Valerie M. Grubb - Planes, Canes, and Automobiles: Connecting with Your Aging Parents through Travel

The table of contents reads like a list of your biggest worries when planning a trip with an older loved one, all of which Grubb puts to rest with her intuitively written and expertly researched chapters. Grubbs travel experiences with her mother, Dorothy, have resulted in... a delightful guide full of important information for those of us who want to enjoy the companionship of our best travel partners, our parents.

Samantha Brown, television travel host and AARP Travel Ambassador

In writing Planes, Canes, and Automobiles, Valerie Grubb has created a handy guide to managing travel planning, packing, problems, and expectations for adult children and their parents. Valeries love and respect for her motherand Dorothys for hershine through every page of this delightful, eminently useful book, a must-read for anyone planning a multigenerational vacation or a trip with older parents.

Nancy Parode, senior-travel expert and writer for About.com

My trip to Normandy, France, last year with my 85-year-old father and 91-year-old uncle was a deeply emotional journey made immensely more satisfying because we followed Grubbs insightful advice from day one. Planes, Canes, and Automobiles not only offers practical tips for older travelers, but also speaks to the joy of sharing a travel experience with someone you love, no matter the age difference.

Deb Wood, collections manager of Stranahan House Museum and avid traveler

Valerie Grubb has thousands of miles of travel under her belt, both alone and with her mom. As a result, Planes, Canes, and Automobiles is chock full of practical and highly useful advice and information derived from personal experience. Follow the tips in this book to create your own great vacations and memories with two, three, or even four generations of family.

Eileen Gunn, founder of FamiliesGoTravel.com

As a wheelchair user for more than seven years, my family and I have personally used many of Valeries recommendations in our travels. More importantly, I have shared her insights as educational material with new wheelchair users. When it comes to travel for those with mobility restrictions, Planes, Canes, and Automobiles is the best resource available.

John Berkey, management consultant and co-founder of Able Challenger

Valerie M. Grubbs Planes, Canes, and Automobiles is a must-read for anyone wishing to travel with their elderly parents. Written in a direct, engaging tone, Grubb addresses many of the difficulties and joys of going on the roadfrom dealing with your parents reluctance to travel to detailed packing lists and clever resources you shouldnt miss to help you enjoy your vacation. Planes, Canes, and Automobiles is a one-stop-shop for the grown and flown wanting to take their aging parents on a vacation.

Lorraine C. Ladish, author and founder of VivaFifty.com

Planes, Canes, and Automobiles is a practical guide that deals with the logistics and the emotional aspects of traveling with an older family member.

Candy B. Harrington, author of Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press

Austin, Texas

www.gbgpress.com

Copyright 2015 Valerie M. Grubb

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group

For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Greenleaf Book Group at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover images: shutterstock/vectorgirl; shutterstock/Macrovector

Interior images: Kelley School of Business at Indiana University/Josh Anderson

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62634-217-0

Ebook Edition

For Mom, who told me that I could be anything I wanted to be if I just put my mind to it.

I still believe you (although at this point in my life Im starting to doubt I really can be a ballerina...).

My deepest thanks to my editor, Marsha Jane Brofka-Berends, for providing far more than her editing prowess. The publication of Planes, Canes, and Automobiles, as well as my blog, Travel with Aging Parents, would not be possible without her insight and expertise. I look forward to working together with her on my next book!

I would also like to express my gratitude to the many others who helped make this book a reality: Tanya Hall and the entire Greenleaf Book Group team for ushering this work into print; Christine Wilson and MtoM Consulting for helping me to grow Travel with Aging Parents from an idea to a blog and beyond (and for sharing stories about travels with her grandmother); Brooke Smarsh for her legal advice (without which would not exist); Douglas Zeiger for his travel medicine expertise; and Jennifer Fitzpatrick and her husband, Sean, for their brainstorming efforts on the book title. Thanks, too, to Jeanne Kelly, Will Perry, Ruth Schick, Susan Combs, and Jeannette Franks, who generously shared their knowledge with me.

I also wish to thank my friends and the readers of Travel with Aging Parents, who gave me encouragementand motivationto write this book. I am especially grateful to everyone who completed the survey that formed the basis for . Also thanks to Dan, as well as Brittany, Charles, and Lindsey (you know who you are!) for offering advice on how to travel with challenging parents or parents-in-law. Thank you for sharing your stories with me!

Finally, to my brother, Eric: for all our fun adventures togetherboth those weve already had and those yet to come.

Because my dad was a corporate pilot and our whole family accompanied him on many trips (his bosses always welcomed his bringing us along), I was practically born in the air. Those early years of travel influenced how I spent every spare dollar and vacation day as I grew older, and I developed a passion for exploring the world with my parents, with my friends, and even on my own if no one could go with me.

Although I occasionally traveled with my parents, my busy life and adventures with my friends typically took priority over family outings. When my father died unexpectedly in 2005, I realized how many trips we had discussed taking as a family but never got around to doingand that they would remain untaken. The week after Dads funeral, Mom, my brother, and I went to Washington, D.C., because that city had always been at the top of Dads list of places for us to visit together. It was crushing not to have him there with us, and to this day I regret not going on that trip while he was still alive.

At that moment I made up my mind to avoid the same situation with my mom. Since then, she and I have taken numerous trips togetherboth in the U.S. and overseasand now travel with each other several times a year. I used to believe that my burning desire to travel came from my father, but through our adventures together Ive come to realize that I get it from Mom, too! She and I love seeing new sights, meeting different people, and experiencing other cultures. By traveling together, weve found that we both embrace differences and marvel at similarities. Weve figured out that a challenge encountered while traveling makes for a great story when were back home and (most of the time) even gives us something to laugh about on the road.