Meeting Butler County, Ohio

 

I was invited to spend a long weekend in Butler County, Ohio, just after they became Wheel The World certified for accessibility. The tourism board wanted me to write about how wheelchair accessible the region is.

I hadn’t been there before, and it sounded like an interesting area, so I made plans to go. My trip to Butler County turned out to be one of my most unusual adventures, with new experiences, and a lot of donuts!

 

I brought Teddy and my friend, Heather, along for the ride, about three and a half hours from home. We had a nice welcome basket waiting for us at the hotel. Our home base was the Marriott Cincinnati North in Westerville. I was happy at the start with a flat entrance and automatic doors. They didn’t have any accessible rooms, so we had two connecting rooms.

Teddy loved going back and forth between the two rooms. Mine had plenty of space for me to wheel around, a well-equipped desk area I could reach, and a large bathroom with a shower chair. The handheld was easy to reach from it. My only complaint about the bathroom was that it needed bars to the side of the toilet, not just behind it. The closet had a low rod I could reach from my seat.

 

Once we settled in, we were back on the road. We headed a few miles to Liberty Center, an outdoor pedestrian mall, with many stores and restaurants, including some unique places. It was more than that as there were groups of people gathering for everything from music to soccer and bags games. They also have plenty of places for kids to play.

As I rolled around, I also saw a few of the many murals spread throughout the mall area. Murals have become more popular in a lot of the places I have gone to, and I would see many during this trip.

 

Dinner was at the North Star Café, and it was far from your typical mall restaurant. It is an interesting place, with everything made from local ingredients. The food has a Latin twist, with a modern flare.

A prime example is the Cast Iron Steak & Enchilada. The steak was marinated in chipotle and lime, and the enchilada was with smoked gouda and covered in Salsa Verde. Heather gave a little bit to Teddy, and he agreed it was terrific.

 

We walked around Liberty Center for some time after, working up an appetite for dessert. We landed at Strato Artisanal Delights, where all the sweets had a European touch. There were so many choices that looked delicious.

I was trying to decide between the gelato and the cookies when I spotted the ice cream sandwich and my decision was made. Mint gelato inside two double chocolate cookies was the perfect choice. Teddy had a little vanilla gelato too.

 

We made one more stop before heading back to the hotel. Cooper’s Hawk is a favorite of mine and this made the third state I visited a location. I picked up a bottle of Cooper’s Hawk White.

 

When we returned to the Marriott it wasn’t long before we were all asleep. It had been a long day, and we had a busier one in Butler County to follow. The next morning we would be starting on the Donut Trail. 

I was hosted on this trip by Visit Butler County, but opinions are my own.

Another Side of Atlanta

 

It was my final day in Atlanta with my niece, Moriah, and I decided to plan something a little different. I had a late flight going home and I arranged for us to spend the day near the airport. It wasn’t the experience you’d expect,

 

The Atlanta Airport District promotes airport hotels and activities around the area, with ease in getting to the airport. It’s a different look at where to stay in Atlanta without just your typical quick stay hotels without the amenities you don’t often see at airport hotels.

Since my flight wasn’t leaving until 9:00 pm, I had a lot of time after our noon checkout at The American Hotel downtown. Moriah met me at the hotel, and I rolled and she walked to the MARTA train station.

 

Downtown has very convenient MARTA stations. There were actually four within a few blocks of the hotel. The only problem was that the elevators for handicap access were not next to the entrance. It took us a while, and help from a police officer, to figure out how to get to them.

Once we were at MARTA, it was extremely easy to use the automated ticket machines and find the train. I also had no issue getting on the train with my wheelchair. To get to the hotel we were heading to, we needed to change trains at the airport, but it was quick and easy.

 

The Marriott Gateway Atlanta Airport was just an elevator ride down from the train and right in front of us. We had a room for the day to use the amenities and relax. It is a large hotel, but it was Sunday afternoon and quiet. We checked in quickly.

A basket filled with goodies, including snacks, was waiting for us. The room was wheelchair accessible and it was easy for me to get around in. The bathroom was also large, and the shower had a chair in it.

I was most excited about using the pool. Getting in the water is freeing for me because I can “walk” in the water without fear of falling (I’ve had serious falls on the ground). The indoor pool also had a lift to make it easier to get into.

We relaxed in and out of the pool for a while. The sun was coming through the window and kept us warm, even though I couldn’t sit directly in the sunlight. After the pool, we took a walk through the Marriott Fitness Strength Center. It is one of the biggest hotel gym’s I’ve seen.

 

Our dinner wasn’t scheduled until later in the evening, but we were really hungry and decided to go early. The restaurant was Hickory & Hazel and just across a small street at the Renaissance Marriott Atlanta Airport.

The Cast Iron Peach Cornbread immediately caught my eye and we ordered it. It was delicious and we could have finished it all, but there was a lot more food to come. We continued with the Southern cooking theme and were not disappointed.

 

It was hard to decide on an entrée, so we got the two we were thinking about and shared: Buttermilk Fried Chicken, with Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, and “Chow Chow relish,” and Braised Lamb Shank, with Cheese Grits, and Brussel Sprouts. The portions were huge and everything was delicious.

Dessert was Red Velvet Cake and that was also fantastic. We had lots of leftovers and Moriah took them home. I went back to the Marriott Gateway to put my feet up before heading to my flight.

 

It was an easy one stop ride on the train to the airport. From there, I just rolled over to the check-in area. I usually fly American from Champaign, but Delta has a direct flight to Atlanta from Bloomington-Normal (CIRA) Airport. The schedule didn’t work out for me heading there, but it was perfect for going home.

This was my first time flying Delta in the wheelchair, and it went very smoothly. It was an incredibly fun trip to Atlanta and I’m sure I will be returning soon.