Hello, everyone!
Stevie, Robert and I have just returned home after a road trip that took us to Florida, Tennessee and the highways in between. The trip's primary purpose was to clear out a storage unit I have maintained in Gainesville, Florida for nearly a decade, and to enjoy some time with Stevie's family in Tennessee thereafter.
When we set off on this journey, I committed to downsizing my storage unit to just three boxes of keepsakes. That was all the space we had in the van, given that our family consists of three people, plus two wheelchairs!
I took a trip down memory lane, opening dust-covered boxes that held treasures from as far back as kindergarten! I ultimately parted with a dumpster-full of mementos; I dropped off my baseball card collection and a hundred or more Hot Wheels cars at Goodwill, which was conveniently located just two blocks from the storage facility. It was a humbling and dare I say emotional experience, to sort through and dispose of objects from my childhood.
Meeting Bigfoot in St. Augustine
After sorting through my belongings, we traveled to St. Augustine, Florida, where we spent a few days with Stevie's brother enjoying the city's historic charm and nearby Vilano Beach.
We also fulfilled one of my childhood dreams by visiting Ripley's Believe It Or Not — Stevie and Robert had visited a Ripley's before, but it was surprisingly my first time. I enjoyed the quirkiness of it all, but my eyebrows were raised on a few occasions — how is that still acceptable, I wondered? For me, the highlight was the Bigfoot exhibit. Having grown up in Florida, he was known locally as the "Skunk Ape" and I was fortunate never to have crossed his path.
Anyway, enough about that — here's what's new on the blog...
Exploring the Outdoors in Knoxville, Tennessee
During our brief stop of a few days in Knoxville, Stevie was inspired to write about the many wheelchair accessible outdoor activities that she and Robert enjoyed there over the years. Check out her latest article here:
Stevie Morris
Outdoor recreation is critical, and it is exciting to see so many wonderful opportunities for residents and visitors in Knoxville. As we endeavor to foster a love for the outdoors in our son, expect to see more coverage of wheelchair-friendly outdoor activities here on the blog!
Coming Soon: Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Morocco!
I hosted the first-ever Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Morocco last year and it was a tremendous success! The Morocco tour is the smallest — I only have space for six travelers, and I would like you to join me there in January!
The 2027 tour is scheduled to take place from January 22-31, 2027. The 10-day itinerary will highlight the best of Morocco — we'll explore the country's culture, history, art, architecture and gastronomy as we visit cities including Casablanca, Marrakesh and Essaouira!
The complete tour itinerary will be released on Wednesday, July 22 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 5 days. If spaces remain, bookings will be opened to free subscribers on Monday, July 27.
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.
Odds & Ends
Our road trip took us to two cities in North Florida — St. Augustine, a historic seaside town on the Atlantic coast, and Gainesville, home of the University of Florida. We stayed in a couple of hotels and reviewed them here:
John Morris
John Morris
Check out the latest accessible travel news roundup, including stories about a new wheelchair accessible zip line in Australia and a bill that could deliver faster wheelchair repairs:
John Morris
Looking ahead
Tomorrow, I am traveling to Bogota, Colombia to participate in a familiarization trip sponsored by the Colombian government's development agency.
I last visited Bogota in 2019 with my sister, and I look forward to seeing what accessibility investments and improvements have been made in the years since. During this trip, I will have the opportunity to visit two other Colombian cities for the first time, Barranquilla and Cartagena.
After I return, you can expect me to share some highlights from the trip — including an update to the Bogota, Colombia Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide.
This Friday, be sure to check your inboxes for an interesting story! Stevie and I will share how we planned our honeymoon trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina! You'll learn that our honeymoon was sort of a disaster, but we still managed to have an amazing time — look out for the full story on Friday!
Until next time,
— John
