A couple weeks ago, the day after I ran my ninth half marathon, I broke my foot while hiking.

It was the third day of a planned eight-day trip exploring Great Smoky Mountains NP and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Obviously, breaking my foot was not in the plan.

So how were we going to salvage our vacation?

We could easily have headed home the morning after my accident and arrived home that evening. But on the drive home from the emergency room we decided to continue our trip and adjust our planned activities to fit my new limitations.

I was on crutches, so I could get around, but as anyone who’s used crutches knows, they are not the most comfortable things around. In fact, they’re very uncomfortable and awkward and not great for long distances. This was my first experience on crutches, so I was not at all graceful when using them.

After a couple short hobbles around the RV and to the car, we realized I just wasn’t going to be mobile the rest of the trip. My foot hurt and needed to be elevated, and I could only hobble very slowly from one location to another. Add in some rain, and we were all cooped up in the RV, trying not to bump my foot.

The rain tapered off in the early afternoon so we stopped by an old mill and the visitor center so River could turn in his Junior Ranger packet. (Are you following me on Instagram? I posted those pictures here, along with why Sunshine didn’t do a Junior Ranger packet.) Then we decided to change our plans and go home early after all.

An approaching hurricane was forecast to affect where we live in central Virginia, which was also a contributing factor to our decision to return home early. Thankfully the hurricane swung south and didn’t do any damage at our house (though it did plenty of damage in the Carolinas). However, it did force the closure of a lot of campgrounds in North Carolina, including the ones we had reservations at. So we wouldn’t have been able to continue our trip as planned anyway.

While our vacation didn’t turn out how we planned, it wasn’t a complete loss. We had a good time before my injury and River was still able to finish his Junior Ranger packet after I broke my foot. When we  got home I was able to go to the doctor and exchange the splint for a boot, which greatly improved my mobility. And since we were supposed to be gone for the whole week, we didn’t have a thing on the calendar. We stayed home and I iced and elevated my foot and took it easy. It was a nice change of pace.

I’ve put together a list of steps to help you salvage your vacation if you get injured, whether that injury happens shortly before your vacation or while you’re on vacation. Don’t let an injury completely derail your vacation!

How to Salvage Your Vacation if You Get Injured

1. Are you on your own, or do you have someone to help you?

If you have someone to help you do things that might be difficult with your injury, such as camping, driving, cooking, etc, it will be easier to salvage your vacation. If you’re on your own, you may still be able to salvage your vacation, but that will depend on your injury and the type of vacation you had planned.

2. Does your injury affect your mobility?

If no, skip to #4

If yes, can you still get around on crutches, a knee scooter, or a wheelchair? Can you drive a car, or do you have someone who can act as your chauffeur?

3. Does your planned location have paved paths you can use?

Paved paths will make getting around easier, though if it’s your first time on crutches, I don’t know that I’d go too far (speaking from experience here…). You may still be able to get some sightseeing in or do some of the things you’d planned. Museums and visitor’s centers might be a good destination, especially if they have courtesy wheelchairs or scooters available.

4. Can you modify your planned activities?

If you injured your arm, maybe opt for a hike around the lake instead of swimming in the lake. If you injured your leg, go for a boat tour of the lake instead of a hike around the lake.

5. Is there a scenic route you can drive?

Instead of hiking to a waterfall, can you drive to a scenic overlook? Instead of swimming in the lake, can you drive around the lake?

6. Can you relax at the campground instead of going on adventures?

We like to explore and keep moving while on vacation, but we were willing to hang out at the campground, enjoy a campfire, dip our toes in the river running through the campground, and watch the boys ride their bikes. Unfortunately, lots of rain and an imminent hurricane made that impossible.

7. Can you change reservations to a more accessible location?

It’s not always possible to change reservations at the last minute, but give it a try.

8. Enjoy a staycation at home.

If all else fails, go home and enjoy a staycation. If you took the time off work, make the best of that time. Binge your favorite show on Netflix, catch up on your TBR list, relax and let your body heal. There will be other vacations.