Pismo is Making Waves in Accessibility

There is much we can find each day to complain about. These past few weeks, I have had some bones to pick and axes to grind over so many issues. Health insurance, parking, ADA awareness, and accessibility, just to name a few. Often, when a conversation starts about politics or the government, there are axes and bones to go around for days. This week I want to share some kudos and compliments. This week I bring you a positive and uplifting experience. It gives me hope for the future of accessibility for families that include someone with a disability and who is a wheelchair user.

Thanks to a great friend, Todd, Emily, and I were able to camp at Pismo Beach this past weekend. We stayed at a California State campground. We arrived at North Beach Campground on Thursday afternoon to a beautiful message my friend’s family left us in chalk as we drove into our site. The message said, “It’s a good day to have a great day”. My heart smiled. Michael O’Brien, my favorite meditation teacher, says this often. What a thoughtful and welcoming gesture. They also left us an EZ up, water, soap, and a tablecloth. Apparently, other campers needed those items more than us. They did leave the chalk-adorned rock the grandkids had used to hold down the tablecloth. It was all good. The rock and message gave us more than those material things would.

The site, while not an ADA site, was very easily accessible with Emily’s wheelchair. The campground was large, and kids were riding bikes and scooters on the road that meandered throughout the grounds at all hours. Emily enjoyed walks on the asphalt, watching the kids at play, dogs on walks, and people enjoying the outdoors. The restrooms were all large enough to accommodate the wheelchair and fully supplied. They all had large bins to dispose of diapers, pads, and wipes. The rooms were large enough for the entire family, including Ben.

Pismo Beach had so much to offer. The campground offered evening programs at 8 pm each night in a completely accessible amphitheater. There were also two accessible hikes/walks we were able to take Emily on with her wheelchair. One was The Monarch Butterfly Grove. While it was a bit early for the onslaught of Monarch butterflies that descend in this area annually, we did see some, and the walk was calming and peaceful. After our short walk along the butterfly trail, we asked the staff if the trail that went off in another direction was accessible with a wheelchair. She exclaimed with pride that it was fully accessible and was parallel to the ocean. We enjoyed the mile-long walk along the ocean, passing strollers, joggers, and dogs. Emily loved the sound her wheels made as they crossed each wooden slat.

The City of Pismo Beach website states they have beach wheelchairs free for use. (Other cities we have been to claim to have them, but we have never been able to procure one to use.) They are kept at The Sandcastle Inn by the beach. I called the property and spoke with James. He was very kind and gave me all the details. He seemed thrilled that we were going to come and use them. He asked that we call first to verify one was available. On Saturday, we decided to take Emily for a walk on the beach. Emily has not been on the sand since she was 8 or 9. (Once she got too big for a backpack or to be carried.) When we arrived at the Inn, we were instructed to park in the ADA parking near the hotel registration. The ADA space was available, and easy to get Emily out of the vehicle. We transferred her from her wheelchair into the beach chair. Nicole graciously offered to store her chair safely in the back office.

Todd was in charge of pushing the chair down the ramp and onto the sand. I was nervous at first, but I began to relax. Emily enjoyed the action. The people. The birds. The waves. She loved everything, but the wind. Since Todd was wearing jeans and sneakers, I walked her in the water. I got teary-eyed and a bit choked up during our adventure. We were doing what people do when they vacation by the water, but it was a rare treat for us. The City of Pismo Beach made sure our family had a wonderful experience, and we created joyous memories.

We ended our weekend with dinner at Guiseppe’s in Pismo. This was a fantastic way to end our trip. It was recommended by my good friend, Patti, and it did not disappoint. They open for dinner at 4 pm. We arrived at 3:50 pm. It took one loop around the area to find an ADA spot that had space to lower Emily in and out of Todd’s truck. After parking, we got into a line that was forming around the building. The doors opened promptly at 4, and the restaurant was at full capacity within ten minutes. I ordered butternut squash ravioli for Emily in hopes she would share it with me. She loved it and was stingy. Todd ordered the Fritto Misto. It included fresh sand dabs, octopus, prawns, calamari steak, and scallops that were flash fried. I decided to also order a Margherita pizza. The pizza oven was beautiful and in the main dining area. It was entertaining to watch each pizza being handmade with care.

Our weekend also included a ride on the sand in Todd’s truck. Emily loved watching the ATVs riding the sand dunes. Watching people get stuck in the sand and get towed out was also entertaining. Emily seemed to think tires spinning with sand spewing out the back was hilarious. I reminded her it is not funny if you are the one that is stuck. Luckily, Todd has 40 years of experience off-roading in these conditions. There was zero percent chance we would get stuck. Todd and I loved hadn’t been here since we were in our twenties. The beach was packed end to end with cars, ATVs, trucks, and RVs. It was funny that we remember driving his truck on the sand all those years ago and only saw a few cars and a couple horses.

Our trailer and the added auto access seat installed last year have opened up more opportunities for Emily. It is beautiful when we go somewhere and access doesn’t stop at the truck and trailer. The City of Pismo Beach provided access, opportunity, and hospitality everywhere we visited. They embraced Emily. There was never an issue finding an ADA parking place with the cross-hatches that were open and available. The staff at the campgrounds were kind and kept the restrooms in good order with supplies. The community seems to understand that accessibility is key to a diverse community. After all, disability is diversity, right?