Ginger -
I love that story. Reminds me of three wonderful trips.

My Mom and her sis were widowed a short time apart when in their 70's, and wanted to keep traveling. They talked me into following the HS band my daughter & nephew played in on a road trip to Colorado, where we went watched parades, celebrated the 4th watching a Rockies game and fireworks with the band playing synchronized patriotic music in the background, and white water rafting - something on both their bucket lists that neither husband would consider doing.

A few years later, the 3 of us took a week-long bus trip through Mexico to the Monarch butterfly refuge high in the mountains, and climbed to the top (3 hour hike) to see them.

The last road trip was when Mom was 81and had had a couple strokes, we drove her to see her older sister in Dallas (just diagnosed with leukemia) while on our way to our winter place. We ended upgoing through an ice storm in Oklahoma, heard a lot of priceless stories about her travels with my Dad & her sis and brother-in-law, and even about my long-gone grandparents.

Some of my sibs and cousins were horrified by our "recklessness", but I have the best memories! On the last trip, my brother just laughed, flew down 3 weeks later and drove her home...it turned out to be her last big trip, so glad we got to share it.

I think aging well is all about doing what we can for as long as we can, then trying to (gracefully) let go of what is no longer possible.

Sue

@ginger, Loved this story and that your 90 yr old (young?) dad wanted to go along and did! I can imagine there was a lot of accommodating and frustration, smiles, but oh how lovely hearing the never before shared stories from your dad that were added to your memory bank. Thanks for sharing this!