Two summers ago, our family of five embarked on a huge Midwest national parks road trip. We started off in New York state in our minivan with three kids. We drove through 15 states and visited six National Parks—for a grand total of about 4,500 miles. Twelve of our 15 hotel nights were on points […]

Our next reader success story to Denver is from an Award Travel Academy student who states that a trip on credit card points and miles helped get her Player 2 onboard. She has been following us for a few years and shared her trip to Denver and future plans with us!   Booking a Trip […]

Scottsdale, Arizona is known for its beautiful weather, with over 300 days of sunshine each year. This makes it a great destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and golfing. Scottsdale offers a perfect blend of outdoor activities, family-friendly attractions, art and culture, and relaxation options, making it an ideal destination for a family […]

One of my favorite places to visit is Park City in Utah. Park City, Utah, is a beautiful mountain town known for its world-class ski resorts, including Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort.  In addition to skiing and snowboarding, Park City offers a variety of other activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, and […]

My family recently returned home from spending our fall break at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines located just outside Austin, Texas. We had never visited Texas as a family and usually spend our family vacations at the beach so this was a new experience for us. Spoiler…we loved it! Keep reading to hear what it’s […]

Karen sent us her reader success story to Huntington Beach and stayed at one of our favorite hotels. There is nothing like a points and miles trip to create family memories! Here is how she did it: My best redemption so far has been to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach.  My son had a basketball […]

I just returned from another vacation to Oceanside, California, and after staying at the incredible Seabird Resort, I had to do a Family Friday Vacation to Oceanside post. I promise you, this Hyatt hotel will not disappoint – I can’t wait to return myself. Check out all the pictures below – every spot was so […]

Recently, my husband and I were heading to Arizona for a wedding. Coincidently, I noticed that we had an 85K Marriott annual certificate expiring simultaneously, so I started to figure out how to use it for part of our stay in Arizona (we’d stay with my sister for the rest of the stay). We ended […]

Recently, I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City in Salt Lake City, Utah. The purpose of this trip was some family time with family from London, along with Alex’s family. My daughter, Lindsey’s husband, was in Salt Lake on business, so we made that our main base and naturally, wanted to stay at […]

December in Montreal is a time when the city dons its holiday best, and the streets come alive with the spirit of the holiday season. Last December, our family had a magical (and freezing!) weekend adventure in Montreal. We visited a number of Christmas markets throughout the city and enjoyed many of the kid-friendly activities […]

The Grand Canyon is a massive natural wonder located in Arizona, USA. It is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River and is a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and tourists from around the world. Our Friday Family Vacation is to the Grand Canyon National Park.   How to Get to the Grand Canyon: […]

Our Friday Family Vacation is to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Why should you visit there? Albuquerque hosts several annual festivals and events, such as the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is the largest hot-air balloon festival in the world. Moreover, Albuquerque offers stunning natural landscapes and outdoor activities, providing opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing. […]

My sister and I go on an annual trip every year. Actually, we usually take 2-3 trips together a year, but one is always longer and more involved. A couple of years ago, we went to Greece and Italy and last year to Maui.  This year, we planned to hit up five cities—NYC, London, Dublin, […]

Well, I’m back to hotel hopping again. My sister and I are on our annual girl’s trip and are starting in the Big Apple. You know me, I can’t help hotel hopping (although we aren’t hopping around on the rest of our trip). There are so many hotels in NYC to stay at, and I’d […]

Living on the East Coast, a family road trip through New England is a dreamy way to spend your summer vacation. We spent almost 2 weeks in August traveling in our minivan with three kids on a road trip from Boston to Prince Edward Island, Canada. The first leg—from our home in Upstate NY to […]

Our next reader success story comes from Melissa who used points for a family trip to Washington DC. Here’s her story: I am actually sitting in the car driving home from our first family trip using points! My family of four drove to Washington, DC and we stayed at the Grand Hyatt. This was such […]

There is a place that just sounds so bougie to vacation in and I’ve never been there—the Hamptons. Maybe if I do a post about it, I might make it happen someday. Let’s do a Friday Family Vacation to the Hamptons so we can all feel bougie!   Flights You used to be able to […]

My husband, daughter, and I recently took a road trip from Houston to Chicago. There are so many hotels from every brand imaginable in Chicago, so when we decided to stay downtown for four nights, I had quite a difficult decision to make. Ultimately, I decided on the Thompson Chicago. Here’s what we thought in […]

My family and I recently returned from a trip to Dallas and had such a blast! It’s a perfect destination for both couples and families, with amazing food, museums, and parks. If Dallas, Texas, has been on your radar, here’s how you can make it happen for nearly free using points and miles…   Flights […]

Boston is a city rich in history and culture. Families can explore famous landmarks such as the Freedom Trail, which takes you through 16 historical sites including the Paul Revere House and the Old North Church. Additionally, Boston has a vibrant sports scene, with teams like the Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins, so families can […]

Earlier this summer my husband and I spent 3 nights at the adults-only Alila Ventana Big Sur. This is one of those properties that gets a lot of ooohs and ahhhhs in the points and miles space due to its gorgeous location and being a one-of-a-kind redemption. So did it live up to the hype? […]