San Antonio showers hospitality on visitors of all abilities
Editor’s note: “A Special World” relates programs and experiences by and for the disabled community in Greater Houston. Houston Chronicle senior copy editor Suzanne Garofalo wrote this story from her son’s perspective.
My name is Paul. I’m 11 years old, and I have autism. If you have a kid like me or with another disability, planning vacations can be really hard. There’s so much to think about — will our wheelchairs fit on rides? Will there be a quiet place if we need a break from too many sights and sounds? Can you bring in our snacks if we have food allergies?
What if I told you a place right down the road from Houston has lots of fun stuff to see and do and is thinking about all of that for you? San Antonio is becoming a go-to spot for vacationers of all abilities. So Mom and I hit the road to see for ourselves.
We checked in to the Mokara Hotel & Spa on the River Walk. The Mokara, San Antonio’s only Forbes four-star hotel, has these things called luxury amenities, which I think means a cool spa for grownups, fitness center, laundry service (handy when we kids spill ketchup on our one nice shirt Mom packed — oops) and deep bathtubs that make bubbles. If you get turned around taking the stairs down to the lobby, you’ll see a sign in an office that reminds the people who work there that every guest is a Forbes inspector.
I liked the big four-poster bed. From the pool on the roof and our balcony, I could see the river and horses pulling carriages.
First stop: the River Walk. Since ancient times — you know, the 1980s — the city has been taking away architectural barriers and making it easier for wheelchairs to get by along the water channel connecting restaurants, hotels and landmarks.
We grabbed dinner at Dick’s Last Resort, where the waitstaff ’s shtick is to act like … well, it’s in the name. I’m not supposed to use words like that. Captain Brian told us to reach under our seats to find our seatbelts. The grownups laughed. I looked for mine, confused.
“He’s just kidding,” Mom said. I didn’t get it, but apparently the barges go only as fast as a quick walk. That was the first of many jokes from Captain Brian, who sure knew a lot about the city. Sunset was a beautiful time for him to tell us about the buildings, statues and small waterfalls around us.
Captain Brian had nicely pointed us to seats away from his microphone’s speaker. I don’t do well with loud noises. I wished I hadn’t left my headphones at the hotel because the boat’s motor is a little loud, too. If you have a kid like me, make sure you remember them unless you want his fingers in his ears during the tour.
The next morning, we tried The Original Blanco Cafe a few blocks away. I can put away more breakfast tacos than a grownup, and Mom said she wanted Tex-Mex where the locals eat. It was great. The flour tortillas were fresh. Soooo good.
We left downtown excited about the main reason for our visit: a day at the new Morgan’s Inspiration Island. It’s the only splash park in the whole world where everyone can go — even people in wheelchairs. It just opened this summer next to Morgan’s Wonderland theme park, the crown jewel of disability-friendly places in San Antonio. At both, guests with special needs get in free.
First, Mom took me on the River Boat Adventure ride. It twists and turns through a jungle with bird and animal sounds in the background. I liked the pretend monkeys best.
Back at the entrance, Gordon Hartman shook my hand and showed us the five water-play areas — Hang 10 Harbor, Rainbow Reef, Shipwreck Island, Harvey’s Hideaway Bay and Calypso Cove — with raintrees, falls, geysers, jets and water cannons.
Mr. Hartman built the place and named it after his daughter, Morgan. When she was a girl, kids wouldn’t play with her because she’s different, so he decided to do something for her and kids like me.
“Imagine not being the last one picked for a game, but never picked,” he said. “We’ve changed that.”
Thunder was booming, and I was disappointed play was shut down until it passed, but that didn’t take too long. Mr. Hartman said the weather is the one thing he can’t control, but he’s done his best with everything else.
“This is a park of inclusion,” he said, “no matter how acute the special need.”
His Gordon Hartman Family Foundation worked with the University of Pittsburgh to create wheelchairs that run on air instead of batteries like regular motorized wheelchairs, which can’t get wet. The air’s kept in tanks like a scuba diver uses.
These prototypes and two other waterproof wheelchair models — a push-stroller kind for people who need help
getting around and a manual kind for people who can push themselves — mean everyone can play. Big private stalls let families change from their own wheelchairs to the waterproof ones.
Mr. Hartman and his team have thought of everything. If people are sensitive to cold water, Rainbow Reef ’s can be warmed up so their muscles don’t seize. Waterproof wristbands are tagged so adults can go to a Location Station and easily find out where their kids or others are. Cabanas can get you away from kids shrieking in the water.
That bell that builds excitement and lets us splashers know the giant buckets at Shipwreck Island and Harvey’s Hideaway Bay are about to tip? Not good enough — colorcoding will be added so the hearing-impaired know they’re going to get soaked.
The Rusty Anchor Galley Grub and Little Italy Bistro serve food, but people can bring their own. Food sensitivities and budgets are a reality, Mr. Hartman knows. He said the park can even refrigerate what’s needed for guests with feeding tubes.
Mr. Hartman, who used to be a builder, said building Morgan’s Inspiration Island was easy — the key will be keeping it great.
“There’s nothing overly magical here,” he said.
But the Edwards family sure thinks there is. Back at Rainbow Reef, while I splashed and played under a row of seahorses, Claire, 16, of Cypress enjoyed a waterpark for the first time. Her parents, Dave and Amy, and brother, Ryan, 8, were all smiles.
Not only was Claire, who uses a wheelchair, able to play in the water like her brother, but “people in wheelchairs are getting my daughter on rides,” Mrs. Edwards said of the staff, a third of whom have special needs.
When we left, I was tired and happy — just like you parents like.
At dusk, I’d perked up enough to try to climb the wall around the Alamo, but Mom made me stop. I couldn’t do it anyway; nothing’s getting past those walls! Right? Er, I’m supposed to learn about that in middle school.
On our last morning, we headed to Pancake Joe’s in the Deco District. I ate fluffy scrambled eggs, my favorite. Mom liked her short stack of triple-berry whole-wheat pancakes. Since it was a weekday, we didn’t wait, but this diner is popular, so expect to on weekends.
I’m into rocks, trees and plants right now, so we made one last stop on our way out of town. The San Antonio Botanical Garden lets you touch the sculptures and aromatic plants in the Sensory Garden. And they loan out wheelchairs. Right out front, there was an agave cactus as big as me!
San Antonio made me feel comfortable, and so I had fun.
“This isn’t a normal place,” Mr. Hartman had told us. “San Antonio is a very compassionate city. We will do whatever’s needed.”
When you visit, you’ll see that, too.