Most people I know IRL understand that I love to travel. So, whenever I run into somebody while I’m out and about, I’m often asked where I’m heading to next or where I want to go in the future. My response is usually, “How much time do you have to hear my answer?”
My Upcoming Trips
I have three more trips still coming up in 2023:
- College visit to see our son: We rented an airbnb, and we’re driving with our dogs.
- Chicago: I booked one-way flights using AA miles for AA Web Special Awards and booked Hyatt hotel using points. We paid cash for overnight train back home.
- Holland America cruise: This is a “free” cruise I earned from status matching my MGM Gold status to Holland America. I used AA miles for flights and a Hilton free night certificate from credit card for hotel the night before the cruise
My family has 3 big trips planned so far for 2024:
- Portugal during spring break: We used Iberia and Aeroplan miles for flights. We’re renting an airbnb in a beach town.
- Costa Rica early summer: We used AA miles and United miles for flights. We will likely use hotel points for 2 nights in San Jose, followed by a condo rental near Manuel Antonio National Park.
- Norway cruise: This is a trip for just me and my daughter. I booked flights using Iberia Avios (business class) and KLM Flying Blue miles (economy). We are visiting Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany the week before the cruise. I’ll be using hotel points for some stays.
All of the six trips listed above happen within the next 10 months. I realize to some folks it looks like a crazy amount of travel. And, it is. But, I wouldn’t be able to do all of it without the help of miles and points offsetting some of the expenses of each trip.
Where to next?
Next year, my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We’ve gone back and forth on whether or not we will go on a short trip by ourselves without the kids. That trip is still TBD. But, for trips that involve our whole family, there are a few destinations on my radar:
Denver: We haven’t been back to Denver since my mom passed away. We’re overdue for a visit. Of course, we’d have to stop by the refurbished Casa Bonita (which was bought by the South Park creators).
Indian Wells, California: My husband and sons would love to visit Indian Wells over spring break to watch the big tennis tournament there. I’ve visited the area a few times before, and I wouldn’t mind lounging at a pool or spa while they watch the tennis matches. The tricky part is going to be finding a year when my kids’ spring breaks match up (college vs high school spring break is different next year).
Panama: I’ve always wanted to sail through the Panama Canal! The timing of cruising through the canal on a big ship doesn’t really work while my kids are in school. But, we could fly to Panama City and book a day trip through the canal. Also, the Bocas del Toro region has always interested me since I’ve seen it so much on House Counters.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: I’ve visited beach towns in Mexico, but I’ve never been to interior cities. A local travel guide near me hosts trips to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, and I always enjoy seeing her photos. American Airlines has nonstop flights to Guanajuato, the closest airport. This city could be combined with a visit to Mexico City.
Japan: My kids have been asking to visit Japan for a few years now. I went to Japan twice in my 20s, but it’s been a while. I enjoyed reading Leana’s trip report from this past summer. My kids are begging to visit the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Osaka. And, I’d like to go to Tokyo DisneySea.
Hong Kong: With two Europe trips recently taken and two more planned, I’m ready to focus some energy and miles/points on Asia. I’ve never been to Hong Kong. I have a friend who lives there, and I must admit that Hong Kong Disneyland is a draw. Due to its compact size, we could have a shorter trip in Hong Kong compared to Japan, which would work over spring break. But oooooof! Those flight times are so looooooooooong!
Where are you headed to next?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
My uncle met his wife and was married in San Miguel de Allende. It looks amazing would love to visit there as well!
Glad to see your finally making it to Chicago! Which Hyatt are you staying at?
@Boonie We’re staying at the Hyatt Regency. It’s hard to beat the rate that includes the lounge (= free food for hungry teens!)
Thanks for sharing this upcoming trip and possible future destination. If you want to go mountain and adventure tour So Please visit Nepal Tour Packages
Of course, it’s not anyone’s business if you don’t care to do this (or maybe I’ve missed it if you have already!), but I think it would be interesting if you had a breakdown of all your travel costs for the last 12 months, including card fees and missed 2% cash back on all your spending on cards that you earn miles/points on. Given your busy travel, us readers would get a sense of what a family like yours would spend if matching your style.
@Jig I’ve never put that all together like that, but I’m sure it would be eye-opening, even for me. 🙂 Leana and I have both shared posts on the annual fees we’ve paid, and we typically share the cost of award taxes when we book award flights. But the rest is a bit more difficult to quantify, if we’re counting food and activities for each trip.
How did it go receiving a Holland America free cruise offer? I did the same match and they sent me a PDF list of about 40 cruises to choose from (most were 4-5 night cruises out of Ft Lauderdale or Miami). I was hoping for a longer cruise, or maybe a Mediterranean option. Did you get something similar to what I got?
After further investigation, I’m thinking of the Royal Caribbean offer I got. My Holland America offer was just an email with an offer that expired after 60 days. Oh well!
@bc Ok, that makes sense. I didn’t do a match for Royal Caribbean. My Holland America offer was for an inside stateroom on almost any cruise through the end of 2023.