We turned a classic California road trip into a family adventure — flying into San Francisco, driving the coast, and ending with Disneyland and Newport Beach before flying home.

This itinerary gave us all the road trip adventure without 40+ hours in the car from Missouri.

Flights & Transportation

We used our Southwest Companion Pass and Rapid Rewards® points to fly into Oakland (OAK) and home from Los Angeles (LAX).
The total cost for all four of us? Just under $45.

If you want to learn how to earn the Companion Pass and use it for family travel, check out Earn the Southwest Companion Pass on Repeat. It’s one of my favorite travel strategies — and it saves us thousands every year.

For our rental car, I redeemed Chase Ultimate Rewards® points in the Chase Travel Portal and paid $0 out of pocket.
I always use my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card when booking a rental car (with points or cash) for the primary rental car insurance coverage.

We did pay a $200 one-way drop-off fee for picking up the car in Oakland and returning it in LA — totally worth it for the flexibility.

Flying in and out of different cities was the perfect way for us to experience California’s highlights without losing two full days to driving across the country.

Pro Tip: Always compare one-way rental fees before booking. Sometimes they’re high — but not always! For us, $200 was an easy “yes” for the time saved.

Stay: Hyatt House Irvine

To end our trip, we booked Hyatt House Irvine using just 9,000 Hyatt points per night — an incredible deal for a full-service property in Southern California.

I transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points from my Ink Business Cash® card (a $0 annual fee card) through my Chase Sapphire Preferred®, which unlocks access to Hyatt and 13 other transfer partners.

This Category 3 Hyatt property was the perfect home base for Disneyland and the beaches of Orange County.

Why we loved it:

• Spacious suites with a full kitchen
• Free hot breakfast
• Pool + laundry on-site
• 10–15 minutes to Disneyland and Newport Beach

Where We Ate

Since we had a kitchen, we made a few meals at the hotel to save money and time. But we also found some local favorites worth sharing:

• Wilma’s Patio Restaurant – Great for brunch on Balboa Island.
• Pacific Whey Café – Fresh, beachy breakfast and lunch options.
• Cowifornia Ice Cream and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream – Both kid-approved.
• Mohawk Bend Gastropub (LA) – Great vegetarian options and California comfort food.

All were affordable, easy to get to, and perfect for families after long park or beach days.

Fun & Activities

Disneyland:
Tickets to Disneyland were our kids’ Christmas gifts — and their first-ever theme park visit! We rope-dropped the park and stayed until closing, soaking in every minute. We didn’t use points for the tickets, but if you’re curious, check out my post: 4 Ways to Pay for Park Tickets Using Points and Miles.

Battleship Iowa Museum:
A must if you have a history lover! My son loved exploring the ship and learning about its World War II history.

Outdoor Favorites:
Southern California is full of family-friendly outdoor spots. Some of our favorites were:

• Turtle Rock + Shady Canyon Loop (short, scenic hike)
• Newport Beach and Balboa Beach (easy access, family vibe)
• Corona Del Mar State Beach
• Crystal Cove State Park (hiking + tide pools)

We spent every spare moment outside — because when you’re from Missouri, those ocean views never get old.

Cards That Made This Trip Possible

Our California adventure was almost entirely funded with points and miles — making it a budget-friendly trip without feeling budget at all.

• Flights: Southwest points + Companion Pass
• Rental Car: Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
• Hotel: Hyatt points transferred from Chase

When your flights, hotels, and car are covered, it opens up the freedom to say yes to experiences that make memories.

If you’re ready to start, you can learn more here:

• Earn the Southwest Companion Pass on Repeat
• How to Book Rental Cars Using Points
• Guide to Hyatt Hotel Stays with Points
• Monterey & Carmel: The Heart of California’s Coastline
• San Francisco & Muir Woods with Kids: Coastal Redwoods & City Fun on Points and Miles

If you decide to open a card for travel rewards, I appreciate you using my affiliate links — it’s a free-to-you way to support all of the free travel content I share. Thank you!

Final Thoughts

From San Francisco’s foggy start to the fireworks above Disneyland, this trip had it all — beaches, hikes, theme parks, and a perfect ending in Newport Beach.

Using points and miles made it possible for our family to experience more of California — without the stress of a 40-hour drive or a massive bill at the end.