My 35 yo daughter and SIL were scheduled to go to Maui in 6 weeks for a long overdue and needed vacation. My husband and I were going to keep 2.5 year old GD for the week. D broke her foot this weekend while we were all visiting my son and family. Surgery is scheduled for next week, so in 6 weeks she will still be in a boot and crutches; touring Maui is off the table.
They have SWA credits that will expire in April, so want to use those. Thoughts are somewhere she doesn’t have to do a ton of walking, but also where they can have some relaxation and fun. I thought I would check here to see if someone has a fabulous location that they might not think about. Beaches might be hard with a boot and crutches, although maybe not totally out of the question; I have never used either, so no firsthand knowledge.
SIL is frugal, but not cheap; that said, they don’t want to blow a wad on this trip, as they hope to reschedule Maui in the near future. We already have a beach vacation planned for June with both kids, their spouses and children, so they could live without a beach destination. They are happy to stay in an airbnb or hotel and wouldn’t mind two location near each other. I know they would both love a spa day. Just thinking aloud here.
I would second Palm Springs, somewhere that has a nice pool. Swimming was about my only exercise when I had a broken foot. Sit on the side of the pool, take off the boot, swing into the water, swim and float, and reverse. There are plenty of hotels with spas. Obviously hiking is out of the question, but the Palm Springs Tramway would be doable. And their Art Museum is small and interesting.
Re a cruise, perhaps one of the inland waterway or Columbia River cruises, finishing with a nice spa hotel for a couple of days. Or combine the Oregon cruise with an escorted wine tasting tour.
I would not recommend small boat cruises unless they specify that they are suitable for handicapped people. Oftentimes, there are narrow passages and stairs to navigate, and bathrooms are tiny.
We are snowbirding in the Palm Springs area now and it really is lovely and relaxing. Great resorts with pools to read by. The tramway would be manageable. Small easy to get around art fairs. Wonderful restaurants.
I highly recommend renting or buying a knee scooter. I broke my foot and ankle last summer and couldn’t of gone anywhere without it. If she has one, then anywhere with mainly level ground would be possible for a vacation.
We were in Cancun over xmas with our whole family, including D1’s one year old. D1 is going with her girlfriends in a month. There are many very nice all inclusive resorts in Cancun. The beaches are beautiful and weather is usually nice (dry, not humid). It should be pretty easy to get to from Austin and resorts are fairly inexpensive too.
There are plenty of easy flights in and out of John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County. It’s a very manageable smaller airport. Lots of hotels and rental cars.
They could go to beautiful Laguna Beach in less than half an hour from SNA airport. The sidewalks are level and she can walk right up to the beach. Drive a mile or two down and park in the underground car park at Treasure Island beach, which exits right onto the path where the spectacular Montage is. There’s an absolutely gorgeous flat trail path that gives beautiful views of the coast, and you can have drinks in the bar. I go there every time I’m in So Cal. Newport and Balboa Island (any Arrested Development fans out there?) are a few minutes drive from Laguna. https://www.montagehotels.com/lagunabeach/
Of course, she can get a scooter at Disneyland and have a great time bypassing the lines. If they want to be more adventurous they can drive to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. There are plenty of places in LA and Orange counties to do nice driving tours. The Getty Center is pretty spectacular and she will easily be able to get around with a wheelchair.
I’m not a huge fan of Palm Springs (my stepmom lives there and I’ve been dozens of times), but I do think it’s probably good for this type of situation. I’m not sure it’s worth a whole week. She could spend a couple of days in Palm Desert, do an amazing driving tour through Joshua Tree (perfect way to see the best of the park), then head back to the coast.
Might be more expensive, but on my many trips to So Cal, I often fly into PSP and out of SNA, or vice versa. Saves a lot of driving time and it’s worth it to just pay the extra drop off fee for the rental car. I try to avoid LAX like the plague, but sometimes it’s just the easiest and cheapest way to travel to So Cal.
If you want a driving trip…I stayed at a lovely resort in the Hill Country not far from them @snowball . It had pool, spa, etc. and a terrific restaurant. I’m sorry I don’t remember the name. But I can try to find out if you are interested.
