Tiny Creatures and Art in Wheelchair Accessible Phoenix

 

I was heading to Phoenix for a conference, and I thought I’d do a little accessible sightseeing while there. I had spent a lot of time in Arizona when I was covering tennis and always loved it.

My hotel for four days was The Camby in downtown Phoenix. I had a large accessible room with some features that were a first for me. One was door buttons in and outside the bathroom. I didn’t have to worry about a heavy door. I could push the button, and it would open for me.

I also loved that both sides of the bed had outlets, both electrical and USB, on the walls. I had plenty of room to keep my things next to my king-size bed and still plug in my wheelchair, phone, and computer. The shower was also big and had a shower chair.

I was exhausted that first night and decided to order through GrubHub. True Food Kitchen had good reviews, and I agreed after having their Lasagna al Pesto.

The next morning, I ordered an omelet and latte from room service at The Canby. I had contacted Visit Phoenix about setting up an itinerary for me. We were both excited about my heading to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t going to cooperate, and we needed a new plan. It turned out to be a great one.

HealthLift picked me up in a wheelchair accessible van and we went to the Arizona Boardwalk in nearby Scottsdale. It was quite a place, with attractions, stores, and restaurants.

My first stop was at the aquarium, always a favorite of mine. The OdySea Aquarium was quite interesting and had many unique features. The first of which was definitely something I had never seen before: America’s Best Restroom. It earned this honor because, just above the sink there was a live viewing of all types of fish!

I took the elevator upstairs and began exploring the rest of OdySea. It was a little crowded, but I still had no problem wheeling around. I saw unique exhibits, such as one on Jellyfish, and signs for special activities like SeaTrek Helmet Diving. After looking through all the fish and sharks, I ended up at Voyager.

OdySea Voyager is a rotating aquarium that takes you on a carousel ride for 20 minutes. It goes through four marine habitats: Open Ocean, Sea Turtle Reef, Sea Lion Sound, and Shark Waters. There was plenty of wheelchair seating for me to enjoy the world’s only rotating aquarium.

On my way to the next stop, I spotted a Johnny Rockets. I hadn’t been to one in years and it was the only place I’ve had a malt. I ordered a 

It was pouring rain hard, but I only had to go outside for a few minutes to get into Butterfly Wonderland. I was hesitant to go there. I just expected it to be a bunch of butterflies flying around an atrium. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Butterfly Wonderland is the world's largest Butterfly Conservatory. It is home to thousands of unique butterflies from different parts of the world. It also has exhibits of the chrysalis, the hard casing that caterpillars build before transforming into a butterfly. I could actually see some butterflies emerging.

A 3-D movie explained the flight of the monarch butterfly, which includes a stop in this part of the country. Then, we entered the atrium. It was not flooded with butterflies. We only saw a few and it was amazing they only landed in the hands of children.

Butterfly Wonderland also houses reptiles from the rainforest and aquariums of fish from rivers nearby. I probably could have stayed hours more if I didn’t have another place to be.

 

I was definitely running late. I just made it to the Courtyard Café at the Heard Museum before they closed. The menu was filled with Southwest cuisine. I was drawn to the burrito, and it was freshly made and flavorful.

The museum was closing in an hour, and I didn’t have a lot of time. Fortunately, it was just on the other side of the open courtyard. I caught some of the end of a tour and explored on my own until they told me it was time to leave. The Heard Museum shows the world of American Indian Art, from paintings to jewelry.

I had no problem with accessibility in the museum, with wide open halls. It’s a place I’d like to explore more next time.

I went back to The Camby worn out, but still excited about all I was able to do in Phoenix despite the rain.