Using Wyndham Points on Yet Another Vacasa Redemption (St. Augustine Beach)

One of my favorite things about living in Florida is the ability to explore really cool historical spots and beautiful beaches without getting on a plane. St. Augustine combines both of those things, and is located only four hours from our house. Since I haven’t been there in six years, I decided to finally plan a family vacation to this amazing corner of our state.

This is where my Wyndham points stash came in really handy. Their partnership with Vacasa really has been a game changer, and the reason why I now consider Wyndham hotel points some of the most valuable out there (for my family). While there were some Vacasa options in the city of St. Augustine, I decided to look for something on the nearby  beach. I’m very much a beach lover, and so are my kids. That way we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

My search led me to this Vacasa rental  There were a couple of reasons I chose it over all the other options. First, it’s a standalone house, which is always my preference.

It’s also quite spacious, which is very important for our family of four. I also liked the fact that it has a futon bed in the living room, so my 14-year old daughter could sleep comfortably. We converted the big sofa into a bed for my son because he is still relatively small. Although he still complained about the lack of a proper bed. This is something that is becoming an issue as my kids are getting older. I think next time I will bring our folding cot made by Gander Mountain. My son actually requested it, and it’s not that much trouble to put it in the trunk of our van.

But all in all, this arrangement is still doable. I’m trying to stretch my Wyndham points, and one-bedroom Vacasa rentals cost 15k points per night. If we were to splurge on a two-bedroom unit, it would cost double. So, my kids will just have to deal with this less than ideal arrangement for the foreseeable future.

I’ve reminded my son that I had zero vacations when growing up in Soviet Union, and would happily sleep on the floor if it meant going on a trip. I also told him I had to walk a mile uphill to my school… both ways! We try to accommodate our kids, of course,  but there is a limit. The main bedroom has a king-size bed, which was decently comfortable for me and my husband.

The best thing about this rental was undoubtedly its location. It’s literally one minute from the beach, accessible via boardwalk:

We even spotted a tortoise in the bushes:

Since there are no high-rises in the area, there were hardly any people on the beach, despite the fact that we were there during New Year’s holidays.

The weather was relatively warm, so my son got in the water. He was happy to meet some kids who traveled here from DC.

The house has a nice wraparound porch, and you can  see a sliver of the ocean and even hear the waves:

We could also see New Year’s fireworks show from the house, which was quite impressive. But if you insist on having an unobstructed ocean view, this definitely ain’t it. Still, I was very happy with the location of the house.

There are some downsides to this rental you need to be aware of. It’s an older house, and the furniture has definitely seen better days. While it was clean, I personally would throw away the shabby rugs that are only collecting dust. This is no Hyatt resort, but more of a “grandma’s rustic beach house.” It was perfectly acceptable for my family, but you may find it a bit too basic. Also, there is a serious problem with ants, who would swarm the kitchen counter at the sight of a tiny breadcrumb etc. Then again, this is Florida, and I have a hard time getting rid of ants in my own house. All I’m saying, have reasonable expectations if you decide to book it.

Overall, I felt that this house was a decent value for 15k points per night, especially during holidays. I really wanted to visit St. Augustine area, and using 60k Wyndham points was definitely preferable to paying $1k or more. Right now you can buy up to 60k points at less than 1 cent apiece, which, depending on your travel plans, could be a stellar deal.

If you are looking for best Vacasa deals in Florida, I recommend focusing on Key West and pretty much any beachfront destination in the state. Just like with real estate, the closer you are to the ocean, the more desirable it is. Fortunately, Wyndham will charge a flat 15k points per night/per bedroom, though there are blackout dates and price limits. I’ve seen the cutoff of $350 per night mentioned before, and it does seem to be the case, based on my experience. If you are not set on Florida, your best bet will be to look at cabins in the mountains, where you may get an extra loft and a hot tub for 15k points per night.

For now, I’m happy to burn my Wyndham points on local getaways. Due to draconian cancellation policy (30 days before the stay), my reasoning is that I can always find a friend or a relative to stay instead of us, if an emergency arises.

See also my review of Vacasa rental in Siesta Key.

What we did in and near St. Augustine

Below is a brief overview of some activities I recommend in the area.

1) Walk around St. Augustine 

This was the main reason I came here in the first place. It’s such a neat city, unlike any other in the United States. Naturally, we walked around Castillo de San Marcos:

We also wandered the old cobblestone streets and shopped for souvenirs:

We ate in a local cafe, called The Floridian (recommended):

We were in St. Augustine during the Festival of Lights, which is a very impressive spectacle at night:

We also visited Ripley’s Believe it Or Not museum, and my kids had a blast there:

It was a super packed day, but a memorable one. I will never get tired of visiting St. Augustine.

2) Frisky Cat Cafe

On the way back to our rental house, our kids spotted this cafe and begged us to go in. It was too late to do it that evening, so we promised to come back the following day. If your kids are obsessed with cats the way mine are, I highly recommend it.

It’s a non-profit establishment, and the main goal is to get the resident cats adopted to good homes (though there is no pressure). All the felines seem very happy and content to be here, and it felt good to spend money on this very worthy cause. My kids absolutely loved interacting with kittens in a separate area.

 

3) Blue Spring State Park

This state park is located about 1.5 hours from St. Augustine area, and about an hour from Disney. I’ve been wanting to visit it for a long time, but things never quite lined up. However, this park happened to be on our way home from St. Augustine, so I decided we might as well stop by. The reason? A great chance to spot manatees during winter.

There were so many of them, all easily spotted from the boardwalk. This park is a such a gem, and I recommend going here if you are visiting Disney. It’s definitely worth it, especially if you’ve never seen manatees before. Keep in mind, the park is extremely popular, especially during holidays. We had to wait 15 minutes just to enter it, and finding a parking spot was a bit of a challenge. Still, I don’t regret going and hope that our circumstances will allow another visit in the future.

Final thoughts 

While I love jetting off to exotic destinations with the help of miles and points, I’m also a big fan of exploring your own backyard. Especially if that backyard happens to be Florida. This is why I love Wyndham program’s partnership with Vacasa. While outsized values in Florida  are relatively rare  (at least compared to mountain cabins in other states), I’m still happy to burn my points on local beach getaways. It’s easy, cheap, and doesn’t require airline tickets. What’s not to love?