In another life, another situation, under different circumstances, I could have been a beach person. If I do some extremely deep soul-searching, I find that I am a beach person. I’m a beach person who can’t enjoy the beach because of physical limitations of the world around her.
I love the force and poetry of ocean waves. I love the simultaneous stability and fragility of sand. I love that the sun is not marred by silhouettes of buildings, trees or other impediments. I love the majesty of the coast, the danger it can possess, the beauty it does.
But, sand is not made to be rolled upon. And the salty ocean can damage a wheelchair’s frame. What is to be done when the grandeur of God’s creation is kept from being enjoyed by everyone?
Until very recently, my only avenue of response was to wail and bemoan the unfairness of it all, tears included. I felt guilty about said response; I was denying the pleasure of the beach to those I loved because I couldn’t enjoy it. It seemed fair enough that if I didn’t deserve to enjoy it, no one else did either.
Of course, I still think that way about a lot of things. And, a lot of my responses involve tears, wailing and bemoaning. With help, I’ve learned that there are things that I’m just not going to be able to do. I’m never going to be able to surf; the first wipeout would kill me. I’m never going to ride a roller coaster; in the first place, I’d probably be too scared, but the jarring could have me in the hospital for days if not weeks. A ride on a school bus when I was in kindergarten put me on the couch for several days.
There I go, wailing and bemoaning again. But, surprisingly enough, that’s not my goal this month! Waits for silence of shock to pass.
Right, then. No, I’ve actually found a beach where wheelchair-users and other people disabilities can enjoy the sand and sun without the hassles that normally come with.
In July, my family took a vacation to Virginia. We started in Williamsburg, where we went to Colonial Williamsburg (a big bust on accessibility) and Busch Gardens (lots of fun). On the fourth day, we were in Virginia for a week, we drove down to Virginia Beach, which promised lots of sand, sun and fun, not to mention a few surfer hotties. I was not disappointed.
Hotel snafus did cramp us somewhat. However, when questioning hotel staff, there was some interesting information revealed that requires more research. In the next few months, I plan to do that research and report back to you on what I find.
But, as far as the beach goes, I don’t know where to find anything more disability-friendly. In the first place, there is a three-mile long cement boardwalk on the beach. It’s not far from the ocean, so it’s not like you’re in the middle of the city, far away from the beach-type action. You can spend an entire day wandering along the boardwalk, people-watching, ducking into kitschy beach gift shops. At night, many restaurants have karaoke nights and, while we were there, there were several musical performances right on the boardwalk. To top it off, every night, the town shoots off fireworks over the ocean.
If your mobility isn’t limited, another great way to enjoy the boardwalk is by renting a bike. But, not just any bike. While there are traditional one-person bikes available for rental, many places on the boardwalk rent tandem bikes as well as what look like “bike-cars”: two- or four-seater carts that are propelled through pedaling. If you have a small child, he can ride in a specially-designed seat in the front and admire the scenery.
I know what you’re thinking. Why go to the beach and spend all your time on the boardwalk? Fair enough. That’s the great thing about Virginia Beach. Even the least accessible part of the entire city is somehow accessible.
In the first place, coming off the boardwalks are cement ramps straight into the sand. These are located at every block, right where the steps down are. Secondly, and I think this is the best part, several of the cement ramps are flanked by actual boardwalks, made of boards, that go out onto the sand. The only drawback is that these walkways don’t get close enough to the ocean for my taste, but it’s much better to be on the beach than staring at it from your hotel room.
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