Meeting Butler County, Ohio

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  I was invited to spend a long weekend in Butler County, Ohio, just after they became Wheel The World certified for accessibility. The tourism board wanted me to write about how wheelchair accessible the region is. I hadn’t been there before, and it sounded like an interesting area, so I made plans to go. My trip to Butler County turned out to be one of my most unusual adventures, with new experiences, and a lot of donuts!   I brought Teddy and my friend, Heather, along for the ride, about three and a half hours from home. We had a nice welcome basket waiting for us at the hotel. Our home base was the Marriott Cincinnati North in Westerville. I was happy at the start with a flat entrance and automatic doors. They didn’t have any accessible rooms, so we had two connecting rooms. Teddy loved going back and forth between the two rooms. Mine had plenty of space for me to wheel around, a well-equipped desk area I could reach, and a large bathroom with a shower chair. The hand...
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Spa, Adventure and Suite Surprise at Paradisus

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Every day in Punta Cana seems to bring more fun and more pampering.  Wednesday was not an exception.

After a great breakfast in the Royal Service Restaurant, I headed over to the YHI Spa at Paradisus Punta Cana.  Before you even get inside this spa, you enter a state of relaxation with the soft music through the long path filled with flowers and trees.  Spa Manager Mayra Ramirez was waiting for me and showed me around the spa, which includes a pool, Jacuzzi, steam bath and sauna, in addition to private treatment rooms inside and outside in cabanas by the pool.

It wasn’t long before I was laying on a massage table, with flowers all around me as Tao started on my Hibiscus Journey, the spa’s signature treatment.  It was an hour and a half of bliss as I was exfoliated with the hibiscus scrub and then, after a hot shower, massage from head to toe with warm oil!  It was followed up with a Jacuzzi and a sauna, while Jaimee was treated to a treatment of her hands and feet (she had been relaxing in the facilities while I was in having my "journey").

Mayra joined us for lunch at Vita, where we had a beautiful, private table, a glass of Castillo Logar wine (a semi-dry white, which was very good) and sampled the restaurant's Banana Blue Cheese Pizza.  Before I left for Paradisus Punta Cana, I actually got an email from someone telling me that I needed to try the pizza and it was as delicious as they said it would be.  I also had a perfect Gnocchi and finished up with some tea because I needed a bit of caffeine to stay awake for my afternoon adventure.

Dorvil from Segway Eco Tour met me by the beach for my Segway lesson.  I had never been on a Segway before and, honestly, never really thought about it, but I took to it immediately.  It’s all about balance and I learned that my yoga paid off as I spent the next 45 minutes riding along the beach and the grounds.  It was so much fun as I dodged people, cars and mopeds, watching the blue water of the ocean go by.  I wished I had time to take their full Segway beach tour, something I will have to put on my schedule for the next trip.


It was time to pack up after the Segway because a car was waiting to take us to our next hotel, Paradisus Palma Real.  I was told this hotel was very different, a bit more luxurious and a bit less tropical.  That was definitely  true, but there was a surprise waiting – our room at The Reserve.  We got one of the best, the one bedroom swim-up suite.  In addition to the separate bedroom, two bathroom areas, living room, dining room and kitchenette, we have indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, a beautiful deck with seating and our own “bed” to relax or sunbath we had…. our own entrance to the swimming pool from our yard!

It wasn’t long before I was in my bathing suit, out the backyard and doing some laps around the pool.  From our room, we can actually swim to the bar, the restaurants, or just relax in one of the in water lounge chairs!  Jaimee joined me and we swam back for some champagne time in the Jacuzzi before dressing for dinner.

Aqua was probably my favorite restaurant yet.  The modern décor created a relaxing ambiance as we enjoyed more champagne and a wonderful dinner.  Everything was great, even the cheesecake that followed.  We had a nightcap at the Gabi Club (there is a Gabi club at every Paradisus, named after the owner’s daughter) and made it to sleep before midnight for another busy day ahead.  After my morning meetings, it’s pool time, windsurfing and then afternoon tennis!

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