Planning a grad trip with my mobility impaired mother
I'm going to be graduating college in May 2018 and I want to take my mom on a grad trip as a thank you for all of the support she's given me. The issue is that she has a neurological disorder that impairs her mobility and I'm having trouble finding something we can both enjoy. I've searched google a ton, but most of what I found was how to travel for wheelchair users, which my mom is not. I was hoping some wise Reddit travelers might have some advice to help me out! Here are some of the basic factors I need to consider:
1) walking: my mom can walk unassisted but she can't be on her feet all day, so the ideal destination would have a lot to do in a short radius.
2) flights: my mom can't sit still for extended periods of time, so I'd like to find a destination in the US or Canada (we are from California)
3) locations: we both want to go somewhere new. We've traveled the west coast pretty extensively already, and we've already been to Hawaii. Also, any location we go to can't be extremely remote, within 2 hours drive of a major airport is best.
4) activities: my mom and I are both active people despite her issues. Physical activities like ropes courses have been fun for us in the past, but that might be slightly too difficult for her today. That being said, I don't want to just lie around in a spa for a week and neither would she. Please suggest and active ideas you have, general guideline is walking less than one hour at a time and nothing that requires strong hand gripping or shoulder rotation. We love to shop flea markets, local craft shops, and luxe malls alike. We also would enjoy seeing movies, comedy, live shows,etc. Also, food. We love trying new and authentic food.
5) rural/urban: We both love the beauty of the great outdoors, but hiking/fishing/camping won't be an option. On the flip side, a super touristy crowded city doesn't appeal to either of us, so I'm looking to strike a balance between the two.
6) cost: this isn't a luxury vacation by any means, but we will want to travel in comfort. I'm planning this far out so we can get good deals on flights and hotels. As a very loose cost estimate, I'd like to spend under $2500 for one shared hotel room/suite for 5 days. Cheaper is a plus, but I'm willing to spend more for this special occasion and to make her comfortable.
7) other random thoughts: the ideal vacation for us would be like a cruise on land (we're both terribly seasick and she hates feeling trapped on the boat). I'm starting to look into resort-type places, but generally find those a bit boring so it would have to be in a cool location.
Sorry for the super long post. I'd really appreciate any creative ideas you have. Thanks!
Submitted September 03, 2017 at 12:03AM by trojaneer http://ift.tt/2vV1pMp
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