I love credit cards so much!

[Haley R]

I guess I’ll play too. No WDW this year (just finished last trip 2 weeks ago). Actually not going back to WDW until late 2020. Avoiding the Star Wars crowds like the plague.

For 2019, All of these with the entire family unless mentioned otherwise

• January: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
  
  
• February: Phoenix/Sedona
  
  
• March: Costa Rica
  
  
• April: Tampa and Los Cabos Hyatt Ziva (Both just wife and I)
  
  
• May: Austin (Me w/ friends)
  
  
• June: Hawaii and Japan (Kyoto/Tokyo) when will you be there @Haley R ?
  
  
• July: Boston over the 4th of July
  
  
• August: Banff
  
  
• September: New York City (Mother/Daughter Trip)
  
  
• October: Brazil (Guy’s Trip)
  
  
• December: Not booked yet, but Barbados

Wow you have a ton of trips!! I’m jealous. We will be in Japan from May 28-June 15. What about you?

 

[MrsAlexis]

February-Hoping to take a week or so at gulf shores while my parents are spending the whole month there

Love Gulf Shores area! We live just north of Gulf Shores and feel so lucky to live near the beautiful beach

 

[Haley R]

Love Gulf Shores area! We live just north of Gulf Shores and feel so lucky to live near the beautiful beach

I was born in mobile and my parents took us a lot when I was really small. Then we moved when I was 3 and we went back a lot for the shrimp festival. My parents still go to the festival every year and they’ve started spending a month or more there too! Dh has never been so I thought it would be fun for us to go down if it works out.

 

[Andysol]

Wow you have a ton of trips!! I’m jealous. We will be in Japan from May 28-June 15. What about you?

5th-15th. First 5 nights in Kyoto (Ritz) last 5 Tokyo (Hilton Tokyo Bay). Two days at Disney

 

[tink1970]

We live just north of Gulf Shores and feel so lucky to live near the beautiful beach

We're an hour to the east and I feel the same!

Dh has never been so I thought it would be fun for us to go down if it works out.

Hopefully he will! The Emerald Coast is one of the country's best kept secrets.

Dec: Orlando to stalk @speedyfishy...

Shhh! Don't tell her! We're ALL headed down there just for that (well except for SFF!)

 

[StephPlum]

You can still get an EIN even with a “business”. It’s free, easy, instant and no tax implications. Get one for each of you and go that route.
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply-for-an-ein

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I was going to suggest Pictured Rocks in UP Michigan but that is probably not a weekend drive. No admission fee either.

There are a few places in upper WI too, like Apostle Islands. But it’s a pretty long drive to go up on Friday and back on Sunday. We already have 2 weeklong vacations booked in 2019, so trying to add in some parks on weekends. DH is in charge of that research and so far we have...nothing.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I guess I’ll play too. No WDW this year (just finished last trip 2 weeks ago). Actually not going back to WDW until late 2020. Avoiding the Star Wars crowds like the plague.

For 2019, All of these with the entire family unless mentioned otherwise

• January: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
  
  
• February: Phoenix/Sedona
  
  
• March: Costa Rica
  
  
• April: Tampa and Los Cabos Hyatt Ziva (Both just wife and I)
  
  
• May: Austin (Me w/ friends)
  
  
• June: Hawaii and Japan (Kyoto/Tokyo) when will you be there @Haley R ?
  
  
• July: Boston over the 4th of July
  
  
• August: Banff
  
  
• September: New York City (Mother/Daughter Trip)
  
  
• October: Brazil (Guy’s Trip)
  
  
• December: Not booked yet, but Barbados

Dang. Vacation goals. I’m lucky to get 2 weeks per year off, so I’m totally jealous.

 

[StephPlum]

Sort of CC related - at least points related. Checked my flights to Seattle today and saved another 4K points per person.

 

[Haley R]

5th-15th. First 5 nights in Kyoto (Ritz) last 5 Tokyo (Hilton Tokyo Bay). Two days at Disney

We are doing 4 nights in Tokyo, 1 in hakone, 5 in Kyoto, and 6 nights at Disney. Four days at the Disney parks. Sounds like we will be at Disney at the same time as you! We’re staying at the Hilton too!

 

[Haley R]

We're an hour to the east and I feel the same!



Hopefully he will! The Emerald Coast is one of the country's best kept secrets.



Shhh! Don't tell her! We're ALL headed down there just for that (well except for SFF!)

Dh has never even seen the ocean before besides from a plane! The only bummer will be February is too cold to swim

 

[alryan]

No plans for 2019 churning. Travel plans set and paid for (PIF date for cruise is January) Originally planned SW CP and adding a few trips with that but rules change and we can’t get another SW card until end of 2019. Need to decide on travel for 202 but I’m very indecisive which is unlike me. DS wants to go to England to see his fave soccer team. I’m not sure I want to travel outside US much and I know fees for award flight to LHR are high. Could try Universal but torn between CA and FL. Decisions, decisions. Probably will go for CIC in January to bring our UR balance up since we’ve depleted it.

Any suggestions for National Parks in the Midwest (weekend drive from Chicago)? DS is a 4th grader so we have free admission until end of August.

I'm interested in this as well. I haven't been but I've known people that enjoyed the Apostles Island in northern Wisconsin. I've been wanting to go and see the ice caves in the winter, but they haven't been open the last two years. Although it is a National Lakeshore, so I don't know if there is even admission. I have a third grader so we'll be doing National Parks in 2020. As much as I love Disney the National Parks have been our favorite vacations.

 

[Andysol]

We are doing 4 nights in Tokyo, 1 in hakone, 5 in Kyoto, and 6 nights at Disney. Four days at the Disney parks. Sounds like we will be at Disney at the same time as you! We’re staying at the Hilton too!

Nice. 11th, 12th or 13th is when we’ll be at Disney likely two days but might do all 3. Look for a tall white guy, Hispanic lady and two little girls. We shouldn’t be hard to miss. Hah

Are you Hilton Diamond by chance? Depending on your x/24 status, I would highly recommend a Hilton Aspire before end of year.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

So there's a dummy booking offer for the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum. It offers 40,000 Miles after $2k in purchases PLUS a $250 statement credit on AA purchases in the first year. Seems like you could use the statement credit to buy an AA card and sell it on Raise. Is that viable? (I think this is a record for questions from me, lol)

When I grabbed the CitiBusiness (in October) the offer I got was 70k for a $4k spend.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

They are pretty, we did a boat tour to see them. But the UP isn't a weekend trip from most of MI nevermind IL. My grandma lived in Kalamazoo and my aunt and uncle in Gladstone in the UP so closer to the bridge than the painted rocks I think and it was a 6 to 8 hour drive to their house.

When you marry a yooper, the UP is a weekend trip, LOL. Now my ex so I don't have to make that trek anymore. But those 8-10 hour drives with the little ones were KILLER! He is from Escanaba (his parents address is Gladstone, LOL).

 

[afan]

When you marry a yooper, the UP is a weekend trip, LOL. Now my ex so I don't have to make that trek anymore. But those 8-10 hour drives with the little ones were KILLER! He is from Escanaba (his parents address is Gladstone, LOL).

They used to live in Escanaba. My aunt was a french teacher at the hs in Gladstone. My uncle used to ice fish on little bay de noc. The last time I was up there I flew SW into Chicago because it was cheaper so my dad picked me up there and we spent a few days where he was, he grew up in Wayland, so it was near there, and then we drove to the UP to see my aunt and uncle and then down to Milwaukee to see cousins and then back to Chicago so I could fly home. It was quite the circle. I don't miss the drive from MI or Milwaukee since I did that more than once too.

 

[havaneselover]

The UP discussion reminds me of a famous fight between my parents about whether the UP should be part of MI or WI. My parents are from Northern Michigan and my aunt and uncle had a place on the UP.

For my 2019 plans, all I’ve got is a weekend in Chicago and two weeks in Northern Michigan. Trying to recover from Alaska.

As far as new cards, I don’t have much on my radar. I’m at 4/24. Maybe an Amex Platinum.

 

[elgerber]

My aunt owns land and has lived off and on for years, on Madeline Island. It’s gorgeous, but about one day, or one and a half is my limit. I am not a big nature gal LOL. I like to go go go on vacation and there isn’t a lot of that for me there. We spent a week there once with my husbands entire family. Thank goodness we had a huge house with all the amenities and cable/dvd player, or we would have died of boredom LOL.

 

[Mopedmom1]

• October: Brazil (Guy’s Trip)
  
  
• December: Not booked yet, but Barbados

What's up with NOvember?

 

[striker1064]

Considering the Aspire before year end to triple dip the credit. Does the resort credit work on Hilton GC purchases at the resorts listed? If not, maybe we'll just stay overnight before year end for fun.