Adam's Adventures in the Real World
Pictures, videos, and rants on traveling in a wheelchair
Took a stroll through the mangroves at the Anne Kolbe Nature Center in Hollywood, Florida. More than a mile of great accessible trails through natural Florida and a nice small exhibition room showcasing some of the wild animals of the area.
Got a few items from their self-serve gift shop.
Used my freewheel to tour the stunningly beautiful Morikami Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. The gardens have a trail nearly a mile long and my freewheel made easy work over the gravel. I saw several elderly people being pushed in manual wheelchairs so the accessibility is great. The gardens have giant koi fish, japanese cranes, bonsai trees, and a lantern memorial to the Challenger space shuttle crew including the first Japanese astronaut Ellison Onizuka.
Went fishing with my dad in the Indian River near the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. The area is gorgeous Florida at its finest. Manatees are everywhere you look and the ocean brings and endless variety of fish to catch. I’m not revealing our exact area because its relatively isolated and we’d like to keep it that way 🙂
Last weekend I visited Hollywood Beach, Florida. I rode my hand-cycle up and down the 3 mile (one direction) beach boardwalk on a gorgeous Saturday morning. I had never visited Hollywood Beach before, but it instantly reminded me of “The Strand” along the beaches of Los Angeles. There’s an endless parade of smoothie stands, beach shops, tiki bars, and smiling, happy people. Also Margarittaville!
There is lots of public parking at the parks that are on both ends of the boardwalk. Best of all, the beaches offer direct access from sidewalk to the sand, with no ramps, dunes or other obstacles to slow someone down. If you watch my video closely you’ll also notice a few blue colored wheelchair accessible mats going out into the sand. I didn’t get a chance to get on the beach as I was tired from my biking, but I will surely return soon.
Last weekend I took a trip down to Miami to see Radiohead live in concert at the American Airlines arena. The concert was amazing, it was my first time seeing Radiohead, and they put on a very OK Computer heavy setlist, which happily surprised me.
The arena itself was pretty good. Its a near clone to the new Amway Center in Orlando. Handicapped parking at the arena was NOT free like it was in Orlando, but I cannot complain about anything else. Except the traffic. Downtown Miami traffic is horrid.
On the way back from Miami I stopped by Dania Beach, specifically near the Dania Beach Pier, and I found it to be by far the most wheelchair friendly beach in Florida yet. Here is a video of me using my lever drive chair to go directly from the parking lot to near the water. Completely flat the entire way!
After resting for a few minutes, I continued down towards the water to watch the wind surfers in action. Next time I’ll bring my wetsuit and try out the water myself.
Handicapped parking is free near the pier, but has self service kiosks for everyone else. Entrance to the pier itself is not free, but is only a few dollars for both observers and fishing. There were tons of people fishing so it looks like a great spot.
I did some fishing with my dad today. We went to the pier at the far end of the bridge over the Indian River in Melbourne Beach, Florida. We did not get any bites, but it didn’t matter, because we saw wild dolphins for the very first time!
After 25 years in Florida, I can now confirm that they exist outside of Sea World!
It was also a great place to test out my newest GoPro camera attachment. This time I put it on my FreeWheel, a great little wheelchair toy that attaches to the front of your chair and lifts the front caster wheels off the ground. It turns any wheelchair into a three wheel stabilized offroad chair. The FreeWheel is awesome because it is very light weight, easy to travel with, and let’s me go in the grass, dirt roads, and even tightly packed sand.
https://www.gofreewheel.com/userFiles/images/black%20red%20blue%20vertical.jpg
It also makes a great camera location for stable filming. I’m planning some trips to Miami, Clearwater, and San Francisco (!) for later this year and I’m excited to throw my FreeWheel into my bag and take it with me.
Here’s a short clip of me swimming out in the waves at New Smyrna Beach. I attached my GoPro straight onto my cheap foam body board and enjoyed the surf.
New Smyrna has become my favorite beach to visit in Florida. Although it’s a bit of a drive from my home, it’s worth the mileage due to the great easy wheelchair access provided by parking your vehicle right on the sand. From your vehicle to the surf is about 20 feet and half of that distance is over highly compacted sand. The water is always a great temperature and there are few sand dunes to get in your way.
Parking is normally $10 per day, but is FREE for those with a disabled parking permit. Just mention it to the guard at the gate and they’ll give you a windshield sticker for future quick access.
There are a few downsides to keep in mind.
First, New Smyrna is a very popular beach in the summer. It’s always crowded. Be prepared to have to drive more than a mile along the beach before you find an empty parking spot. The good news is there is always enough room if you drive far enough from the entrance.
Second, vehicle access to the beach is CLOSED around high tide. Check the tide predictions for the day before you go and try to avoid the time two hours before or after high tide.
Third, there is almost always a strong rip tide parallel to the coast. This means if you get in the water and aren’t paying attention, you will literally be taken a mile or more down the coast. For those of in a wheelchair that struggle to get through any sand, it’s a major concern.
Despite these issues, New Smyrna is still my favorite beach. The people are always friendly, there are vendors that sell snacks, you can see crabs, sea turtles & all kinds of birds, oh and you can’t beat the accessibility.
Here is my very first GoPro video. I attached the camera on the front of my Dragonfly handcycle. I still have one of the original three speed Dragonfly’s and it’s still my favorite wheelchair attachment toy. It’s always fun, gets me a lot of compliments, and best of all let’s me go at a fast speed without having to even transfer out of my chair.
I took my gear over to Lake Nona, Florida, a classic riding spot for me. It’s near my home and work, with a beautiful bike trail that goes several miles through the area sounding the Orlando Airport. The trail even features accessible water fountains (accessible for both wheelchair users and dogs!) and complimentary air pumps. Parking is easy as the trail starts at a small commercial area that has a Panera, a Union Burger (Canadian burger chain that serves poutine), a pizza joint, and a frozen yogurt shop, among other businesses.
Lake Nona itself is an upscale community and a future biotech hub. There are some beautiful houses and people are always friendly.
My first video is rather uneventful, but it gives you an eye-level view of what riding my handcycle is like.