Hey everybody!
The school year has begun and big changes are afoot in the Morris household. Robert is no longer being homeschooled, which has allowed Stevie and I to work together more closely.
When we got married, I assumed that our productivity would skyrocket — but it turns out that managing a household, especially for a naive new parent like me, is really tough. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for my wife, who was directing all of this on her own before we met. She is a true champion, as are all of the parents out there, including our own, who have poured themselves out in love for both of us.
Truth be told, this email was supposed to reach your inbox more than a week ago — before I departed for the Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Switzerland (which was amazing, with a recap to come in a future newsletter) — but, family life took precedence. Enjoy in the meantime this photo of our group in the Swiss Alps.
Switzerland was an amuse-bouche of sorts — it was the start of what will be a truly busy Autumn Abroad with three back-to-back-to-back group trips that also include tours in Portugal and Italy. I will welcome more than 30 Wheelchair Travel readers to Europe, which is a great joy, but it is also a lot of work!
One of Stevie's mottos is "we can do hard things." It is now a family motto. We can do hard things, and we will!
A Few In-Case-You-Missed-Its
I do publish new stories on the blog that are not sent as a dedicated email blast, so it is worth checking WheelchairTravel.org regularly for updates. Here are a few stories that you may have missed:
John Morris
Investments in beach accessibility are being made all around the world, and I was able to visit one newly accessible beach in Cartagena, Colombia. The boardwalk pathways, accessible seating area, adapted toilets and free beach wheelchair are key features to an accessible beach outing!
John Morris
During my trip in Colombia, I stayed at the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias Hotel and, while it did not meet all of my accessibility requirements, I do think it will work for many travelers — especially those who travel with a shower chair of their own.
John Morris
I am a big fan of over-the-road buses, and have written previously about my travels as a wheelchair user on Greyhound Bus Lines and Megabus. So many travelers are unaware that these buses have multiple wheelchair securement spaces! The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released a new tool called the Intercity Bus Atlas, which makes it easier to discover bus services. This is a fantastic start and I hope to see continued investment/development in this area.
Coming Soon: Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Germany & Poland!
I am excited to share that Wheelchair Travel Tours is heading to Germany and Poland! You can join me on a tour of Germany's capital city of Berlin, as well as the Polish cities of Krakow and Warsaw.
The 2027 tour is scheduled to take place from August 8-18, 2027. The 11-day itinerary will highlight major tourist attractions, along with sites of tremendous historical significance. All the while, we will be exposed to German and Polish culture, art and gastronomy.
The complete tour itinerary will be released on Monday, September 21 at 10:00 a.m. ET (New York time), exclusively to paid members of this newsletter. Paid members will have a private booking window of 4 days. If spaces remain, bookings will be opened to free subscribers on Friday, September 22.
If you would like to be among the first to receive this trip opportunity and future information about accessible group tours, please upgrade your subscription in advance of the tour release.
The Place for Bonus Content
After a long hiatus, I have returned to social media. There, I am posting bonus content like this photo of me riding a cow.
To join in on the fun, and to get live updates from me around the world, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
Looking ahead
When Stevie first introduced herself, we both expected she would be in your inboxes more often (and sooner), but you can blame that miscalculation on my aforementioned naïveté. Nevertheless, while I am leading our groups in Europe, Stevie will be sending a couple of articles that she has been working on. Look out for the first next week — it is a must-read!
Once I have a chance to sort through the hundreds of photos taken in Switzerland, I will be sure to share some of the highlights from that magical tour.
At the end of September, there is a short break of about four days between the Portugal and Sicily tours. It's too short a break to go home, so I am taking the opportunity to visit Cologne and Wuppertal, Germany. It will be my first time in both cities, and I expect to find some interesting storylines to share with you there.
Talk to you soon,
— John
