Wheelchair accessible La Cruz and San Pancho

Today we went scouting in the north bay. We are always looking for areas where we can take clients that they can move along independently. We spent time in both La Cruz and San Pancho today. Here are a few notes.

In La Cruz de Huanacaxtl we were pretty happy with what we found. We started at the fish market. Unfortunately, there was no reserved parking. There were ramps, but most of them had cars parked in front of them. As horrible as that seems, it was workable. There is a drop off area where we can easily drop the ramp. The manager at the La Palapa restaurant said security would let us park in the drop off area without any problems. He also said if we called ahead they would put cones in the spots near the ramp. Not idea, but it would work. Hey, why not just paint a few blue curbs so people who don't need a ramp don't park in front of it? I know, crazy thinking so far outside the box.

We walked all around the marina area. It was very accessible. The public boat dock even had a nice ramp. Unfortunately, the yacht club was not accessible. They said if someone wanted to go to the restaurant on the 3rd floor that the waiters would carry them and their chair up the steps. Hey, how about we just eat somewhere that went out of their way to make us feel like a complete human being? The restaurant near the fish market, La Palapa has wheelchair access to both the upper and lower levels. The upper level doesn't smell as fishy, still has a great view, and has bathrooms that are not bad. They could use some grab bars, but the sink is accessible and if a wheelchair would not fit into one of the two stalls, there is a privacy door that would allow for assistance. The menu looked and the prices were reasonable. It is a definite win in our scouting adventure.

Another big win was finding the Octopus Garden. It was listed as a cultural location so we navigated the back streets until we found it. It is a bit out of the way, but well worth it. As you roll through the front door there is a coffee roaster. The smell was very inviting. They sell their own roast both by the cup and by the bag. They will grind it for you if you wish. Just past that entrance is an adorable restaurant. They have a stage and regularly scheduled performances. I hope we can make a few of them this season. Across the restaurant area is a bit of a museum area. There is huichol art and other treasures. There are some interpretive signs so you can learn as much as you are interested in learning.

The menu changes weekly. There are a couple of good plant based choices along with some gourmet choices for the omnivores in the group. Finally, upstairs (not accessible) were rooms for rent. The staff of the three businesses were all incredibly friendly and helpful. The coffee roasters, the restaurant/gallery and the hostel were all charming.

On the way out, we went back to the circle where we had seen the vegan ice cream shop. Okay, I have to say that was a treat we had not expected. Oil free, plant based ice cream. It's been almost a year since my doctor suggested a plant based way of eating and ice cream has not been on the menu since then. What a happy find. I had the choco-monkey and the banana cinnamon. Sheri had the mint chip and the mocha. Wow were they delicious. Here's a link to their page. http://www.veganparadice.com.mx/ I guarantee we will be back.

We left La Cruz and headed up to San Pancho/San Francisco. We always like it there. The main street is tile instead of cobblestone. That means that even if the sidewalk is not accessible, the street is. The parking is problematic though. There are ramps, but cars are stacked 2 to 3 deep in front of it. On the plus side, the public restroom is accessible and even has a roll in shower.

We walked around just a bit. Had a bite to eat at Organi-K and headed back to Nuevo Vallarta. I was way past my afternoon coffee time.