trams was too steep for my liking.

Looking at the water and the beach wasn't enough for me, so I asked my brother to get some salt water and splash it on me. For the first time in my life I felt the ocean water on me and it was cold and salty as advertised.

The weather was not the same as Nassau, it was a beautiful hot and sunny day which made me sweat like a dog. As we were on the ship leaving the island it was amazing to watch the island behind us drift further away from our eyes. Watching the ocean and the islands as the ship was moving on that night was relaxing and calming.

We will post up our Disney Magic experience soon!

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

Accessible Travel in the USA: Hotel Bugs and Hungry Alligators

We're now in Cape Canaveral after barely getting any sleep the night before in St. Augustine (more about that below). It's the night before we board the Disney Magic for 3 nights cruise in the Bahamas.

The Floridian: Located in the historical district in St. Augustine this restaurant has a tropical atmosphere fit for the Florida location. I ordered the Mahi N' Grit and was the catch of the day. The meat was soft and I loved the flavour. The location and its restrooms are accessible, however there are no buttons for the doors.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm: We made it just in time for the alligator feeding, it was an incredible feeling to watch the gators each and to see how happy they looked when waiting to be fed. It was really funny to watch all the gators come towards the handler as she was speaking about feeding. There are lots of different animals there besides the alligators. The animal that stood out most to me was the Galapagos Tortoises moving when it was raining. Another creature is the albino american alligator since you don't see much of those in zoos. The area of the farm that was the most incredible is the Alligator Swamp where you can feed the alligators and is full of birds nesting. The farm is accessible with windows available for persons in wheelchairs for the best view. The only part that is not accessible is that there are no buttons to open any doors. For persons with disabilities the price is $12.

Madd Jack's Grillin' Shack: Voted #1 restaurant in Cape Canaveral, this is a BBQ grillin' shack! The staff is very friendly, with the owner talking with each table of guests that comes through. We ordered lots of meat, and my favourite is the pulled pork and the ribs as they were both tender and flavourful. The price is fair as the portions are so large that we noticed other tables of men pack theirs to go. The location is accessible, however the front door opens in a direction that's inconvenient if there is a car parked right in front of it. Don't let that stop you from going though, it is a spot to visit next time if you're going to Cape Canaveral for a cruise.

Last night we stayed at La Quinta Inn & Suites in St. Augustine, Florida. We checked in after 11:00 PM after driving for another 7 hours from North Carolina. Tired and exhausted our family went to bed at around 1:30 AM, I went into the washroom and noticed lots of dots on the floor and realized that they were bugs. They were all dead but there was plenty of them lying around. It was concerning so I decided to check other areas in the room and discovered others on and around the two beds. I went downstairs to notify the receptionist and he did his best to offer an alternative, to move rooms or he'll clean the room. It wasn't until 4:00 AM that we were all moved into our new room and asleep. The most surprising part was the reaction of the manager in the morning. She accused as of three things: 1) That we went back into and used the infested room after we moved into the new room, she even tried to use "video evidence" that it happened by showing me video of us carrying our luggage into the new room at 2:47 AM, 2) That we accessed their kitchen and made waffles that we never ate and instead threw into the garbage, and 3) That they have never had these bugs at their hotel before and it can't be their fault. I would not recommend this particular location of La Quinta, especially if you have accessible needs as they don't have any roll-in showers.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Accessible Travel in the USA: Georgia's on my Mind

Today we drove for over 7 hours from North Carolina and through two states (South Carolina and Georgia) and we're now in the Sunshine State of Florida!

We stayed at the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Hotel in Charlotte and although the hotel has accessible rooms, the toilet is not commode chair compatible. Even though it was a quick stop in Charlotte, we did visit a few sites before leaving for Florida.

Mert's Heart & Soul: We wanted to find some southern comfort food and boy did we find it at Mert's! The decor inside was soulful with lots of memorabilia of soul singers and posters of Broadway shows. Terrence and I would highly recommend the fried catfish, the flavour and the texture of the meat was incredible! The restaurant is accessible and so are the washrooms although in the men's restroom there's no door for the stall.

The Billy Graham Library: Rated #1 attraction on Trip Advisor we decided to check it out before leaving. To enter the library it is free of charge and when you get in you feel peaceful as it is a quiet sanctuary. I was impressed with the converted barn that housed Billy Grahams life story and was relieved to be in an air conditioned facility as it was hot outside. Even if you're not religious i'd recommend you going as they have a food court with awesome soft serve ice cream!

We're now in St. Augustine, Florida where we will be staying for the night before heading down to Port Canaveral.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Accessible Travel in the USA: Surviving the Storms of the Appalachian Mountains

What a day! We left the beautiful city of Pittsburgh drove through three states (Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia) into North Carolina while surviving the biggest rainstorm I have ever experienced.

Before we left Pittsburgh there were a few more sights we had to see:

Strip District: Our hotel was in this district with lots of cultural shops, supermarkets and restaurants. A must visit for sports fans as there's a sporting good stores with lots of affordable Pittsburgh sports team memorabilia. It's also a must visit for all shoppers and foodies (The most popular restaurants are located here - one is the Primanti Brother's which we wrote about yesterday and the other is next on the list) ! :) Unfortunately not all the shops or restaurants are accessible.

S&D Polish Deli: Torrance found this place online. They are voted as having the best pierogi in Pittsburgh and boy were they good! The red borsch was very tasty too. The deli is open for lunch only (until 4:30PM) and is accessible except for the washroom.

Classy Cab: We also visited the cab company that owns the largest fleet of MV1s in Pittsburgh, they own and lease over 20 MV1s!

Overall I'm impressed with Pittsburgh's consciousness to ensure the city is accessible with buses, inclines, and taxis (we didn't get to try the subways) are all accessible.

After saying goodbye to Pittsburgh, we had a long journey ahead of us. The ride through the rest of Pennsylvania and into West Virginia was beautiful and sunny until we arrived into the Appalachian Mountains. That was when we hit a massive storm that stopped even tracker trailers from moving through the mountain range. I started getting nervous when the winds picked up and our MV1 started swaying side to side (MV1s are very heavy and with four passengers with luggage and a power wheelchair I thought we were in the clear). Thankfully through part craziness and perseverance we continued into the storm, although at times I wasn't sure if we would make it out as it felt like we were running into a tornado. After almost what felt like hours we made it through into Virginia. We passed through Virginia quickly and am now in North Carolina. Where our stay will be short as we are now headed for Florida.

Read our previous entries:

Day 0
Day 1
Day 2

Accessible Travel in the USA: Finding Peace at the Park and Facing my Fear of Heights

We saw a lot of Pittsburgh on day 2! The highlights were:

Consol Energy Center: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. What stood out to me most was the Mario Lemieux Foundation mural. The center unfortunately did not have accessible buttons at the entrance we entered it.

Point State Park: It has a great scenic view of the city by the rivers, it is also where the three rivers Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio connect. After experiencing the view and serenity of the park, I am sold on the city and would consider moving this beautiful city. It is accessible with one ramp that takes you on the path along the rivers.

Primanti Brothers: It is one of Pittsburgh's most popular sandwich shops due to their specialty of including their fresh cut fries and coleslaw in their sandwiches. My favourite was the pastrami sandwich the most! The location we were in does not have accessible restrooms.

Mount Washington: It was a magnificent view from the top of Pittsburgh even though I had some fear looking over the edge towards the skyline of Pittsburgh. I was surprised that the Monogahela Incline which took people up and down the mountain was wheelchair accessible! It was great experience and helped me overcome my fear of looking down. Even though others say the night scene is spectacular I highly recommend the day scene.

It's now almost midnight and we're now having Turkish food ordered in to our hotel room. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow as we'll be driving to Charlotte, North Carolina!