Opening Alert

World's first ultra-accessible water park makes waves in San Antonio

With temperatures rising across Texas, we're all looking to cool off. Now there's a place where everyone, including those with physical or cognitive special needs, can splash and play without barriers.

Morgan's Inspiration Island, the world's first ultra-accessible water park, recently opened at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio. And it’s free for anyone with a special need.

The 90,000-gallon, tropically-themed destination cost about $17 million to build. Highlights include a seven-story lighthouse, a river boat adventure ride, five play areas, two restaurants, and a sundries shop.

"Like Morgan's Wonderland, Morgan's Inspiration Island is not a special-needs park; it's a park of inclusion," says founder Gordon Hartman in a release. "Those without disabilities and those with, including individuals in wheelchairs, guests with hearing and visual impairments, and even guests on ventilators, will be able to play alongside each other and gain a greater appreciation of one another."

Every feature is wheelchair-accessible, and the park provides waterproof wheelchairs, including a first-of-its-kind waterproof motorized wheelchair, plus private areas where guests can transfer from their wheelchairs to the waterproof ones. Wristbands worn by children allow parents to track their whereabouts, special noise cues guide the visually impaired around the water elements, and there is even a warm water feature for guests with sensitivity to cold.

Morgan's Inspiration Island is the newest facet of Morgan’s Wonderland. The popular 25-acre theme park, inspired by Hartman's daughter, Morgan, debuted in 2010 with attractions tailored to suit a wide range of cognitive and physical needs.

Morgan's Inspiration Island is open daily through mid-August and on weekends in August and September. Like Morgan's Wonderland, the water park admits anyone with a special need free of charge. Guests are encouraged to book their tickets ahead of time, as part of the goal is to provide a comfortable — and not overly crowded — environment.

Morgan's Inspiration Island is now open.

Photo courtesy of Morgan's Wonderland

Morgan's Inspiration Island is now open.

Turkey Day news

Houston plates up top-20 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Courtesy of Amrina

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Houston is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Houston ranked No. 15 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a big leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 32, and is the third highest-ranked Texas destination for the holiday.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The categories that Houston ranked the highest in were the city's affordability (No. 15) and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 19), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 95). Other categories that determined Houston's overall ranking were the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 23), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 30).

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Houston will be fully decked out for the December holidays. Houstonians who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Houston certainly goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas (No. 5) and San Antonio (No. 7) were the among the top 10 best cities to go for Thanksgiving, while Austin only came in at No. 39.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

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