Good friends of ours have been hit with serious healthy issues- stomach cancer and heart attack. After 9 months in and out of the hospital, they want to plan some trips to enjoy the time they have left together. (I know doctors can be wrong but life expectancy for the his stomach cancer is 2 years.) They want to travel but be within close proximity to medical centers - no treks to Africa.
They live in Dallas so lots of flight options available. They enjoy seeing new sights without hours of walking around. I know they loved the park tour bus at Bryce National Park. They are swamped in medical appointments so trying to find a good destinations is tough. Hoping someone can make recommendations.
How about San Diego? The climate is lovely…and thy could spend as much time as they want just going to all the things in Balboa Park. There are nice restaurants…the downtown hotels are nice too…or they could go for broke and stay at the Hotel Del Coronado. That’s on MY bucket list!
Seconding San Diego. You can pretty much count on good weather (few surprises) and plenty of medical facilities in case of emergency. Beach, some sunset cruises I think, good restaurants and cultural offerings. Just walking the Cove in La Jolla always puts me in a peaceful mood.
Also, I was recently in Sarasota. It was so much fun. The Ringling Museum is well worth the visit. Beautiful beaches…and terrific food. I could eat at The Columbia everyday.
Easy to walk around…just pleasant. Nice beaches for walking too.
I’d watch for long plane flights, eg, Canada, Europe or Hawaii, in case something medical crops up. But San Diego is a delight, lots of low key things to do, and even just hanging at the Hotel del Coronado is a treat. A lot of natural beauty without the city being demanding.
I love Chicago and SF. But in some cities, you really have to work your tourist energies to actually see things, get the vibe. I’d suggest they start easy. Charleston and Sarasota are similarly do-able.
Another vote for the PacNW/Seattle … but they would need to go in August this year (before the rain starts in Sep) or next summer. It’s spectacular - Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens (you can drive to them), mountains in all directions, salmon in the rivers, orcas in the Sound, even just the enormous trees/forests.
One place I haven’t seen mentioned would be Washington, DC. Great historical stuff to see.
Right now DC is pretty hot in temperature and S who lives there says quite uncomfortable. A bit later in the fall will have cooler, more comfortable weather there. I love DC and you can get some bus tours so less walking.
So many US destinations for them to choose from. Dallas is south central so all four corners of the contiguous states are easy flights. It is so individual and depends on their past experiences. The two of them need to put together a wish list with agreed upon priorities. Perhaps it is seeing museums and the like. Or different climates, cultures… or spending time on a beach, woods…
Even with more reasonable health H and I have places we want to see. We are spreading our wish list over years. I recommend they do not try to “do it all” because that is too exhausting. Instead discuss wishes each of them may have had since childhood. Visit one place, have one experience. Then choose another. I hate the thought of a bucket list that will inevitably leave tasks not done. Instead, make it a positive- let’s do this. Some sudden trips without too much advance planning. Living in the moment.
My first thought also was San Diego but I admit I’m prejudiced because I spent 10 years planning to move here. There’s a Hop on Hop off trolley that will get them to all the major tourist spots. There are so many lovely scenic views, beautiful gardens, peaceful outdoor restaurants, etc. all of which can be enjoyed year round. It’s really an outdoor city. Chicago is also a great destination because there are tons of things to explore all centered near the heart of the city so not much traveling around would be necessary. And it’s flat so easy to walk (I love visiting DS in Seattle but those hills are exhausting sometimes). Early to mid October would be good time to visit Chicago. And of course both cities have excellent medical care in case of emergencies.
Although not exactly close to medical facilities, I would recommend a trip to Yellowstone (and maybe Grand Teton). There are bus tours available there and they could do one that was maybe 3-4 days long. Stay at the Old Faithful Inn and take in the geyser from the observation deck.
Another one would be the Grand Canyon. Fly into Phoenix and drive up to Williams, AZ and take the Grand Canyon Railway to the park and out again. They can just walk along the south rim a little bit and then return. Stop in Flagstaff and Sedona on the way back to Phoenix. There are some 1/2 and full day float trips on the Colorado River (not through the Grand Canyon, or if they are feeling up to it, there’s a one day rafting trip down the canyon that ends with a helicopter ride out https://www.grandcanyonwest.com/hualapai-river-runners-and-colorado-river.htm?utm_source=madden&utm_medium=googlecpc&utm_campaign=rafting&utm_content=rafting&WT.mc_id=DS_rafting18 (I’ve done that trip and while my youngest was only 10 when we did and handled it fine, it might be too physically demanding for them, but it is definitely memorable!)
Before they travel overseas, they need to really check on travel insurance. It’s likely that they may find it difficult to get coverage given their pre-existing conditions.