I’m not sure when a heart attack survivor can handle high altitude or whether either of your friends is up for lots of climbing on and off busses. Some bus tours barely allow for bathroom breaks, certainly not a hop on/hop off. Or while trekking around the woods or even some larger museum. I really think a destination that’s beautiful in itself, by itself, where even sitting on a porch chair is happy, should be considered.
That’s not “old person.” It’s the same laid back many do enjoy. As I said, I loved Chicago, but it’s a city where you need to be out and about. What if one has a down day? What’s to see and enjoy from the hotel room or in the hotel?
Plus long times immobilized in a car or on a bus presents cardiovascular risks.
The Hop on Hop off thing in San Diego (actually, every one I’ve been on) allows riders to hop off, and explore the area, and then get a later bus or trolley. It’s not like you hop off, and only have a couple of minutes. That is a choice.
That being said, I would try to find neat places that are not a huge long plane ride away, and are in the country just in case. So many choices.
Fall and spring, for example, bring beautiful weather to some of the U.S. hotter climates. San Antonio (although if Texans, they have probably been there), for example. Key West is very laid back and relaxing. Agree the PAC NW is nice. What about a relaxing few days on Sanibel?
Lots to do in the greater Phoenix area…I would suggest October as a good time to go. They could enjoy the Museum of Instrumental Music (MIM), the desert botanical gardens. Nice but easy hikes or walks. Some great resort type places in Scottsdale. Good food.
We just did a train trip for a long weekend from Austin to St. Louis with a sleeper car. We stayed at the St. Louis Union Station hotel which was amazing and Ubered around St. Louis, great fun and very low stress!
We plan to do a rail trip across the US and take the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer train https://www.rockymountaineer.com when our youngest goes off to college in 2020.
We are living this right now, although only one of us has the health issues. It’s a little tricky planning vacations around planned appointments and procedures and unexpected twists and turns along the way.
We, who have traveled and lived all over in the past, are feeling tentative about big trips and big plans. I’m sure this couple, with both of them having major medical issues, are feeling more anxiety.
I’d suggest that they get cleared for travel and for what kind of travel would be appropriate. Ask their physicians and nurses. Are they at high risk for a DVT? Are they cleared for swimming? In what kinds of water? Are they immunocompromised? Do they have a need for access to a very clean bathroom to take care of personal care? Or is it OK to be a living a little more roughly? What do they feel up to doing? Relaxing on the deck of a mountain cabin (or beach house) with spectacular views? Or moving around more? None of us on this forum can answer these very important questions.
All of the ideas on this thread are great, but only the couple can know how much activity they can reasonaby and realistically deal with. And what kinds of ongoing daily medical issues they need to be addressing.
Personally, after seven months of many surgeries, procedures, chemo and ER scares, it was all we could do to manage a five hour car drive to visit one of our kids for a long weekend. It felt like a month in the wilderness! We stayed in the best hotel in town because my husband still needed an afternoon nap and the privacy to tend to a still healing area with a wick that needed to be changed regularly. A month later, we were ready to tackle air travel and a week away. But until very recently it has been difficult to plan a trip: difficult to imagine what he might be able to do or feel up to doing a few weeks in the future.
I’d suggest starting small and easy, not too far away, with a lot of flexibility and access to emergency care. And depending on how that goes, expand from there.
If they loved Bryce, I would say time in the Southwest would be worth a repeat: Zion, Arches and Monument Valley. All within easy highway drives of excellent medical facilities but also some of the most awesome sights Mother Nature has to offer. In CA I second Yosemite (after it rains - please god let that be soon) and a drive up (not down) Highway 1 from Santa Barbara. Cambria, San Simeon, Half Moon Bay, Monterey… one of the more scenic drives of all time with nice little towns along the way to stay and soak up the beauty.
If they like aquariums, my mom with Stage IV cancer and associated issues (needed a wheelchair) loved the Aquarium in Atlanta. We splurged for the hotel right across from it - Hilton Garden Inn (assuming my memory is correct). This way we could get there when she wanted and leave when she wanted without a major deal. The room was fine. The staff excellent.
The aquarium was also excellent - staff and the general public. It was obvious my mom had medical things going on and everyone tried to help. Their dolphin show is excellent and otherwise we just spent time at the big tanks - very relaxing. (We did go through the whole thing, but on her timetable.) The food has decent choices for someone who can’t handle just anything.
She flew in and getting a cab from the airport was easy enough (though we picked her up - one of my lads used an Uber).
My mom also tried Disney hoping to recreate in her mind her past trips to Europe, etc (Epcot esp). I can NOT recommend Disney. That experience was awful. While the resort was nice (Polynesian), the theme parks themselves and too many of the staff within them made me never want to go to Disney again - esp coming soon after how wonderful the Aquarium was.
Other things my mom has enjoyed have been simple things - a condo on the beach with a nice view and us playing games. Kayaking on mountain lakes (with others doing the paddling). It’s too much to do lots of walking or too much in one day. We learned that one quickly.
Cruise Alaska. It’s nearing the end of the season, but one doesn’t even need to get off a ship to experience the beauty and majesty. There are plenty of cabins still to be had and still traveling in the US (save for one “foreign” port, which will be in Canada). That’s what I’d do.
My suggestion is a little different - how about a mystery destination trip? There are several companies which do this. The one I used is Pack Up & Go. This agency only plans trips in the continental US, and it was really kind of a relief to not have to plan everything out (I usually micromanage vacations). There is a questionnaire to fill out, plus you can provide the agency with other parameters as needed. Since I get altitude sickness, I didn’t want Denver, Salt Lake City or Santa Fe. You do get a weather forecast a week in advance, so you know what to pack. And you’re on the honor system not to open the destination card until you get to the airport (they also tell you when your flight departs). When you don’t have time/energy to plan things, this could be an interesting option.
Wow-- so many people mentioned San Diego! It’s been so many years since I’ve been there that I hadn’t even considered it. I think Southwest flies there from Dallas which makes it especially attractive because of their easy change policies.
I shouldn’t have called it a bucket list. Their health is stable now so they’ve begun visits to see grand kids and family. I think an Alaskan Cruise or trip to Hawaii would be something they could do minimal planning and look forward to.
Another vote for San Diego. Weather is about as good as it gets year round. This time of year it’s rarely above 80 degrees and it’s a dry heat. In the winter, it rarely goes below 60 degrees. You never need more than a sweatshirt or a denim jacket. Lots to see and do - Balboa Park is a jewel. Lots of great theatre and plenty of stuff to do outdoors. Getting into and out of the airport is a breeze, too.
We were in Monterrey last year. You can lie around on the beach - nearby Carmel’s beach in particular is very nice - hike around Point Lobos. Drink a lot of wine (great pinot noir!) and there’s a cute little mission and the aquarium.
They could cruise from CA to HI and then cruise for a week among all the Hawaiian Islands, if desired. If the want Alaskan cruise, believe mid-September is the last one for the year, so they may wish to book that in the near future.
Maybe the Road Scholar (used to be called Elderhostel) catalog would give some choices. Not necessarily suggesting a trip with them, but my hunch is that they probably book trips in places that would have the access to medical support your friends need. You could use their itineraries as inspiration.
But the real question, is where are THEIR bucket list locations and activities? Is their dream vacation a Grand Canyon tour or seeing Broadway shows? Holy Land or Iceland? Or is it just being together? Maybe a cruise (fraught with bacteria though…)?
To assuage some of their concerns about travel, I suggest a document detailing dx, treatment, meds and contact info for all docs. I made one after my heart attack after we realized DH didn’t know all my meds or dosages, esp in the frantic moments when the EMTs and docs were working on me.
I found the medical bracelets are insufficient for my history, and while DH, both my sons and I have the document on our phones, a print copy is easiest. I carry it in a little wallet in my bag along with business cards for the docs. Has come in handy many times, esp when medical staff want my medication list!