Finally, here’s part 3 of my road trip blog posts. The top five things I did when I was in DC and Philly are as follows:

1. Ben’s Chili Bowl (DC): AWESOME!  This diner was a great spot to eat with my parents. The coolest part was Mister Keith. The tour group that was supposed to arrive was a no-show, so he let us sit in the roomier back section and then shared the history of Ben’s Chili Bowl with us. The only thing that would have made this evening even more perfect was that I had been able to see Sigrid at Lincoln Theatre. We had gotten tickets to see Sigrid but the manager called us earlier in the day to let us know that the lift was broken so I wouldn’t be able to get into the venue with my power chair. It was really great to have the manager reach out to us so that we didn’t find this out I couldn’t get in after getting there. Remember my Homewood Suites experiences in DC and Baltimore (see Road trip to DC, Baltimore & Philadelphia Part 1: RANT TIME?
2. National Museum of African American History and Culture (DC): Powerful. I think the accessibility was really amazing and I could see everything. As you may know, I love history and love Crash Course Black American History with Clint Smith. Going to the African American History and Culture Museum in D.C. brought the history to life. Our entrance tickets were for 11:00 and I think it may have been helpful to get there a little earlier. There was so much to see and the lower floors (earliest history) were a bit crowded. It thinned out more as we progressed up through history. Accessibility Tips & Info on NMAAHC website.
3. Union Transfer (Philadelphia): I may not have gotten to see Sigrid in DC but I did get to see Wild Rivers in Philadelphia. I had seen them at the Varsity in Minneapolis at the start of their tour. And this was one of the last stops on the tour. Union Transfer was awesome! We bought our tickets at the door and the guy who ushered us in was really cool. He didn’t assume that I wouldn’t want to be right on the main floor in the crowd so showed us that area and then the other area which was on a raised platform to the left of the stage. They did have a portable ramp to get to that area which is where I wanted to be. It was above the crowd and a great view from the side of the stage and didn’t have to worry about getting jostled and had some space around me. It was a great show and great experience. Also, they allow a personal care attendant accompanying someone with a disability to get a free ticket – I’d love to see this at ALL venues! Thank you!
4. Philadelphia Museum of Arts (Philadelphia): I’m not always excited about art museums but this was a great one for a rainy day. Check out the elevator in the pictures below. It was pretty cool! There was wheelchair accessible parking in the parking ramp with a short walk to the main entrance. It was raining so didn’t see the Rocky steps which was fine. A personal care attendant gets in free here, too! Thanks! Philadelphia Museum of Arts Accessibility info.
5. Reading Chloe Gong’s Foul Lady Fortune: When traveling, I still need to have a break from my wheelchair in the afternoon. Best thing about my breaks on this trip? Using my Android Tablet to read Chloe Gong’s newest book. What can I say? I am a bit of a fan of this author and her newest book was released while I was on this trip. I loved not having to wait until I was back home in front of my computer to read this book. The one drag about reading with my tablet, is that my parents had to select the button on the tablet to advance chapters on the Google Bookshare Reader. I’m not able to independently use the tablet like I am on my computer.  Oh, and loved this book!

Final thoughts – go for it!

It’s important to travel and see the world. Just because I use a wheelchair doesn’t mean I don’t get to travel. Expect there to be challenges that come up. It’s important to be flexible and know that there are opportunities to raise awareness of how something can be more accessible. Next up – starting to plan my dream trip to England which I’m hoping to take next spring.

Read more about my road trip:

• Road trip to DC, Baltimore & Philadelphia Part 1: RANT TIME
• Part 2: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Next post might be a book review of The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew, a dark academia about a deaf college student with a connection to the dark.