Last minute travel deals help needed

kkwis2

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
534
I know some of you are very talented at this type of thing, and I have no idea where to start so I've come to the experts!

Here's the short version of the situation: Back in November my FIL was diagnosed with lung cancer that had already begun to spread to the bones and liver. At that point he was told that most people with this type of cancer at this stage live about 8-12 months. He has been on chemo every 3 weeks since December to try to slow the growth of the tumors. Unfortunately, he has had several small strokes as well which have affected his vision and balance. He recently had another PET scan which showed that his tumors have shrunk, so they want to give his body a break and have discontinued the chemo until they do another scan in August.

So, we have a reprieve until August. He's feeling pretty good all things considered. When he was diagnosed he had mentioned wanting to go fly-fishing out west before he dies. I don't know that he could fish given his balance and vision issues. He has a brother in California, so traveling there is a possibility.

Our 2 kids (9 and 11) are their only grandkids, and they have a very close relationship. We'd like to suggest that the six of us take a trip somewhere. It would be pretty low-key ~ no Disney or anything that requires a lot of walking. And it needs to be budget friendly as this is not something that we've had time to budget and plan for.

I've looked into airfare for California and found airfare is about $500 each. Ouch! Florida was even more (I had thought just a condo near the beach would be nice).

So, that's it. If you have suggestions for finding lower airfare, last minute cruises (I saw an ad for an Alaskan cruise which he would love) or other travel packages, I would love to hear them.

BTW, I'm thinking of traveling as soon as the middle of June since July and August where we live are really the only nice ones when it comes to the weather. Also, DH and I are teachers and the in-laws are retired, so dates of travel are fairly flexible after June 15 (last day of school is June 14!).

Thanks for any help you're willing to give ~ and for reading this far!
 
Well, you can google last minute airfare,hotels,etc. Priceline has some interesting last minute type deals. unfortunately the 'deals' you read people posting here are mostly due to careful watching,and LOTS of advance prep and planning, it's difficult finding discounts so close to travelling. Have you considered a train trip together somewhere nice? driving to a beach type area? Perhaps a tour of a local city and museums? You could rent a wheelchair ,etc.
I know there cruises posted in emails that promise deals, if you live near a port of departure.....
 
I'm not sure that train travel would be very comfortable for my FIL, so I don't think that will work, but I do thank you for the suggestion.

We had considered camping just a few hours from where we are (we have a motorhome, so it's more comfortable than tents), but this weekend the kids were at the in-law's house which is out in the woods, and the ticks were awful! I can't imagine spending several days in a wooded area constantly picking ticks off of each other. Yuck!

That's when I decided maybe we should look into getting away.
 

The last minute airfare is going to be a budget killer, especially to the west coast or Alaska in June/July. I suggest looking into going someplace where you could drive. If you cruise, you still have to pay to get to the departure city and then pay for the cruise.

If you live in MN, why not rent a place on a lake big enough for the whole family, where your FIL could fish, the kids could swim, and everyone could just relax?
 
FYI: For Alaska cruises and others there are some great deals currently on www.vacationstogo.com ! :hug:

Thanks for the link! It does look like there are some possibilities there, but as mentioned above, I think airfare is going to get us no matter what we plan. This is part why we never fly any more!!

I'll keep this site in mind for future trips though for sure.
 
The last minute airfare is going to be a budget killer, especially to the west coast or Alaska in June/July. I suggest looking into going someplace where you could drive. If you cruise, you still have to pay to get to the departure city and then pay for the cruise.

If you live in MN, why not rent a place on a lake big enough for the whole family, where your FIL could fish, the kids could swim, and everyone could just relax?

You're right that airfare is the budget killer. I was hoping to find a last-minute deal of some sort ~ you always hear that the deals are out there, you just have to find them. I suppose that might be a lot easier in the off-season.
 
You might also want to look into organizations such as The Dream Foundation or Deliver the Dream, etc.

Good luck to you! Hope you can plan an amazing trip for him!
 
While I understand your desire for a memorable trip, I wonder if travel is the best thing right now. Travel is stressful, for even the most healthy of us, and for folks with medical issues already it can further undermine a weak immune system. There is also the question of could you access appropriate medical care, should an emergency arise.

Is there any way you could arrange family to come visit him, or possibly just take a trip closer by, maybe just a few hours away? I think the suggestion a PP made of just renting a lake house in MN was a good one. When my father was terminal, he just wanted his family around and to have everyone enjoy a good time. The place didn't mean much, but the people did ;)
 












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