There is a New York City girls’ trip that costs $800 per person before you even leave the airport. Flights, hotels, the whole thing adds up fast. This is not that version. Four of us flew from Kansas City to LaGuardia for $45 total. We checked into the Andaz 5th Avenue — one of the […]

We just spent 8 days in Alaska as a family of four. Two teachers, two kids, no cruise ship, and the biggest costs covered with points and miles. We watched orcas and fin whales from the deck of a boat in Kenai Fjords National Park. We kayaked across Resurrection Bay to a remote beach and […]

My husband and I are teachers in the Kansas City area. For a long time, a trip like this — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and Sedona — felt completely out of reach. But points and miles changed everything, and this is the exact trip we took our family of four on […]

Planning a Universal Studios trip with kids sounds exciting — until you start looking at flights. Between school schedules, limited flexibility, and Orlando airfare jumping up and down during peak travel times, flights are often the most stressful (and expensive) part of planning a Universal vacation for families. For us, getting to Orlando is usually […]

Sometimes the best trips don’t go exactly as planned. When we landed in Oakland, our original plan was to drive straight to Yosemite National Park — but a record-breaking snowstorm had other ideas. Roads were closed, the park had no electricity, and all we could do was pivot. So we pointed the car toward the […]

After a few action-packed days exploring San Francisco, we slowed things down for the most peaceful stretch of our California road trip — three nights in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. This was the midpoint between the big-city buzz up north and the theme-park energy waiting for us down south. It ended up being our favorite part […]

Seattle marked both the beginning and end of our 10-day Washington road trip. We flew into Seattle, drove straight to Mount Rainier National Park, spent several days exploring Olympic National Park, and finished our trip back in the city. Our final stop was everything we needed — a comfy stay at the Hyatt Place Seattle […]

There’s something magical about seeing Mount Rainier for the first time — that massive, snow-covered volcano rising out of the clouds doesn’t look real until you’re standing at its base. For our family’s 10-day Washington adventure, we flew into Seattle, spent a few days exploring Mount Rainier National Park, crossed the ferry to Olympic National […]

There’s a new transfer bonus available for a limited time! Through November 6, 2025, Chase is offering a 25% bonus when you transfer Ultimate Rewards® points to Southwest Rapid Rewards®. That means every 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points becomes 1,250 Southwest Rapid Rewards® points. Transfers generally process within one business day, though they can take […]

Before heading to Acadia National Park, spend a day or two soaking up the charm of Portland, Maine. This coastal city shines in fall with cobblestone streets, cozy coffee shops, and some of the best seafood in New England. From the iconic Portland Head Lighthouse to the food stalls and breweries downtown, Portland is the […]