Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Accessible Richmond, Southern BBQ and the Founding Fathers
Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Accessible Richmond, Southern BBQ and the Founding Fathers
George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson hosted barbecues in the 1700s, and a new travel guide to Richmond, Virginia.
Hello, everyone!
One of my favorite things about working in accessible travel is the opportunity to share accessible destinations with readers and the community at large. Today, I get to share some resources that I hope will unlock a vibrant capital city and region that is notable for its exceptional art, history, and cultural attractions, great food and southern hospitality — that destination is Richmond, Virginia!
Last month, the local tourism authority hosted me on a tour of the city and surrounding area, allowing me to explore the region and produce a travel guide which contains helpful information for planning an accessible trip. The product of that trip is the Richmond, Virginia Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide.
Here’s what you’ll find inside:
10 Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Richmond — Where else can you tour a state capitol building designed by Thomas Jefferson, visit the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, spend time outdoors at one of the East Coast’s premier botanical gardens, and visit a Civil War Museum developed by one of the country’s leading historians? And hey, that’s only four of the ten attractions I’ve highlighted!
Guide to Wheelchair Accessible Public Transit in Richmond — On the city’s Pulse express bus service, wheelchair users have level-entry boarding and do not have to use a wheelchair ramp — possible thanks to a unique bus rapid transit (BRT) system that increases efficiency, elevates accessibility, and is rare to see in North America.
Accessible Hotels in Richmond — A handful of hotels really stand out for their accessibility, including one property that has what feels like a unicorn feature, ADA hotel rooms with bathtubs that actually meet the regulatory requirements.
Accessibility at Richmond International Airport — Following a recent expansion and renovation, the Richmond Airport has made accessibility improvements and is large enough to accommodate future growth in travelers to the region.
Wheelchair Accessibility of Richmond Sidewalks — Sidewalks are not the most accessible feature of Richmond, but a recent action plan has put the city on a path to improving pedestrian infrastructure, including in neighborhoods most in need of investment to promote equity and opportunity.
Richmond was a memorable trip — my first visit to the city since kindergarten melded a lot of the things I love about travel, including great museums, stunning architecture, delicious food and local craft brews! I hope to return soon and share more of the region and the State of Virginia with you!
Southern BBQ and the Founding Fathers
In early America, barbecues were popular festivals that gathered members of the community and allowed politicians to interact with colonists. In 1769, John Adams, who would later become the second president of the United States, wrote in his diary that barbecues “tinge the Minds of the People, they impregnate them with the sentiments of Liberty. They render the People fond of their Leaders in the Cause, and averse and bitter against all opposers.”
It’s no wonder, then, that people all across America celebrate the July 4th Independence Day holiday with backyard barbecues!
Now, let me get to the point — A new series on HBO Max, Chasing Flavor, sees chef and television personality Carla Hall traveling to “track down the unexpected lineage and international origins of America’s favorite dishes.” Episode 4 caught my eye, as it traces the history of southern BBQ. I assumed the episode would focus on destinations traditionally associated with BBQ, like Memphis and Kansas City, but instead she traveled to Virginia — the state, I now know, that was the birthplace of southern BBQ.
While humans have been slow cooking meat for centuries all across the world, including in North America before European colonists arrived, this method of cooking proved particularly effective for the low quality and rough cuts of meat given as scraps to slaves in colonial and early America. Hall’s episode shines light on this practice and points out that, even at the grandest BBQs of the time, including those hosted by presidents like George Washington and John Adams, the preparation and cooking was done by slaves. The first pit masters of what we now know as American and Southern BBQ were slaves who brought those skills from Africa.
This episode led me down a rabbit hole, as I continued to ask questions and thought about how I might have approached my trip to Richmond differently with this extra knowledge. Might I have sought out more authentic southern BBQ? What’s the best BBQ joint in Jackson Ward, the city’s historic district that was once referred to as the “Black Wall Street?” Perhaps these questions can be answered on a future trip.
Looking ahead
Tomorrow, on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (New York time), the amazing team at the New England ADA Center, including Director Taciana Ribeiro Saab, will join me to discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act and the important work being done to demystify the ADA and provide resources to the community.
If you have questions about your rights (or responsibilities, if you’re a business owner) under the ADA, this is a conversation worth joining. All disabled Americans and those traveling to the United States are protected by the ADA, so it’s important to understand the law, where and when it applies, and what to do when you encounter an accessibility barrier.
Click here to register for the Accessible Travel Chat with the New England ADA Center
On Friday and into next week, I will be traveling to St. Louis, Missouri to handle some personal business, but hope to gain a few story ideas in the process. When traveling, it doesn’t seem like a day goes by without at least one interesting story worth sharing.
In Case You Missed It
Last week, I published an article for premium subscribers titled I Make Accessible Travel Look Easy — How You Can Learn From My Mistakes, reflecting on my 10 years of traveling with a wheelchair and some of the lessons I’ve learned to make traveling with a disability a bit easier. If you’d like to read this and other exclusive content, please consider upgrading to a paid newsletter subscription. If you join at the Founding Member level, you can also schedule a 1:1 conversation with me over Zoom or on a phone call.
What I’m reading
It has been a very slow start to my reading year, but I’ve got two books on deck for my trip this week, and both are disability-focused. The first, Differently Abled Adventures: Pushing the limits of what is possible, was written and shared by a reader of this newsletter, Carrie Aadland. I’m excited to read about her journey!
The second has been on my list for awhile, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church. Accessibility in churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship is not covered by the ADA, and so it will be interesting to read another perspective on how to foster inclusion in these places where all are supposed to be welcome.
Have a great rest of the week, and I look forward to connecting with you soon!
All the best,
— John