An Accessible Visit to Saguaro National Park

 

In March 2016, our family reached Saguaro National Park during one of the biggest adventures of our lives—a cross-country move from St. Johns, Florida, to Roseville, California. After days of driving across the South, the Sonoran Desert was unlike anything we had seen. Towering saguaro cacti stood like silent guardians across the hillsides, stretching their arms toward a cloudless Arizona sky. Every mile brought a new landscape, making this stop feel less like a break from the drive and more like an unforgettable destination.

Accessible Guide to Hiking and Backpacking the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park

In June 2010, our family discovered that the Grand Canyon's quieter North Rim offered not only breathtaking scenery but also an unforgettable wilderness adventure that could include Kellisa every step of the way. While most visitors experience the canyon from busy overlooks, we combined spectacular accessible viewpoints with a memorable night camping in the backcountry, creating one of the most unique experiences of our travels.

Wheelchair Accessible Trails at Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park marked a memorable milestone for Chris, Kellisa, and Egypt. During their cross-country move from Jacksonville, Florida, to Roseville, California in January 2016, Arizona became the 40th state that the three explored together. The stop was part of a whirlwind journey west, proving that even while relocating across the country, there is always time to add another adventure to Kellisa's growing list of accessible hikes.

The photos capture a landscape unlike almost anywhere else in America. They show Kellisa smiling beside enormous, fossilized tree trunks that have been transformed into colorful stone over more than 200 million years. Other images highlight sweeping views across the Painted Desert, where layers of red, purple, gray, and orange stretch to the horizon. We also photographed the surreal Blue Mesa badlands, whose soft blue and lavender hills resemble another planet, along with overlooks where the wheelchair could be positioned safely to enjoy the scenery. Together, the pictures emphasize that the park is about much more than petrified logs—it is a place of vast open vistas, remarkable geology, and shared family memories. 

Accessible Trails in Alaska

 

 Not All Accessible Trails Found Below are ADA Complaint

1.        Roadside Bike Trail

  2.        The Trail of Blue Ice

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Roadside Bike Trail in Winter with a Rugged Mobility Chair

In late November 2016, our family arrived in Alaska after an unforgettable red-eye flight from Hawaii, trading tropical beaches and 80°F sunshine for the frozen wilderness of Denali National Park and a bone-chilling -21°F—a temperature swing of roughly 100 degrees in less than half a day. Alaska wasn't just another destination. It was the 50th and final U.S. state that Chris, Kellisa, and Egypt had visited together, completing a promise years in the making. 

Accessible Hiking Guide to the Trail of Blue Ice

 

This is a chapter summary from our hiking adventure in Alaska on the Trail of Blue Ice in Chugach National Forest, as part of our hiking a trail with Kellisa in all 50 states for Rugged Access for All. We start the chapter by recalling an earlier milestone: arriving in Alaska on November 23, 2016, in extreme cold, after a red-eye flight from Honolulu. Hawaii was our 49^th state visited and hiked in, and Alaska completed our 50-state goal, achieved six months before Kellisa’s 18th birthday and when Egypt was only seven. Despite limited daylight, icy roads, exhaustion, and temperatures around -21°F (exactly 100 degrees colder than Honolulu), we completed a short winter outing at Denali National Park, marking the emotional completion of a years-long promise.

Accessible Trails in Alabama

 Not All Accessible Trails Found Below are ADA Compliant

1. Audubon Bird Sanctuary

2. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

3. Cheaha Mountain

4. Little River National Preserve

5. Open Pond Trail

6. Russell Cave National Monument

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Accessible Hiking Guide to the Open Pond Trail

Having lived in Florida for 16 years, I had explored many Alabama trails but often found central and northern routes too rocky for pushing Kellisa’s mobility chair, while Gulf Coast trails were frequently too sandy. Hoping to find a more suitable option between those regions, we chose the two-mile Open Pond loop as a promising trail.

Wheelchair Accessible Trails at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

 

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge offers one of Alabama's best opportunities to experience protected coastal habitats, with a mix of maritime forest, freshwater wetlands, dunes, and quiet Gulf beaches. The refuge features well-maintained boardwalks, wide crushed-surface paths, shaded pine forest, scenic overlooks, and elevated viewing platforms that make wildlife viewing enjoyable. 

Guide to the Accessible Trails at Audubon Bird Sanctuary

 

The Audubon Bird Sanctuary on Dauphin Island is one of the Gulf Coast's premier birding destinations, protecting more than 160 acres of maritime forest, freshwater wetlands, dunes, and shoreline. The sanctuary is especially famous as a resting place for migratory birds crossing the Gulf of Mexico, making it an outstanding destination during spring and fall migrations.

Visitors experience a diverse mix of coastal habitats, including shaded maritime forest paths, elevated wooden boardwalks crossing wetlands, observation areas overlooking Gaillard Lake, and sandy trails leading toward the Gulf beach. The scenery changes quickly from dense pine and live oak forest to open marshes, dunes, and shoreline, providing excellent wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the walk.

A Wheelchair Accessible Visit to Cheaha Mountain

Cheaha Mountain, at 2,407 feet (734 m), is the highest natural point in Alabama and the centerpiece of Cheaha State Park. Surrounded by the forests of Talladega NationalForest, it offers sweeping mountain views, historic stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and a variety of hiking opportunities.

Kellisa enjoyed the natural beauty and the ease of reaching Alabama's highest point at the southern end of the Appalachian foothills. The iconic stone observation tower and forested landscape emphasizes that this is a destination where visitors can experience impressive mountain scenery with minimal effort.

An Accessible Visit to Russell Cave National Monument

Russell Cave National Monument offers a fascinating blend of natural beauty and human history, preserving one of the most significant prehistoric archaeological sites in the southeastern United States. Our trip photos emphasize both the peaceful forest setting and the impressive cave entrance, showing that this national monument is as much about experiencing history as it is enjoying outdoors. Our visit centers on an easy walk through the woods to a remarkable cave shelter where people lived seasonally for thousands of years.

An Accessible Visit to Little River Canyon National Preserve

 Little River Canyon National Preserve

Alabama

November 2010

Egypt's Path (2010 to 2020) - Part XV

 

We close out this series of posts with a final collection of Egypt between 2010 and 2020. The following pictures capture dozens of everyday moments and special occasions that together tell the story of an active, adventurous, and deeply loved child. When viewed together, all are classic “Egypt.” 

Egypt is a joyful, confident, and an endlessly curious young girl whose personality shines through every stage of childhood.  Her smile is one of the most consistent features throughout the collection. Whether she is dressed casually, celebrating holidays, traveling, playing outdoors, posing with family, or simply enjoying childhood, she is genuinely happy and comfortable in front of the camera. The images reveal a girl who embraces new experiences with enthusiasm and confidence.

Egypt's Path (2010 to 2020) - Part XIV

 

Egypt is someone who has always been fascinated by animals, whether they are wild, dangerous, gentle, or simply unusual. Rather than watching wildlife from a distance, she is happiest when she can experience it up close. Throughout the photos, Egypt is confident, curious, and eager to learn about the creatures she encounters. 

From standing near wild alligators and crocodiles in Everglades National Park to observing majestic elk walking through her campsite in Yellowstone National Park, Egypt embraces every opportunity to experience nature firsthand. The pictures also show her comfort with snakes—even welcoming them into her living room—demonstrating that fear rarely gets in the way of her curiosity. Visits to zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and nature centers add to an impressive collection of encounters with animals from around the United States.