No, that isn’t a typo. My 2023 travel plans are mostly solidified, and I’m dreaming about where to travel in 2024 via miles and points. Here are some places on my radar.
Portugal
Some good friends of ours are moving to Portugal this summer. So, we’re thinking about visiting them and seeing Portugal over spring break next year.
Admittedly, Portugal has never been on my list until recently. But, after a bit of research, it looks like a very interesting destination. Lisbon has great architecture, history and views.
And then there are all the coastal towns. I could see us renting an airbnb for a few days in Peniche, Nazare or Aveiro (the Venice of Portugal).
Ouray, Colorado
My family loved our time in Switzerland last year, and my oldest is requesting a return trip. But, it’s a long journey, requiring a lot of miles, points and cash. As an alternative, we could visit Ouray, Colorado, known as the “Switzerland of America.” It’s a small mining town with hot springs, hiking and other adventures. It doesn’t really scream Switzerland to me, but I’ve heard good things about Ouray.
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Whistler reminds me more of Switzerland. It has a walkable village surrounded by mountains with gondolas. You can even try bobsledding or skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre. We would visit in the summer, not the winter.
Los Cabos, Mexico
My family has never been to the Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo) area of Mexico. I’ve got some Hilton points coming my way soon, and I’ve had my eye on the Hilton Los Cabos resort. But aside from the resort, it appears that this area has a lot of airbnbs with gorgeous ocean views for a reasonable price compared to many other beach-front locations. I know that most beaches are not swimmable, but Los Cabos still seems like a great place to chill for a week.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
My family has enjoyed staying in mountain cabins in Colorado and Oklahoma, and we’d love to stay in another area with nice cabins. The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee is filled with vacation cabins, and some even have indoor pools! My husband and I admire Dolly Parton, so a visit to Dollywood is on our wish list. Of course, there are lots of other attractions in the area as well as hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Overall Thoughts
My family won’t make it to all of these places in 2024. But, we have a good shot at visiting 2 or 3 of them.
Have you been to any of these places? What destinations are on your radar for future trips?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Thanks for giving me information about these places. Nepal is also a very beautiful place. If you want to spend your vacations in Nepal we provide the best tour packages, Cab Services for Nepal with Musafircab.
Cabo is beautiful and scenic but the beaches are rocky and not swimable. Not sure I’d recommend going with kids to downtown area lots of party goers at Cabo Wabo and nearby bars. I seen mostly adults lots of them from California.
@Boonie Thanks for your feedback. The area looks so pretty though! 🙂
Nancy, if you go to Ouray, you should consider renting a jeep and taking the trail from there to Telluride. It’s a beautiful drive.
@Chris Thanks for the recommendation!
Ah, Gatlinburg. The redneck riviera. 🙂
We spent four nights there this summer. Some tips:
-Stay in the Gatlinburg area. Pigeon Forge is a tacky tourist trap. Not that Gatlinburg isn’t, but Pigeon Forge takes it to a whole new level.
-Go in June. Earlier the better. The area is always crowded, but once July hits the place is packed beyond belief.
-Stay in an area where you don’t have to drive down the main drag. Traffic through there makes Los Angeles blush (we stayed at a Hampton Inn on the main national park entrance side, about 1/2 mile from the main strip. It worked out well).
-Don’t miss the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Lots of nice hikes off the road, overlooks, creeks, historical cabins, etc. Just go EARLY in the morning before the crowds arrive.
-A little further out is some nice white water rafting on the Pigeon River. Mostly class III and some class IV rapids. Worth the 45 minute drive. Reasonably priced too!
-The mountain coasters in the area are overpriced but… man are they fun.
-Dollywood is absolutely can’t miss. Beautiful park, well maintained, with a great variety of rides from mild to wild. Lightning Rod is one of the most intense coasters in the country. And be sure to catch a couple shows, they’re quite good.
@projectx Thanks for the advice. We likely need to travel in July, so maybe this isn’t such a good idea.
Rather than Ouray, Colorado, you can combine your Whistler trip with a trip to Leavenworth, Washington (a Bavarian village town). The drive is about 5 1/2 hours between the two locations. Leavenworth might be similar enough to Ouray to fulfill your child’s wishes without having to go back to Europe.
@James Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out.
Vacasa has some cabins in Smoky Mountains that are listed as 1BR but can easily sleep a family since they have beds in a loft area or beds/sleeper sofas in a game room. Good value at 15k Wyndham points per night as long as the cabin is less than $350/night
@Brian Good to know, thanks!