We are overjoyed to announce that, with your generous donations, we have successfully reached our first goal of raising over $12,500! Together, we are making our vision a reality… a world where people with limited mobility impairments have access to information on how they can successfully travel the United States and abroad and create unforgettable experiences that enrich their lives.
We are proud of the incredible accomplishments we have made so far and want to show you exactly where your contributions went and what is needed as we continue our mission of Freedom Trippers, empowering mobility impaired travelers seeking freedom and independence to travel the world.
We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live life to the fullest and pursue their dreams.
We have filed all necessary paperwork for our 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation
Cost for accounting services including filing fees for articles of incorporation and nonprofit $1050.
We have purchased freedomtrippers.org and several related domains and are continuing to build our online presence with our website and social media platforms. We are currently managing this ourselves but are looking for a someone to manage our website and social media platforms. Those interested can contact us at FreedomTrippers2024@gmail.com.
We are working on our merchandising and we will have an online store available soon.
Website development, domain and hosting services YTD $1117
We’ve had our company logo professionally designed and are currently creating our line of merchandise including T-shirts and sweatshirts.
We will add hats and other merchandise as well to assist with our fundraising efforts.
Cost of logo $250
We have booked and paid for our first trip, a 7 day cruise to the Greek Islands in June 2025 for Gigi, Galen and our two caregivers.
Total cruise cost 4 passengers plus insurance and tips $5453
Cost for onboard Wi-Fi for 1 company phone $118
We have booked nonstop flights from Los Angeles, California to Athens, Greece. (Nonstop flights were not available from our local international airport in San Francisco, California and the chances of the airline damaging Galen‘s powerchair and our manual chairs increases significantly at each transfer).
Airfare for 4 people plus baggage, seats, and insurance $6318
Travel costs transportation round-trip from Capitola, California to Los Angeles international airport $450
We spent months researching everything Greece… popular restaurants, beaches, historical and mythological spots, museums, biblical points of interest, art galleries and local cultural events. We are creating a list based on our discovery and are using Google Maps to help identify which places would be “handicap accessible“ (marked with a blue wheelchair) and added that information to our list. We then cross referenced this information and gathered more by watching videos on YouTube of all of the ports of call included on our cruise and the locations that we plan on visiting. This proved to be a vital part of our research as we were able to visibly see the parts of call, the city streets, areas with steep hills, cobblestone or stairs as well as the general terrain of the places we would like to go. We will add our own insights to this list to build “Freedom Trippers HandiCapable Map of Greece” upon completion of our journey.
We studied local transit options like the subway and ferries and found that although we may be able use some of these systems, we would still need to be transported to those places, making the journey both troublesome and expensive once more. We also came to know that taxis were almost nil on the islands in Greece and we couldn’t find any that could take the powerchair. We will do further investigation of public transportation when we are on our trip and will document our findings in our post trip update.
We searched options for van rentals and found one on the mainland would cost roughly $200 per day but honestly could not confirm, possibly due to a language barrier, that it would be able to accommodate the powerchair, two wheelchairs and four passengers. We were also informed that parking could be a real nightmare. We were unable to find any rental options on the islands. We will continue to look into rental options available and will post our findings when we return from our trip.
The cruise line offers transportation from the airport to the cruise ship for $200 per passenger. We will update our findings regarding transportation offered by the cruise line at the conclusion of our journey.
We looked extensively into offshore excursions offered by the cruise line, especially handicap accessible and “mild” outings. What we discovered was quite disheartening yet expected, there wasn’t much available for us to choose from. We found that the choices were minimal at best and were quite costly for such a small amount of time off ship. After speaking with the accessibility department at the cruise line, we became aware that many of the “mild” excursions would not be suitable for us.
We did end up booking a mild rated 3 hour “Destination Highlight” excursion to Ephesus, Turkey through the cruise line. The journey covers some remarkable highlights, including the Odeon, where the cultural life of the city once thrived, and the significance of the Statue of the Virgin Mary adds a touch of historical reverence.
We will view the impressive Grand Theatre from a distance and explore the architectural beauty of the Isabey Mosque, a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the rich tapestry of history in the region. The Temple of Artemis is a particularly notable stop, as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—truly a testament to the past! Additionally, visiting a carpet weaving village will provide an insight into a cultural tradition that many may not be familiar with.
Cost of cruise excursion Ephesus, Turkey $220
We learned about so many places in Greece that we wanted to go to and provide insight for travelers with disabilities and that, in addition to our limited budget, could in no way be accomplished by going through the cruise lines excursions alone.
Did we become frustrated with the lack of options? Yes! It also cemented the fact of just how important our mission is and will be to travelers around the world with mobility impairments. Filled with even more determination, we continued our search.
We were advised that the effects of traveling long distance flights, especially with our medical conditions would be exceptional and made staying a few days in advance of the cruise a necessity. Our trip was for the cruise only yet we had researched so many places of interest and wanted to explore these places for our followers as much as possible while we were there so we made the decision to extend our stay with a stay on the mainland prior to the cruise.
Total Cost 6 nights hotel 2 rooms $2100
Finally, after searching for months on end, we found Hello Thessaloniki, a guide service for all of Greece including the Greek Islands! We spoke with Solon, the owner and guide, and explained our mission with Freedom Trippers. We sent him videos and photos of Galen’s power chair and the specifications, including height and weight. Solon took our extensive list of places we wanted to go and added his own suggestions as a local guide with generations of knowledge including everything on our itemized research list as well as as private beaches, boating and snorkeling options, incredible foodie tours, and so much more!
Hello Thessaloniki’s affordable services include air-conditioned transportation for all four of our passengers as well as room our powerchair and two manual wheelchairs. All of our transportation and guided tour needs were met for the mainland and on every island during our cruise including to and from the airport and cruise port. Plus, their 24 hour service includes an English and Greek speaking guide, wi-Fi while we are in the van, morning coffee and tea, and even photography and video services! We are beyond ecstatic to have found such a gem of a tour guide service.
Cost of excursions and transportation 12 days locations in Greece and Islands $6112
We are continuing to investigate places of interest and accessibility options for our inaugural journey and are studying how to place them on Google Maps and Google Earth so that our fellow mobility impaired handi-capable travelers can use our travels to help create their own incredible journeys.
TRIP #1 GREECE JUNE 2025 COSTS $20,653
*Breakdown of costs
$5453 Greek Island cruise 4 people
$6318 Airfare plus seats and insurance 4 people
$220 Cruise excursion Ephesus, Turkey 4 people
$6112 Private Guide and Transport 12 days
$450 Round Trip transport from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles Airport
$2100 Hotel Pre Trip 6 Nights 2 Rooms
FIRST YEAR COMPANY EXPENSES $8,416
*Breakdown of costs
$1050 Corporation filing and fees
$1117 Domain purchases/ web hosting
$250 Freedom Trippers Logo
$347 Company Phone and Service
$118 WIFI on cruise for company phone
$210 Company PO Mailbox
$177 Office Supplies and Printing
$1263 Travel fees company start up
$3884 Fundraising Merchandise Start Up
Merchandising will be a primary fundraiser for Freedom Trippers and 100% of proceeds will go directly back into funding Freedom Trippers.
We still need your help funding for our inaugural trip to Greece, as well as business costs listed above, plus travel mobility equipment, merchandising startup funds, fundraising event reserve, and future expeditions contributions.
Thank you for your continued support! You can help by following and sharing us on our social media pages… our goal is 10k followers!
Checks can also be sent payable to Freedom Trippers at
Freedom Trippers, 1840 41st Ave. Suite 102, Box 318, Capitola, CA 95010
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