rizzo0904

Family is coming to visit in mid-September. Looking to do a day trip but it needs to be handicapped accessible. We will be renting a wheelchair for my husband's grandmother who doesn't get around very well.

We've been to Portsmouth and the Butterfly Place. I think the mountains are out since you really need to get out and walk around to appreciate them...IMO anyway. Boston is out since I don't want to try and deal with the wheelchair on the subway. Was thinking about Newburyport, Gloucester/Rockport, or Canterbury Village. Or even Salem, MA. How are the sidewalks? Will it be easy to get around with a wheelchair? There will also be another elderly person who is in better shape but too many cobblestones could be tricky.

MIL is the picky one and the one who will complain if she's not happy, so let's focus on what she likes...lol. Good food, cute shops (think St. Michaels MD), upscale. She and FIL like music...he likes art.

Thanks for the help!

rizzo0904

Oh, forgot to mention, we've also done Kennebunkport with them.

dfrostnh

It has been years since we toured Canterbury Shaker Village. A check of their website doesn't give any information about handicap accessibility. There could be a problem with stairs and going in and out of buildings. I would call to check about this. It is a beautiful place.

You might be able to put together a nice outing on a particular day for Concord NH. The schedule doesn't show for the fall yet but the Concord Community Music School shows free noon time concerts on Thursdays right now called Bach's lunch. Again, you would have to check about accessibility. I have not attended. Downtown has a few interesting shops esp the League of NH Craftsmen. There are a couple of galleries. The Mueum of NH History is right off Main St at Eagle Square and is fully accessible. This is one of the places we don't visit often enough but I was fascinated by a special exhibit on knitting socks, how families could earn money in the olden days. A new exhibit opening June 11 is on kitchens which may or may not interest your husband's grandmother. My FIL used to love looking at old equipment at transporation museums and talking about what he used to use way back when. Given the right day of the week you might also be able to take a break from touring with a matinee at the wonderful new Red River Theater, also on Main St. If you park on the 2nd level of the parking garage, you can wheel straight thru to the theater lobby. Sometimes lectures and discussions are held after the showing of an independent movie. The theaters are small and very comfortable. Food and beverages are available including wine and beer. Right next door is a small, independent book store with a ramp right into a great bakery Bread and Chocolate. The theater is in a new building. The new restaurant might be open by then operated by the same people who have Canoe and O Steak.
You could also include a glimpse of the mountains. If you go west on Pleasant St/Rt 103 to Hopkinton take a right on Gould Hill Rd to Gould Hill orchards. There's a nice view toward the mountains from their parking lot. They have a tremendous selection of apples including some heirloom varieties. I almost forgot since I've never been there but on the way to the orchard you could also stop at Mill Brook Sculpture Garden.
Good luck with your planning.

rizzo0904

dfrostnh - wow, thanks. i had never given concord a thought. that sounds like a nice day.

my husbands grandmother can walk and do stairs...she just can't make it very far so it's easier to use a wheelchair. but for a short tour, she can make it.

rizzo0904

so it looks as though september is the off-season for concord music school...bummer

what about salem and the pem? that should be easily accessible. i'm just not sure if the historic home tours would also be accessible...probably not.

i'm not overly familiar with salem...is there a nice downtown area with shops?