This past summer, just a few months after opening our first travel-rewards card, we took an 11-day road trip as a family out west. We lived in Rifle, Colorado for nine years — it’s where we met, got married, and had both of our babies. It still feels like home, and many of our closest friends are there.

So when one of those friends invited us to his wedding, we jumped at the opportunity to put award travel into action for the first time!

South Dakota + The Badlands

We left on the Fourth of July and drove through South Dakota toward our first hotel in Rapid City. Badlands National Park was on the way, so we stopped to stretch, explore, and take in the views — the perfect break after a long day in the car.

When planning the trip, I found a brand-new Hyatt Place in downtown Rapid City that still had availability (on a holiday weekend!). We transferred 17,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards for two nights and saved $622 — that’s 3.5¢ per point, which is incredible value.

Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse & Core Memories

We spent July 5 exploring Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. One of my favorite parts of the whole trip was watching our kids take selfies together and genuinely enjoy the adventure. We 100% made core memories — and it made this “hobby” feel so real.

Back “Home” in Rifle

Next stop: Rifle! We wanted our own space to unwind at night, so I searched the Chase Travel Portal for deals. There weren’t any Hyatts nearby, but I found a La Quinta (Wyndham) for 50,547 points instead of $631.

We stayed four nights, then spent three more with family in my favorite place on Earth. I’m so thankful for their hospitality — and for all the time we had together.

Lincoln Stopover

Listen… Rifle is 16+ hours away from St. Cloud, and I’m not about to drive that in one shot 😅. So on our way home, we stayed at the Hyatt Place in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. I transferred 8,000 points to Hyatt and saved another $141. And BONUS! I got to meet my friend Elyse for the first time in person!

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The Total Savings

While the entire trip didn’t cost $0, it took a lot of stress off our shoulders knowing our seven hotel nights were completely covered. Of course, we still paid for gas, food, entry fees, and fun stuff — but all those (budgeted) expenses went on the Chase Ink Preferred, which helped us earn toward the next bonus.

So not only was it a points-redeeming trip — it was also a points-earning one!

💰 Total savings: $1,394 on hotels
💳 Total nights free: 7
🧠 Points value: 3.5¢ per point (amazing!)

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Getting to see our friend get married, reconnect with people we love, and show our kids places that mean so much to us was such a blessing. I’m so grateful for this “hobby” I taught myself earlier this year.

We’re only eight months in, and we’ve already saved $6,541 in travel… with plenty of points still to spare. 🙌