2014 Year in Travel Review

Since 2013, I've made it a goal to travel more. I haven't really defined what more actually means, whether it's more trips, longer trips, or both. In 2013, I took some small trips and was able to combine some personal vacation with work travel. I took a day trip to downtown San Francisco, Berkeley, Bodega Bay, Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Monterey/Carmel, California.

At the start of 2014, I got really antsy to escape work and the cold weather and wanted to start the year off right and finally put some credit card rewards points to good use. I try and cover the cost of the trips with as many of my points programs so I don't have to come out of pocket.  

Maui, Hawaii

This was a really relaxing gettaway with my then girlfriend. I had wanted to go somewhere with nice weather so I can get out of the cold and enjoy some drinks on the beach. We only left the resort a couple times during the trip to go to a couple restaurants and to get groceries. I really enjoyed just relaxing and hanging around the resort. Maui is such a beatiful place and would love to return in the near future. 

• This 5 night/6 day stay at the The Westin Maui Resort & Spa by redeeming 48,000 Starwood Preferred Guest points. 
• Redeemed 50,000 British Airways Avios points for 2 RT coach tickets to Maui via Alaskan Airlines. 

3 Day Ensenada, Mexico Cruise

As if my Hawaii getaway wasn't enough, I found a great deal on a 3 Day Ensenada Mexico cruise for about $179/person. This was my second cruise, and this type of travel is one of my favorites. I like the fact that once I'm on the ship, I don't have to do much anything. A cruise is the ultimate vacation. Unfortunately, when we arrived in Esenada, Mexico, the only port of call during this trip, the weather wasn't all that great. It was cloudy  and to be quite honest, I wasn't too impressed by the looks of the city from the boat. We decided to stay onboard. It turned out to be a good decision because shortly after it was pouring down rain. We ended up grabbing some drinks and a ton of food and just enjoyed each others company. Even with the crappy weather, you wouldn't find me without a smile on a cruise ship. 

• Redeemed 55,542 Capital One No Hassle Rewards points to cover the cost of the Carnival Cruise for 2 people.
• Redeemed 11,051 Southwest Rewards points to fly to LAX and my girlfriend flew free with me with my Southwest Companion Pass. 

Lake Tahoe, California

I attended my brother-in-law's bachelor party in Lake Tahoe, California for a couple nights. There were a total of 7 of us and we took one of his friends parent's RV for the road trip there. It was just a couple day trip but I got to hang with his friends and really bonded with all of them. The trip felt a little like movie The Hangover..there was a lot of drinking, events I didn't remember, and a lot of adventure with the Wolf Pack. 

San Francisco, California

I was headed to SF for a one day conference and my girlfriend and I decided to head down a day early enjoy parts of SF I've never seen before. We walked along the Golden Gate Bridge, had a picnic on Marshall Beach near the bridge, went all the way up to Twin Peaks, and ate at at In-N-Out near Pier 39 before calling it a night. 

• Redeemed 50,000 points for a 1 night stay at the Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf. This is a really busy area with lots of tourists but it was close to the conference I had that was within walking distance. 

Seattle, Washington 

Immediately upon leaving my trip to Seattle in 2013, I just knew I had to return shortly. Seattle is a place I don't think I can't ever get tired of. My girlfriend hadn't been yet, so I wanted to treat her on trip there. The weather was beautiful and we ate at a lot of spots she had been researching beforehand like Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, Japonessa Sushi Restaurant, Pike Place Chowder, and Tango Restaurant to have Seattle Spanish tapas. All of these places I highly recommend. 

• Redeemed my FREE 2 night stay at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.
• Redeemed 14,066 Southwest Rewards points and my girlfriend flew free with me with my Southwest Companion Pass. 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

This was my last major and most anticipated trip of the year. As a CPA, every two years at my company, we get to attend a CPE conference so we can knock off a portion of our required CPE credits. In 2012, the company's CPAs attended a 2 day conference in Las Vegas. This year, I was able to convince my boss that attending this trip would actually SAVE the company money! Luckily, my boss was on my side because he is also a CPA and wanted to take advantage of this trip too. All he had to do was convince his boss, the CFO and non-CPA, that this was more economical for the company. After some pushback, it was finally approved. 

• This 5 day 4 night, $2,500 trip was completely paid for by my company...wait, actually REIMBURSED, because I paid and earned the credit card rewards and airlines miles. How sweet is that?!

2015 Travel Outlook

I made it a goal to travel outside of the US for at least 30 days in 2015. I would like to go to several cities in Latin America so I can practice my Spanish but also experience a lower cost of living so my money goes further. My girlfriend hasn't been outside of the country EVER, so I really want to give her the opportunity to experience that with me. I also want to make it a point to travel one a month.  One domestic city I have had on my list for awhile now is Austin, Texas. I've heard great things about the city and want to experience the "weird" people, food, and see if this would be a good place to live one day. I really like the fact that Texas has no state income tax. The only trip I have booked so far is Las Vegas, Nevada in mid January.