Travelling with Elderly Parents

Last month, our parents made a visit to USA. My husband and I planned a self-drive USA / Canada trip for them. In this vacation, we took them to the east coast of the America continent. The destinations include Niagara Falls, New York City and Quebec City. We had also made a trip to the national parks of America West. The national parks include Yellowstone National Park, Mt Rushmore National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park.

In our original plan, my husband and I had intentions to savour the French influenced cuisine in Quebec City. We had also intended to explore each national park in great detail. To fully appreciate the beauty of the national parks, the best way is to hike the numerous scenic trails.

Yellowstone National Park

However, when we embarked on our great vacation, things did not go as planned. We had to make special arrangements to accommodate to the needs of our elderly parents. Our ideal plan to savour all the authentic local dishes went out of the window. Our elderly parents have a limited palate for western cuisine. Our French influenced cuisine in Quebec City turned into Chinese stir fry in an unknown restaurant picked up by our GPS. The quest for New York styled cuisine turned into a trip to a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown.

Laksa, Chinatown New York City

Nasi Lemak, Chinatown New York City

But the food was great, and everyone enjoyed the dining experience very much. While searching for Asian cuisine we unexpectedly found Singapore/Malaysian food in various cities. This satisfied our craving for home food, especially since we have not had Singapore food in a while.

Our dream to hike the scenic national park trails for a complete experience became impossible too. Our elderly parents do not have the stamina to go on these trails. The sulphuric stench in Yellowstone National Park is too strong. The heat in Grand Canyon National Park made it very exhausting from them. It was near impossible for the whole group to go on a long trail. Once again, we made special arrangements to accommodate to their physical condition. We chose easier trails that gave us the best national parks experience. It was not an easy feat to accommodate to everyone's wishes, however it is important to try to understand everyone's abilities and needs. For a family vacation involving elderly parents, it is crucial to make special considerations for them. An altered itinerary can be made equally enjoyable and adds a touch of spontaneity. They have enjoyed the vacation and have had as much fun as we did!

Your Travel Beacon,
Joanne