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It’s the year of California for me with four completely different trips there. One of my favorite states is stepping up its accessibility and they want everyone to know about it. I am happy to be one of those invited to explore the advances for those with disabilities.
When it comes to the Golden State, beaches are one of the top attractions. It fits Santa Cruz and Torrance, two completely different beach towns in different halves of the state both offered plenty for wheelchair users to see and do beyond the ocean views.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz County is over six hundred square miles of beaches, parks, and stunning scenery. It is also a college town, and the downtown area is filled with trendy shops, bars, old fashion cinema, and restaurants.
I had been to the city of Santa Cruz many times, but it was my first trip since becoming a wheelchair user. I explored with my niece, Moriah, and nephew, Jacob, the latter of whom is a student there. He led me to the best roadways to catch the views of surfers dotting the waters like seals, and the most scenic spots to drive along.
I have many memories of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk from childhood and adulthood. I was happy to see it was welcoming to me as a wheelchair user. It was easy to get around with smooth paths. I also found a ramp that went down to the beach.
Natural Bridges State Park offers an accessible beach in Santa Cruz. Moriah pushed me in one of the beach chairs the park offers to guests. Natural Bridges had a special surprise: it’s one of the sites of the Monarch Butterfly Migration. We were able to see some of them flying around in the natural preserve.
We also spent time in the quaint town of Capitola. I wheeled across the wharf and saw the breathtaking views of the colorful houses and ocean waves. They even had a modern, accessible bathroom right on the pier.
Another park which is accessible and well worth visiting is Henry Cowell Redwood State Park in Santa Cruz County’s small town of Felton, California. It had been a long time since I’d seen the California Redwoods and I forgot how beautiful they were. I had a clear path to roll through and see them up close.
After Henry Cowell Park, we stopped at The Grove for brunch. It did not look accessible from the front, but they had a flat entrance in the back. They serve healthier local cuisine. Moriah had Turkish Eggs (poached eggs with herbed yogurt and smoked butter), and I had Honey Buckwheat Cottage Cheese Pancakes.
That was far from the only memorable meal we had traveling around Santa Cruz. Gayle’s Bakery is famous in the area for its breakfast and baked goods. Jacob joined us and we decided to share the frittata, breakfast burrito, bread pudding, and cinnamon roll. Everything lived up to Gayle’s reputation.
That night we ate at Jack O’Neil’s Restaurant, named after the famed California surfer and owner of the O’Neill brand. It is in the Dream Inn on the beach in Santa Cruz. We had a corner table with ocean views. We had delicious meals that included Mushroom Bolognese Pasta, roasted chicken with polenta, grilled salmon, and a vegetable, fruit, and burrata filled flatbread.
We also went to 11th Hour Coffee in the Swift Street Courtyard for yogurt bowls and lattes, and Venus Spirits and Kitchen, where the home style comfort food—fried chicken, burgers, macaroni and cheese, and crème brulee–were the perfect end to the day.
I flew into San Francisco International Airport, and we drove to Santa Cruz. My road trip was in a rented van from Turo that had a ramp. It was my first time using the company which rents private vehicles from their owners. The van had no issues, and the cost was about a third of what it usually cost for an accessible vehicle.
I stayed at the Courtyard Santa Cruz. It was a central location for all the attractions. The room was large, had a well-appointed walk-in shower, and plenty of space to move around in the wheelchair.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S TORRANCE
Torrance may not be the first Southern California town that comes to your mind, but it should be, especially if you are looking for art, beaches, and food. Torrance also has a lot of wheelchair accessible options available.
I flew into LAX (Los Angeles International) and was impressed with their accessibility improvements. Large bathrooms marked for people of disability even included ones with adult changing tables. I was able to get help easier than at any other airport I’ve been to, from getting my luggage to helping me find my friend, Lynn.
Torrance Beach is big, beautiful, and wheelchair-friendly with ramps to give you a ride down to the beach or an ideal spot to see it all from the top. The weather is consistently ideal for the beach year-round.
We were joined throughout the trip with Debbie Hays, Sales & Community Relations Director for Discover Torrance. She certainly knows her way around, as well as the top places to go.
Art is popular in Torrance, and we saw a lot of it. We started at VEFA Gallery, owned by the Anderson family. Gabriel Anderson escorted us around. The gallery changes its main exhibit every month or so and has exquisite pieces which are for sale. Entrance is free.
The Chen Art Gallery, owned by Dr. Tei Fu Chen of the Sunrider Organization and his family. The works of Chinese artifacts, some of which go back 5,000 years, are rare and priceless. Photos are not allowed one you open the vault doors (the entire gallery is a huge vault). There is no charge for admission and a tour of the Chen Art Gallery, but you need to call in advance to make an appointment.
Another unique art display in Torrance I saw was on the side of a building. I met with world-famous artist Robert Vargas to see him painting a mega mural on the Doubletree by Hilton. The mural features three Japanese players on the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Shohei Otani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. It is called Samurai of the Diamond and pays homage to Torrance’s large Japanese population.
I had some wonderfully tasty and unusual experiences dining in Torrance. I didn’t even know there was a King’s Hawaiian Restaurant and Bakery. The only one is in
this Southern California city. The décor is perfectly Hawaiian, and everything had a touch of that location. Lynn had the King Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast, topped with strawberries. As much as I wanted to do the same, it contains orange peel (I’m allergic to citrus). I ordered the corned beef hash, eggs, and a pineapple muffin.
I didn’t love the mashed texture of the hash, but the pineapple muffin was so good. The waitress insisted we have dessert and, after much deliberation, we continued the sugar load with the right choices: Dream Chocolate Cake and a Malasada Portuguese Donut.
The Chado Tea Room is another spot you need to go to in Torrance. It’s a large place, filled with tea and tea products, including beautiful porcelain kettles. They have multiple options for traditional afternoon tea service. I chose the Bridgerton option. Although Lynn and Debbie helped me finish my tower of food, Lynn had a beautifully created Apple Brie Salad and Debbie had a plate of the cucumber sandwiches.
Other memorable meals in Torrance were at Red Car Brewery & Restaurant, where we had Baked Brie, a Sesame Chicken Salad, and Woodfire Margharita Pizza, and 21 Square Restaurant in the Marriott. The Truffle Parmesan Fries were amazing. Lynn got the nachos and Debbie went for her favorite, BLTA, a bacon, lettuce, and tomato with avocado. We finished by sharing an order of caramel filled churros.
Torrance offers lots of accessible transportation, but there is a demand so allow extra time. The city’s Connect service can take you around in a van with a ramp for just a few dollars a ride. Uber and Lyft WAV are also in town. If you don’t have advance arrangements or rent a van in LAX, go to the taxi stand and ask them to find you an accessible ride.
We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Torrance, it has a pool and beautifully manicured grounds which were easy to wheel around on. The room had a kitchenette and large bathroom with a walk-in shower but was a little tight getting around in with my large wheelchair.