Harlan Vaughn's Blog, page 38

Hotel Review: Granite Park Chalet, Glacier NP, Montana

Also see: 

Booking Glacier: I Used Points for Free Flights and Hotel Nights – and Still Paid $1,000

To start, Granite Park Chalet isn’t a hotel in the usual sense of the word. One review on TripAdvisor called it a “high-end hiker’s hostel” – which is apt.

There are two ways to get to the chalet: you can hike 7.6 miles on the Highline Trail, or 4 miles on the Loop Trail. The former is longer but not as steep while the latter gains 2,220 feet – so it’s pretty much climbing straight up.

First approach into Granite Park Chalet

I stayed here with my friend Angie for 3 nights in July 2017.  We opted to park at Logan Pass and hike the 7.6 miles in and out (so 15.2 miles round-trip). It cost about $200 per night with the linens package. And I paid an extra $106 for 3 days’ worth of food.

This was a perfect place to spend a few days and use as a base for other shorter hikes in the area.

Arrival and check-in

Link: Granite Park Chalet

The day we arrived, we drove the rental car to Logan Pass, which is right about in the middle of Going-to-the-Sun Road – itself an engineering feat.

We parked at the pin, then hiked the Highline Trail to the chalet

Well, it was brutally, miserably hot that day. And we had to carry supplies for 3+ days on our backs. So the hike in started out pretty nice, but soon turned nearly unbearable as the sun beat down. By the time we got there, we were both so out of it: hot, exhausted, sweaty, and pretty beaten down.

Our chalet building

Checking in was easy. They had our names written down and showed us to our room, #18. There are no locks on the doors – so it’s all an honor system.

Our room, #18

They told us to settle in and come back in for a tour of the kitchen and to get our pre-ordered food any time before 7pm.

The room

We both instantly fell into a slough of despond and napped while we cooled down. The room itself was very spartan. No furniture aside from two bunkers, two chairs, and a little table – that was it.

Our room and bunk beds

Hooks for our packs and jackets

They’d already put sheets, blankets, and pillows on the beds. It was a small room with only the absolute basics. And the soundproofing was nonexistent. As one GCP employee put it, “There are no secrets at the chalet.” Luckily, the people next to us didn’t snore.

The chalet

I gotta say, what an amazing location:

In front of Heaven’s Peak

The views in every direction were phenomenal. From the front porch, you have a direct view of Heaven’s Peak, one of the most distinct in the park. And the chalet is excellent for several other day hikes to Swiftcurrent Lookout, the Loop, even to Many Glacier. There was one particularly steep “secondary” trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook that just about killed me (kinda sorta not kidding). But so worth it.

My food and water for 3 days

Most of the food for purchase up there is freeze-dried and it’s all definitely pre-packaged. I only used the kitchen to boil water for my packaged meals. A couple of them were “meh,” but a couple were pretty tasty! I also hauled up lots of protein bars and a few fresh apples.

Supply mules

Wondering how they get supplies up there? By mule, of course. The mules send up food, water, and linens and haul out the garbage and whatever else needs to be sent down. They said they get a mule delivery once a week. Or twice a week if there’s something urgent.

Very chill communal space

You’ll spend a lot of your time in the main building, where there’s a dining room lined with tables. And the kitchen is in there.

Each evening at 8pm is “Coffee Hour” – a tradition where you can get a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and listen to the history of the chalet and topics about Glacier. It stays light out pretty late in the summer. So after the Coffee Hour was over, the sky was still lit – but we went to bed anyway, mostly because of sheer tiredness.

But this was a fun centering thing to do each evening.

All natural

If you run out of water, there’s a tank nearby with an attached hose – but you have to hike a quarter mile down a rocky path and carry it all back. Luckily, we only had to do that once.

Need to pee? Get in line behind the marmot!

The only bathrooms are modernized outhouses, and there are no sinks – just some Purell and a hole in the ground. Obvi, there are no showers.

And there’s no electricity. So it’s pretty spartan.

The old crapper lol

But it’s still better than when the chalet opened over a 100 years ago. Back then, they gave you porcelain containers. And the hotel staff cleaned them every morning. Ew!

You’ll most likely see deer in the evenings

There’s a lot of wildlife in the area. You’re prone to see deer, marmots, ground squirrels – and maybe even a bear. We spotted a couple playing on a nearby peak from a distance – a mama bear and her cub.

The experience

I found everything to be surprisingly comfortable, all told. The bunk beds were a little squeaky, but nothing too bad.

The biggest annoyances were flies in the room and the bathroom situation.

The buzzing of the flies sounded 1,000 times louder in there somehow. We were able to shoo them out the door, but they’d inevitably find their way back in. They hushed up in the evenings, thankfully.

And those 3am potty breaks. It was pitch black dark. And you have to strap on your boots and find your flashlight. And then there’s that moment where you didn’t know who – or what – is around you out there. I spent a solid couple of minutes surveying the area. And then ran across the path like a banshee, hoping I didn’t run into a bear. That was a nightly occurrence that never got any easier – just part of the deal.

I didn’t mind the food so much, either. I thought I’d hate it, but it was filling and full of protein, so kept me going.

Books to borrow

I spent the evenings reading, talking, and sipping bourbon that I hauled up in my pack. And spent the days hiking. We took an amazing class about the wildflowers in the park. And learned so much about the history of the chalet and Glacier, the geology, the weather, and so much more.

OWWWWW

And, despite a zillion applications of sunscreen and bug spray, I still got burned AF and the bugs never really went away. My advice is to wear loose, breathable clothing and try to cover up as much as possible. Get a hat, any hat. And be prepared for any kind of weather.

We got rained on, hailed on, burnt to a crisp, and nearly frozen in the space of a week. The weather here can and does change rapidly.

Oh and one other thing – use the hooks in the room to hang up your pack and everything else. I heard a mouse nibbling on a paper towel in the middle of the night. So there are definitely critters in there.

Bottom line

*Long dreamy sigh* I loved staying at Granite Park Chalet. To have a place in the middle of so much wonderful nature is truly spectacular. I didn’t shower for 4 days and feared running to the outhouse in the middle of the night, but all-in-all, nothing compares to this unique experience if you let it in.

The employees were great, as were the other guests. Staying here is a big step up from camping, but not at all like a full-service hotel. You get a roof over your head and a twin bed to sleep in – not to mention a fantastic base for many area hikes.

I’d been wanting to stay here for 10+ years, and this summer, I finally did it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. You have to spend some time preparing, but that’s part of the experience (sunscreen, hat, and rain gear are absolute must-haves!).

Presented without comment

If you’re interested, I highly recommend reading over the FAQ as it covers a lot of different topics – and helped me prepared for my stay. Pro tip: do NOT carry raw steak to the chalet.

A Ray of Hope for Plastiq 3X With Citi AT&T Access More Card?

I just made my last round of rent, mortgage, and HOA payments through Plastiq with my Citi AT&T Access More card because Citi is removing those transactions from earning 3X starting next week.

But as I reviewed the transactions, I noticed they weren’t coding as rent like they had before. Instead, they’re coding as “Misc Government Services.” That gave me pause because of the language in Citi’s T&Cs:

Quoth Citi

But upon further review, I earned 3X in this very same category as early as this month. Which makes me wonder… will 3X live on for rent and mortgage payments with the Citi AT&T Access More card?

A history of Plastiq 3X With Citi AT&T Access More Card

The last time I used this card for rent/mortgage/HOA was in March 2017 (after that, I use my SPG biz Amex and then went some min spends).

Through Plastiq, those charges coded as “Real Estate Agents and Managers Rentals:”

Citi coding as of March 2017

Which was awesome, because at the time, 3X was going well for this category.

Flash forward to this week in July 2017. I made the exact same payments. But noticed they now code as “Misc Government Services:”

Exact same payees as before

I haven’t edited the payees in any way. They’re simply coding differently. Something’s changed in the past couple of months.

The Citi T&Cs specifically say “government services” only earn 1X (see screenshot above). But, I made a mortgage payment earlier this month that coded the same way AND still earned 3X on my last statement:

3X on everything except the $10 charge from Google

I only had 5 transactions on my last billing statement, and 4 of the 5 charges – including the Plastiq mortgage payment – earned 3X Citi ThankYou points.

Here’s how that $1,600 charge coded:

Could it live on?

Misc Government Services! (I never thought I’d type something like that with an exclamation point at the end.)

If that’s any indication, the charges from this week should earn 3X as well. It remains to be seen if they’ll earn 3X after July 22nd, 2017, but my hunch is they will… unless Citi really starts cracking down next month. Which I don’t think will really happen.

Either way, I’m going to do one more round of payments because this is enough to convince me that:

Citi is coding Plastiq rent, mortgage, and HOA payments differently
For whatever reason, they’re earning 3X even though they’re “government services”
3X for these payments might live on beyond July 2017

Bottom line

Link: Sign-up for Plastiq (Get $500 in fee-free payments)

There’s no doubt Citi wants to stop giving 3X points for Plastiq payments. But I don’t think they’re flagging them well enough to actually prevent the charges from earning 3X. Unless something drastically changes by next week, which is doubtful.

I’m going to stick with this one more time for a couple of payments in August and see how they code. But seeing this, and how they’re coding, gives me a little hope that Plastiq 3X with Citi AT&T Access More will live on.

However, it will very much be a month-to-month scenario. I won’t be surprised if this gravy train comes to a sudden end. But until that happens, I’m gonna keep riding for as long as I can.

The 3X from this card, combined with the 10,000 annual bonus points, would make the case to continue using Plastiq payments. When this stops working, see why the Blue Business Plus Amex card is the next best card to use for rent and mortgage payments.

If you have recent data points, please share! 

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

So You Wanna Be an Airbnb Host? Part 5: Taxes, Expenses, and Making It All Work

You got an Airbnb so you could make extra money, yeah? Well, congrats, you’re officially a small business owner. You can get business credit cards based on your yearly income. Those cleaning supplies I mentioned in Part 4 are now expenses. And, you might be on the hook to pay taxes.

Evernote is key to keeping track of receipts and expenses

I personally use Evernote to save every single receipt. And tag them with the tax year and “expenses” for easy work at tax time. After a while, you definitely find your rhythm with this Airbnb stuff. You might even want to get another.

Airbnb Hosting Index:

Part 1: Finding the Right Place
Part 2: Setting It Up
Part 3: Attracting Guests
Part 4: Ongoing Maintenance
Part 5: Taxes, Expenses, and Making It All Work

This series is meant for peeps who want to list an entire home separate from their primary residence on Airbnb.

Do you have to pay taxes?

Link: Will you receive a 1099 from Airbnb?

Here’s what Airbnb says:

“The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires US companies that process payments, including Airbnb, to report gross earnings for all US users who earn over $20,000 and have 200+ transactions in the calendar year. If you exceed both IRS thresholds in a calendar year, Airbnb will issue you a Form 1099-K.”

108 reservations across all my listings in 2016

So, you won’t get a 1099 unless you make more than $20,000 AND have 200+ transactions per calendar year. Last year, I only had 108 reservations.

Now, the official word is that you should, of course, pay taxes on your income. But it’s not going to be reported to the IRS unless you have over 200 reservations your first year (spoiler alert: you won’t). So make of that what you will and draw your own conclusions.

In Texas (where I live), there’s so state income tax anyway, so… doesn’t really matter one way or the other.

Track your expenses anyway

Link: 26 More Awesome and Creative Uses for Evernote

This is a business, and you should treat it like one. The only way to know what’s coming in is if you meticulously track all your expenses. I highly recommend Evernote for this task.

You can also save:

Your cleaning schedule
A list of things to buy/replace
When you last placed an order so you can plan better
Photos of any damage, should it happen
Any instructions or manuals, so you always have them
Copies of your lease, bills, and any other paperwork related to your place
Any codes, passwords, logins, etc., related to your Airbnb utility accounts

It’s great to have all this stuff in one centralized place.

Plus, should the need ever arise, you’ll have detailed records of all your expenses in case there’s a dispute. And yes, digital records count if you’re ever audited by the IRS. No need to ever delete them. I love the peace of mind this gives me.

Try a Schedule C -or- E

I did get a 1099 from Airbnb one year, and there was no way I was going to attempt doing those taxes myself. I paid an accountant to figure it out for me. And what I learned was Airbnb income can count as Schedule C or Schedule E income on your taxes. He tried the numbers both ways and decided to go with a Schedule C.

So if you do file taxes, consult an accountant. Or at least plug the numbers in both ways to see which scenario works more favorably.

Don’t forget to earn points!

Link: Apply for Card Offers
Link: Sign-up for Plastiq

I’ve long written about using Plastiq to pay your Airbnb rent. Unfortunately, with the 2.5% fee, it’s not worth it in most cases any more – unless you’re working on meeting a minimum spending requirement.

Boo ya – my new jam

However, I just got the new Blue Business Preferred Amex that earns 2X Amex Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 spent per year. I value each point at 2 cents each, so that’s like 4% back. With the 2.5% fee considered, it drops to 1.5% back.

While that’s not stellar, it’s something. That’s what I think I’m gonna do after this month, when 3X on my Citi AT&T Access More card stops working.

Even with rent out of the equation, you should earn points for the ongoing expenses. Purchase items after you click through a shopping portal. Stock up at Boxed when there’s an Amex Offer. Or use a card with an office supply category to get them there. The point is, you should use this ongoing organic spend to get more points and miles.

I have easily earned hundreds of thousands of points from my Airbnbs since I started doing it in 2014. You should too!

Putting everything together

So, if you’ve made it this far, you might be thinking, “God, that’s a lot of stuff going on!” It is, kinda. It’s a lot at first, for sure. It’s more when you have 2, or 3, or 10.

But the great thing about Airbnb is it scales up nicely. The costs are mostly fixed, as are the returns. So it’s fairly predictable income. The only thing you have to really worry about is getting kicked out for whatever reason (which is why you should have an exit strategy). And seasonal shifts in demand.

Barring that, there’s not too much else to think about. I know there are horror stories out there – I’ve heard them, too. But those are outliers. And most likely won’t ever happen to you.

There are car crashes every day, too, but people still buy and drive cars. It’s kinda the same concept – keep it clean, do it safe, be as cautious as possible. And you’ll most likely be fine.

After a few months, the Airbnb thing sinks into your schedule. It’s to the point now where I don’t even think about it any more – it’s become that automated. I know what needs to get done and just… do it (at the risk of sounding like a Nike ad lol).

I still travel often, even with my Airbnbs in the mix

And, I’ve still been able to travel. Frequently! Yes, I have to make sure the cleanings are set and the guests are taken care of, but beyond that, it’s been fine. Never had an issue while I was away, touch wood.

It does become a lifestyle. It’s also super fun. I love being a part of someone else’s travel story. And the extra income is nice, too.

Bottom line

Link: Sign-up for Airbnb

That’s my treatise on Airbnb. I hope it was helpful and illuminating for you.

Have one on me

If you’re new to Airbnb (hosting or traveling), you can get $40 off your first $75+ trip when you use my link.

I recommend Evernote to be your digital brain for expenses and tax reporting. And def use a points- or miles-earning credit card for those expenses.

In the end, I’m so glad I’m an Airbnb host. It’s truly changed my life. After a while, you’ll find your groove and it will be old hat to you. But getting started is by far the most time-intensive, expensive, and fun part of the whole endeavor. Then it becomes part of your lifestyle.

I hope I’ve explained everything thoroughly, but let me know if you have other questions in the comments. I’ll do my best to help!

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Flight Review: Brussels Airlines Business Class JFK-BRU

Also see:

NYC-BRU J Award Seats on Brussels Open May & June 2017 – Book With Citi ThankYou Points!
Just Booked: A Brussels Airlines Biz Class Award Flight With Etihad Miles
Booking BAP: A $5,000 Trip to Europe for $238 & Points!

Back in August 2016, I booked round-trip Business Class flights from JFK to Brussels on Brussels Airlines using ~37,000 Etihad miles (transferred 1:1 from Citi ThankYou points). That was an incredible value. Now it’s 44,000 Etihad miles each way, which is still a cheap price for Business Class to Europe. But not nearly as awesome, obvi.

I took the flights in May 2017 – a full 9 months after booking. It’s the farthest in advance I’ve ever booked a trip. So I was looking forward to it for a long time.

Our bird to Brussels

As the date neared, I firmed up my intra-European itinerary. And booked positioning flights to and from New York.

Here’s a look at what Business Class on Brussels Airlines looks like.

Brussels Airlines Business Class seat

I booked a single “throne” seat – 3K – there and back.

My throne across the Atlantic both ways – Seat 3K

Upon entering the cabin after “turning left” into the aircraft (god I love that feeling), I was struck by how fresh and modern the setup looked.

A very nice cabin indeed

There are 30 seats in biz, in a staggered 1-2-1/2-1-2 setup, like so:

Airbus A330 seat map and my seat

I really liked the vibe!

As soon as I got to my seat, I was greeted by a flight attendant and offered a PDB.

Lil bubbly to kick off the flight

There was a pillow and blanket already in the seat. And the flight attendant brought me an amenity kit and Bose headphones to wear.

Amenity kit contents

The amenity kit had:

Toothpaste and toothbrush
Lip balm
Body lotion
Earplugs
Writing pen
Eyeshade and socks
Tissues

The kit itself was a basic black bag, nothing fancy. Kinda disposable.

As I settled, I immediately noticed the cubby where my feet would go when the seat was in the lie-flat position. It looked a bit narrow, and I wondered how my feet and legs were going to fit on the overnight flight.

Notice how it tapers in there

So that was in the back of my mind.

TV remote

Seat controls

I familiarized myself with the various controls, how the lights worked, and browsed the IFE. The screens were a nice size.

More of the cabin and IFE screens

There wasn’t a lot of storage in the seat except for a little spot to place your shoes, which I loved. Everything else, I stowed in the seat back pocket or in the overhead bin.

Overall, I liked my seat. But in the overnight hours, I found the sleep setup (pillows, blankets, foot cubby) to be lacking. I’d have liked a sturdier pillow – I had to fold mine over because it was so thin. And the blankets were a bit worn.

The foot cubby thing wasn’t the end of the world, but I couldn’t “lie flat” – instead, I had to sleep on my side with my legs slightly bent. I’m 6’1″, so it’s probably fine for anyone who’s shorter. And it wasn’t a huge issue – but I knew from the get-go that little foot cubby thing would be an annoyance.

The food

So I had the same plane to and from Brussels. But different food. Here’s what I ate on both flights.

I was a bad travel blogger and didn’t take pics of the menus. And I don’t remember what the dishes were called. Don’t kill me. But here’s how it looked so you can get a sense of presentation.

Salmon starter, cheese, fruit crumble, and wine

Chicken with artichoke and broccoli

Breakfast on the way home: pastries, fruit, yogurt, juice, and coffee

Amuse bouche and nuts (and wine)

I wanna say this was sushi with mixed veggies as a side (it was good!)

Chicken curry

Yummy dessert with rhubarb and strawberries

Mid-flight snack: a wrap with bean salad and fruit

Departure gift of Belgian chocolates… awwwww!

The food was “pretty good.” It didn’t blow me away, in terms of taste or presentation, really. However, the flight attendants were on the ball about serving meals as soon as we got to cruising. And were proactive about offering to wake us up for breakfast or let us sleep.

The wines were lovely. I tried a couple on each flight and found them all to be good. I tried to lay off the hard liquor during this trip, but did allow myself to try the red wines. They had a good selection of wines with different bodies and flavors, so I appreciated that.

Overall, not the best but certainly not the worst I’ve ever had on a plane: got the job done and the service was extremely efficient.

The service and experience

I liked my flights quite a lot. I watched “Lion” on the way over and cried at my seat when the film ended. The headphones were a bit tight and gave me a slight headache – and I have a small head lol. But nothing major.

The flight attendants there and back reminded me of intra-European Lufthansa service: to the point, no fluff, but very kind. They took their time explaining the menu and seat controls, so I never felt rushed or like they were out of reach. So it was a good level of service – not overbearing at all.

I was able to sleep for a few hours on the way over and back. I wore comfy pants and stowed my shoes in the little compartment. The cabin was only half full on both flights, so it was pretty peaceful. A really nice ambiance. If I’d paid retail price though, I think I’d expect a little more, from both hard and soft product.

Is it worth it now?

Look, 44,000 miles each way to Europe in Business Class isn’t bad. It’s not the steal it once was, but it’s still worth a looky-loo.

The 3 North American Brussels Airlines routes for 44K each way

The only downside is you can only get this price from:

New York (JFK)
Toronto
Washington, DC (IAD)

If you’re not in those cities, you’re on the hook for getting yourself there, which does add cost in either cash or miles. However, if you can find an open seat (searchable on United.com), I thought it was a breeze to book a seat with Etihad miles.

Considering some of you might be ready to burn Citi ThankYou points because of the upcoming changes to Prestige and AT&T Access More cards this month, remember you can also still book AA flights at pre-deval prices. Good luck finding an award seat, though!

Bottom line

Compared to Austrian, Lufthansa, and SWISS, I’d put Brussels somewhere in the middle: not the best and not the worst, but definitely belongs in the club. Considering the flights cost me next to nothing, I really can’t complain. But if I had it my way, I’d like a more spacious and/or longer seat, better pillows and blankets, and maybe a little “something more” with the food.

All that said, though: I’m glad I did it and I’d do it again. Still a great deal if you can get yourself to New York, Toronto, or Washington, DC. And it’s so easy to get from many places within Europe, either by train or plane, once you get to Brussels.

If you’ve experienced Brussels Airlines Business Class, how does your experience compare? Would you use your Citi ThankYou points for these flights? 

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

So You Wanna Be an Airbnb Host? Part 4: Ongoing Maintenance

After you get a few reviews and bookings, you’ll need to figure out how to keep the gravy train rolling. But, good news – the hard parts are over!

If you found a place, set it up, and listed it on Airbnb’s site, that is easily 90% of your whole Airbnb journey. The rest is just pruning and perfecting.

Your Airbnb calendar will be your lifeline

This is the part where you can be hands-off, travel, drop things off here and there. Basically, the whole reason you started this whole crazy thing: to have mostly passive income roll in.

Airbnb Hosting Index:

Part 1: Finding the Right Place
Part 2: Setting It Up
Part 3: Attracting Guests
Part 4: Ongoing Maintenance
Part 5: Taxes, Expenses, and Making It All Work

This series is meant for peeps who want to list an entire home separate from their primary residence on Airbnb.
Stock it up

From here on out, your life is mostly going to consist of cleaning supplies and toiletries. I leave shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for my guests.

And my top cleaning purchases are:

TP
Paper towels
Toilet bowl cleaner
Green spray
Garbage bags
Hand soap refills
Dishwasher tablets

My Airbnb “overflow” *crying laughing emoji*

I stock up like a crazy person. I probably have a 6-month supply of toilet paper in my places. I use discounts from Boxed, Amex Offers, office supply stores, and shopping portals to generate points and miles on these purchases. And I have more overflow at home.

Basically, I check in on my places once every 6 weeks or so. I go through and make a list of what’s running low (on Todoist), then head home and order those items. The next time I go, I take them with. And repeat.

I like this system because it’s extremely low-maintenance. An hour every 6 weeks is nothing. And sometimes, I go more just because I like to check in, or happen to be in the area.

To stock up is divine. You’ll save yourself a lot of running around if you get everything you need in one shot.

Find reliable help or clean it yourself

When I had 4 Airbnbs in New York, I was such a nut about keeping them clean that I did them all myself. Yes, it sucked, but I didn’t want to trust a cleaning person.

One day, I cracked under the pressure of it all and called a number a friend gave me. I met with a wonderful lady named Patricia – and she became my go-to cleaning person slash lifesaver.

I paid her $60 a pop, which was a great price in NYC. But it was so worth it because I got to be even more hands-off.

In Dallas, I didn’t even try. I hired a cleaning service from the get-go. The first few times, I’d swing by after and do the “white glove test” to make sure everything was up to my standards. After trying out a few different housekeepers, I found one I liked.

My places usually book up a month or two in advance. So every 3 or 4 weeks, I’ll sit down and type up a list of the dates I need the places cleaned and text them to my housekeeper. This takes me probably 15 minutes a month to schedule the cleanings. It’s so easy.

Use email templates for Airbnb hosting

Beyond that, all I have to do is send pre-written template emails to the guests for check-in and checkout.

Saved messages are king

These take me a few seconds to send from the Airbnb app. So little time that I really don’t even count it.

I recommend setting up templates for:

Check-in
Checkout
Wifi info
Directions from airport
List of places to do/see in the area

Write them once, then never again. So easy.

Sometimes things mess up

Not to make it all sound effortless. It’s mostly smooth. But things do happen.

I’ve never had anything too major come up. Mostly annoying things like someone forgot their watch, or took the key home by mistake. Or stained the comforter so now I have to wash or replace it. Stuff like that.

Nah, I don’t mind heading to downtown Dallas. Find a place you don’t mind going when the going gets tough

That’s why I recommend finding an Airbnb reasonably close. What’s reasonable is up to you. One of my places is 5 minutes on foot; the other is 10 minutes driving. In New York, they were 45 minutes on the train.

I’d say an hour or less, to be on the safe side. Pick a place you don’t mind popping by. Or a place that’s near family or friends just in case you can’t drop everything and run in.

It doesn’t happen a lot, but, ya know, it’s probably gonna happen a time or two. If your housekeeper can help you deal with little things, like replacing light bulbs or refilling the hand soap, even better.

You’ll hit a groove that feels good. Most of the time, things are good. But every once in a while, there’s an issue. Just be open and responsive. Oh, and any time something happens, it will definitely be at the worst possible time. Of course. Just roll with it, life continues.

Is Marijuana Tourism a New American Trend?

I recently had the good fortune to visit Denver and Colorado Springs to hang out with some of the BoardingArea crew.

With Grant, Jeanne, Ben, and my awesome BA peeps

I also recently took a trip to Brussels, Amsterdam, and Prague (which I’m still trying to catch up writing about) but the key word in this sentence is… Amsterdam.

After that experience, I was looking forward to visiting some homegrown (American) dispensaries now that weed is legal in Colorado (and Washington, and Nevada).

In fact, there was one right across the street from the Sheraton Denver Downtown: Euflora. It got me thinking… would I go back to Denver just to smoke a bunch of weed?

As it turns out, the trail has already been thoroughly… blazed.

Would you fly to buy?

I’m asking as a newish Texan, where I’m subject to some of the harshest possession charges of any US state.

As I walked down 16th Street Mall holding my baggie, I thought, “I could totally get used to this.” It felt so new because I was still in the US.

But I also quickly realized the limits as a visitor: for one, I couldn’t smoke in my hotel. Or anywhere outside where there might be children. So where did that leave me? I asked a local and she basically said, “Figure it out.” So I did.

Edibles were my solution

I stuck to edibles, mostly.

The more I talked to others in the know, the more I realized this is an ongoing thing. That many of the people buying marijuana in Colorado were NOT from Colorado.

Marijuana tourism in the US

A quick search turned up articles about weed tourism from Travel + Leisure and the New York Times – good company to have. I also found a helpful list of things to avoid when you take a “weed vacation.”

The selection was wild

What I loved most was seeing everything out on display, in the open, with professional labels and nutrition facts and different varieties of each item. The staff at the dispensary talked about the products in a no-nonsense way. There was no stigma.

It was all out there: products. Customers talking about the products, the variations, the different strains and types. I’d never seen such an array before. It was so refreshing to see it out in the open.

Lolerz

I also knew right away I couldn’t even think about purchasing most of the things in there. I was only in town for 3 days. And anyway, I’d never get it back to Texas.

I didn’t want to buy a lot of product because then I’d need the whole setup. And I didn’t want to make the investment only to throw it all away.

Pre-rolled joints FTW

Luckily, they had some pre-rolled joints. But only available in mango flavor. :/ Whatever, the edibles were plenty for me. And I got only as many as I could handle in 3 days.

The experience made we want to go back for more. To be a marijuana tourist in Denver. And do it proper.

Where points and miles come in

My flights to and from Denver were free. My hotel stay was $86 (I booked a cash + points rate). Breakfast was free. And the dispensary was literally across the street.

I’d totally fly back to Denver with the sole purpose of indulging in their local herbs for a few more days. To be honest, the whole experience was so relaxing and easy and fun, I’m amazed I didn’t think to do it sooner.

And using points for a weed vacation would be a literally free way to make it happen again. Next time, I can plan it more carefully so I don’t feel like I’m wasting anything. Or having to throw a bunch of it away before I leave.

Will this trend keep spreading?

I’d love to live in a state where weed is legal. It is most definitely NOT legal in Texas. I don’t think it will be any time soon.

But being in Denver made me think: what if I drove there, stocked up, and drove back? No TSA and the only risk would be getting pulled over. Don’t people already do that, though? What’s preventing Colorado’s border states from legalizing marijuana? If more people keep doing it, are the states going to prosecute everyone they catch?

It seems like Colorado and other states (mostly on the west coast) are setting the trend for legalization to spread outward… but for the moment, marijuana tourism is a new and enticing prospect, isn’t it?

Bottom line

Just some food for thought. I had a completely refreshing experience being a marijuana tourist in my home country. Dallas to Denver is a pretty quick flight – I’d consider flying to Colorado just to smoke up for a few days.

But the problems for tourists come quickly: lack of accessories and you have to get creative if you intend to exhale smoke. Plus, you can’t take it with you – although I don’t see what’s preventing peeps from simply driving out of the state with their stash.

The whole thing got me thinking. And seeing it’s been recognized by some well-respected publications, marijuana tourism seems like it could take hold here in the US. I don’t even need to fly all the way to Amsterdam any more. I also wonder… how far will the trend spread? Will we ever have “cafes” stateside? Will be interesting to see how this develops on a national level…

Have you taken a weed vacation in the US? Would you (again)? I’d love to hear more thoughts on this!

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

So You Wanna Be an Airbnb Host? Part 3: Attracting Guests

Now that you’ve found a place and set it up, you’ll want to get it listed as quickly as possible so guests can book it. And by far the best way to attract bookings is so have a ton of photos.

You’ll want to have lots of crisp, clear photos to show your listing to guests

You’ll also want to hit a good mark with your pricing. But at first, I drop my prices as low as possible to get a few bookings.  And therefore a few positive reviews – they’re another huge opportunity to get more bookings.

Airbnb Hosting Index:

Part 1: Finding the Right Place
Part 2: Setting It Up
Part 3: Attracting Guests
Part 4: Ongoing Maintenance
Part 5: Taxes, Expenses, and Making It All Work

This series is meant for peeps who want to list an entire home separate from their primary residence on Airbnb.
The price is right

In Part 1, I talked about running the numbers and undercutting the competition. At first, when you have no reviews, you’re gonna have to drop them even more.

The key to getting this right is to drop the price to just below your comfort level. But not so low that you attract people looking for the “cheap” bookings. This might take a bit of trial and error. But be honest in your description. Add “New Listing Special!” to your headline. Let guests know you are new and eager to get their business – and their reviews.

Many factors go into one price

Even if you set a nightly price, that’s not the price guests are gonna pay.

Getting to the final price is kind of a journey

Aside from the nightly rate, there’s also a cleaning fee (you set the price), a service fee (which fluctuates between 3% and 6%) and any taxes held by your locality.

So that $336 in the pic above jumps to $422 in the end – similar to how hotel prices work. So take that into consideration, too.

You get the nightly rate and the cleaning fee. You don’t ever see the taxes if Airbnb handles that. And you also pay a service fee on your end. So the numbers on your actual payout will look different, too.

See what other hosts in your area are charging for their cleaning fees and nightly rates. What’s the norm? What’s too high and too low? Don’t worry about getting it perfect right away. Because you can always experiment later. But do give some thought about what your nightly (base) rate should be.

Pics pics pics

To have 10 pics is great. 20 pics is better. 30 pics is awesome. Seriously.

Does that sound like overkill? So be it. Take photos of your space from multiple angles. Show guests how the rooms connect. Show them the dishwasher or the skylight or any special features that make your place look great.

Show them the kitchen and the dishes and the desk area and anything you’d want to see. A good rule of thumb is, the more pics the better. Overload them with pics.

Describe your listing

COMPLETELY. Airbnb gives you several fields to fill out. So grab a drink and plan to spend an hour uploading your pics and writing about your listing.

Take your time looking at each section

You’ll be asked to describe:

The space
Access policy
Level of interaction
About the ‘hood
Getting around
Other things to note

My rulez

Then, set the rules for what you’ll allow. Are pets OK? What about kids/families? Can they smoke? When do you want check-in and checkout to happen? Add anything else you want the guest to know.

You’ll also set the cancellation policy. I’ve always had mine as “Moderate” and it’s always worked out OK. The other choices are “Strict” which means non-refundable and non-cancelable and “Flexible” which means they can cancel 1 day in advance and get their money back (too loose for me).

The devil’s in the details

It always is, eh?

Pay extra close attention to them, though. They are the make or break with your lasting success.

Figure out which of these you’re comfortable with

I only accept guests with an ID on file AND with positive reviews from other hosts. I also have a $125 deposit in case anything is damaged or missing.

I have my minimum stay at 3 nights – any less and it’s not worth it to clean/flip/coordinate. And my max is set at 14 nights – after a couple of weeks, I want you gone so I can get more guests in!

You can also set a weekly or even monthly discount. I have a weekly discount set at 10%. I do like longer stays – it’s less to think about – but ultimately, you make more money by having more guests. And get more reviews, obviously.

Don’t gloss over this part. Because are other variables to ponder, like:

Fees for extra guests
Weekend pricing
“Smart” pricing (where you let Airbnb dynamically price your listing between a min and max price)
How much advance notice you require
How far in advance a guest can book (mine is set for 3 months)

These are mostly personal preferences. And again, you can always update them. But definitely don’t skip over the description, house rules, deposit, guest requirements, and min/max stay. Those are all set-in-stone definite.

Hire a pro

Link: Airbnb Photography

Depending on your market, Airbnb will send a photographer to shoot your listing free of charge. That’s right – just send them a note and set it up. It takes a few weeks to set it up and get the pics back, but it’s so worth it.

Airbnb offers free professional photos in some markets

In other markets, there’s a fee. I still think it’s worth it to have excellent photos of your place.

Or, if you have a friend with a nice camera (or you have one yourself), now is the time to use it. While you’re waiting to process the images, anything is better than nothing – even pics from your phone. But if you really want to make your listing attractive to guests, shelling out a little money for high-quality photos is beyond worthwhile.

Bottom line

The sooner you fill out your listing’s description and add lots of photos, the better. So don’t drag butt on this part of the process.

Be honest at first that you’re new at Airbnb hosting. Be enthusiastic. And let the guests know you’re looking for reviews in exchange for your low prices upfront. Keep your prices low until you get 3 or 4 positive reviews, then gradually raise them until you get to a comfortable level.

While you want to make your listing attractive, you also want to attract the right kind of guest: those that already have positive reviews, IDs on file, and good motives for booking your space. Again, follow your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, just explain it’s not a good match and move on – there will always be others.

Once you figure out your pricing and photos, you can think about finer aspects of your listing and guest experience. But those are by far the most important things to start with.

After you have lots of guests booked at your place, you’ll need to think about how to manage your listing long-term, which I’ll cover in the next section.

Any questions about pricing your listing or adjusting the settings? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to help!

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Blue Business Plus Amex: New Card for Plastiq Payments?

Also see: 

Gasp! Citi AT&T Access More Will No Longer Earn 3X for Rent & Mortgage Payments

I’ve come out of my slough of despair (kinda slash not really) following the news that Citi AT&T Access More cards won’t earn 3X on rent and mortgage payments starting July 22nd, 2017. And the Chase Sapphire Reserve trick stopped working, too – although I’ve heard you can still make payments with it for 1X (AKA it does NOT code as travel).

In the midst of all this, Amex came out with a brand new card: the Blue Business Plus. And it holds some promise for payments with Plastiq. Of course, the numbers aren’t as good as they once were. But you can earn 2X on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year on the card.

Newest card

I got the card last week. And starting next month, it will be my go-to for Plastiq payments. Because I still want the points.

Here’s a look at how it works, by the numbers.

About the Blue Business Plus Amex

Link: Apply for Card Offers

So there are a few “Blue” Amex cards. This one’s called the “Blue Business Plus” and is a brand-new card in the Amex lineup.

There’s no annual fee – so it’s free to keep forever. Because it’s a small business card, it won’t show on your personal credit report – and therefore has no bearing on your Chase 5/24 status. And for that same reason, you need to have some quantifiable business income.

You get 2X Amex Membership Rewards on the first $50,000 you spend per calendar year on the card. So it’s a great card for non-bonus spending (which Plastiq payments are now). That’s good for an extra 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points per year.

There’s also a quite long period with 0% APR – 15 months. Which could be good to help pay down some debt. Or float a charge for a sec.

There’s currently NO sign-up bonus on the card. But it costs nothing and could be worth it anyway.

My experience getting Blue Business Plus Amex

Firstly, I didn’t get a hard pull when I applied. Which is awesome. This is my 5th Amex credit card – so I may be at my limit there (my others are SPG personal and biz, Hilton Surpass, and no AF Hilton).

Instant approval!

I was instantly approved… with a $2,000 credit limit, which isn’t much.

Luckily, this card has a feature where you can “spend above your credit limit.”

Seems fair

I checked what would happen for a $5,000 charge, and they said no prob, bob. That’s good, because my rents and mortgage are more than $2,000 a month. The hitch is, you must pay off the amount above your credit limit at the end of each billing cycle. Also not a problem – I do that anyway. So far, so good.

Worth it for Plastiq payments?

Link: Sign-up for Plastiq (Get $500 in fee-free payments)

So I spend about $4,500 on my various rent payments. Which is $54,000 per calendar year – literally perfect for the 2X points on $50,000 in spending each year.

But, Plastiq has a 2.5% fee for payments, Previously, this was worth it at 3X because the value of the points outweighed Plastiq’s fee. How does that scale down to 2X?

I value bank points for at least 2 cents each – period. So the 2X is worth 4 cents, or like getting 4% back.

After Plastiq’s fee, you come out ahead by 1.5% if you value your points similarly (4% – 2.5% = 1.5%).

If you max out the spending threshold on this card, you’ll pay $1,250 for 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points ($50,000 X 2.5% fee).

So it is worth paying $1,250 for that many points? I value 100,000 points at $2,000 in travel at least. But with that amount, you could easily come out way beyond, with an international Business Class ticket, for example.

Even on the low end, you come out ahead by $750 ($2,000 – $1,250).

Is that as stellar as it was before? Of course not. But considering the card has no annual fee – and that the points will likely be worth much more – it’s still a good deal to use this card for Plastiq payments.

Another way to look at it is, you’re paying roughly 1.25 cents per Amex point (100,0000 / $1,250). If you redeem them for 4, 5, or 6+ cents each, you come out ahead. And that’s certainly not impossible.

So while it’s not as amazing as it was before, it’s still worthwhile.

Bottom line

Link: Apply for Card Offers

The Blue Business Plus is now the best card for Plastiq payments. For a card with no annual fee that doesn’t affect your Chase 5/24 status and might not even incur a hard pull on your credit report – I must say I’m pleased with the card overall.

The value proposition really fades for 1X (unless you’re meeting a minimum spending requirement). But at 2X, it can still be valuable.

The days of 3X were pure gold – and I’m sad to see that go away. But we knew it would, one day.

Anyway, that’s my plan moving forward. Does it sound like a good one? Or is Plastiq totally dead now? I’d love to hear your opinions on this!

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

So You Wanna Be an Airbnb Host? Part 2: Setting It Up

Next comes the most expensive – and most fun – part of listing a home on Airbnb: setting it up!

You’re probably going to be in shock at how much it costs to get set up. But in my experience, you recoup all of the costs and get to pure profit in 8 to 10 weeks. I know of very few investments that provide a 100% return in such a short span of time.

It’s crazy how much “STUFF” people need

At the beginning, you’ll have seemingly innumerable things to set up and buy. But if you plan it right, you can have it ready in 3 to 4 days.

Airbnb Hosting Index:

Part 1: Finding the Right Place
Part 2: Setting It Up
Part 3: Attracting Guests
Part 4: Ongoing Maintenance
Part 5: Taxes, Expenses, and Making It All Work

This series is meant for peeps who want to list an entire home separate from their primary residence on Airbnb.

For best results, start with a theme

I feel a bit like your gay best friend telling you this, but have a theme in mind! It doesn’t have to be anything complicated.

For example, I had a place called “The Good Vibes House” that was 70s-inspired. Think tie-dye, flowers, and peace signs.

I have another one that’s Texas-themed. Rodeos, horse shoes, and the Texas lone star flag.

They can be simple. One of mine is simply “urban contemporary.” I have photos of the Dallas skyline, simple colors, and an industrial feel. Another I had was “The Crash Pad.” It was all about stop, drop, and roll out into the city, which meant the bare basics. And some travelers liked that – even preferred it.

The best themes are things you like because it reveals your hosting style and sets you apart. If you love to garden, have lots of fresh flowers or produce and floral prints. If you like the mountains in your town, make it a mountain home with lots of wood decorations and blankets and cozy things.

Here was my fun beach-themed Airbnb

If you love the beach, have a fun sea theme with nautical signs, ocean prints, and bright colors.

Don’t just have “a place” – set yourself apart!

Set up services and start ordering

First things first, you need electricity, gas, and internet – or whatever utilities you want to have. Make those calls, set those appointments. I like to have the internet and electricity set up before anything else.

You’ll also want to either set your orders to where they arrive while you’re waiting for the internet tech to show up. Or go shopping and start setting up the furniture until they arrive.

I personally order nearly everything from Amazon or Kohl’s. And might make a Target run for starter groceries and a few “this n that” type items.

Start with the basics and fill in as needed

Here are some absolute basics you’re gonna need (and a few I like that hold up, based on my experience):

Nice mattress – this one, this one, or this one
Bed frame – like this basic one or a fancier one
Futon frame and mattress for extra guests
Coffee table
Kitchen supplies (plates, silverware, coffee maker)
Dining table
Desk and chair
Towels
Comforters and sheets
TV and stand, if you choose to have cable
Cleaning supplies
Toiletries
Tons of little things that will pop up along the way

Once you get started, you’ll quickly realize how much utter stuff people need to be comfortable. There will be things like ice trays, coasters, sugar packets, hangers, wine openers, pans, rugs, and about a zillion other things you’ll realize you should have on hand. Part of that comes with simply setting things up and ordering as you go. The other part comes with working within your theme.

You’ll want to have a few large decorative items that go with your theme, like art prints, a cool shower curtain, or knick-knacks. You must have something on the walls – every place feels bare looking at a blank wall.

I love Amazon Prime for exactly this reason: everything you want is delivered within 2 days. I literally walk around with the Amazon app on my phone and line up orders for things I need. It might take a couple of passes at this. But if you start out with a clear head, you can get everything set up in a few days. And then fill around the edges as needed.

How much is all that gonna cost?

Probably more than you think with all the furniture, security deposit, first month of rent, and installation fees. And then little things will pop up like extra nails, key copies, and “Oh wait, the coffee maker needs filters. And coffee. And coffee cups. Argggh!”

This number will fluctuate based on many factors, so run the numbers honestly to come up with your own estimate.

I usually cross my breakeven point with the startup cost in about 8 weeks. I’m conservative, so I’ll say 8 to 10 weeks. But it’s happened as fast as 6 and as slow as 10. Either way, that’s not a long wait to get your money back – a couple of months max.

But during this time, you need to be able to float the cash. Or consider a o% APR card to give you a cushion.

In any regard, an Airbnb is a perfect opportunity to earn a TON of points and miles. Meeting minimum spending requirements is easy. And, you can click through shopping portals, use Amex Offers, maximize category bonuses, and generally make out like a bandit. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can get a couple of nice trips out of your endeavors. It’s a little balm on the high startup cost, anyway.

Experience your experience

This is your prime time to thoroughly clean, repair, and update. If a fixture drives you crazy, toss it and replace it. Sludge on the bottom of the bathtub? Gotta go.

For all my Airbnbs, I’ve stayed in them a couple of nights before I listed them. In one, the morning sun was so bright, I decided to replace the shades. In another, I realized I needed a huge disclaimer about the amount of street noise on the weekends.

One time, a shower wasn’t getting very hot. Another time, I hated the floor squeak next to the bed, so added a little rug. But I only knew these things because I dealt with the experience of actually staying there. You want to minimize complaints before you ever get them.

Bottom line

Now comes the most time- and labor-intensive part of the whole ordeal: setting up your place. And the most expensive!

This is the fun part too, because you get to set up a place according to your theme. And earn a lot of points and miles. But you’ll need to float the cash until you break even, which for me has been 8 to 10 weeks after getting everything set up.

I’d also seriously consider opening a new credit card because this is an easy, easy way to meet minimum spending requirements (thanks for using my links!).

Be open and be patient. Because lots of things you hadn’t thought of are going to pop up during this stage. But, if you get the basics down, you can fill in other things later. The most important part after this step is to get your listing up ASAP so you can start recouping some of those costs – which I will go over in the next part of this series.

Any questions about getting set up? Leave comment below and I’ll do my best to help!

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Booking Glacier: I Used Points for Free Flights and Hotel Nights – and Still Paid $1,000

Later this week, I’m heading to Kalispell, Montana, to hike in Glacier National Park with my friend Angie. I can’t wait – it’s been 10 years since I’ve been in Montana!

Me in Montana – 2007

Though I’m excited, I found it admittedly difficult to cobble this trip together with points and miles – rural places are not kind to our hobby. So I paid about $1,000 out-of-pocket because I really wanted to go.

Here’s how I minimized costs as much as possible.

Flights to Glacier National Park with US Bank Altitude Reserve points

Link: Plastiq Rent Payments With US Bank Altitude Code as Travel but Do NOT Earn 3X

I had ~55,000 US Bank Altitude Reserve points to burn after opening the card in early May.

Cheapest I found

So I went to US Bank’s super clunky booking site to recreate the $573 fare I found on Delta via Google Flights.

I tried round-trip and multi-city searches: for the life of me, I couldn’t get the booking engine to find the flights.

However, it did find both flights as one-ways. I really didn’t want to book it that way because I’d have to pay 2 change fees if anything came up and I had to make a change. But, so be it. I booked two one-ways. I wasn’t thrilled, but the price did match what I found on Google Flights.

The first flight was 18,453 points.

The flight there

While the second was 19,721 points.

The flight back

Because the points are worth 1.5 cents each, the total 38,174 points got me flights worth $573. That was seriously the cheapest I could find. Some flights were nearly $900!

But I had the points to burn, so that saved me a nice sum to start off. (Of course there were no award seats open to Kalispell. I checked a zillion times.)

Something to note

Another funky thing I noticed with US Bank: you can’t use points for partial payment like you can with Chase and Citi. Meaning you have to have all the points needed for your flights in your account to book.

Ugh, THAT’S gonna be fun

I currently have 16,927 points left in my account. So unless I can find a flight that costs exactly $254, I can’t completely wipe out the balance with the rewards on this card. Which is annoying. Thought I’d let you guys know just in case.

Car rental via Kayak

My eyes popped out of my head when I ran a sample search on Costco for a car rental.

Ummm… dang!

So I ran a quick search on Kayak, and found a muuuch cheaper rental through Priceline.

Like half the price

This is one of the very rare times Costco hasn’t had similar rates as other sites. Just a reminder to run at least 3 to 4 searches when you rent cars. I recommend:

Costco
Chase travel portal
Kayak
Your preferred car rental chain with any coupons or discount codes

And see who has the best price. In this example, I paid half of what Costco showed me. And of course, I instantly put the itinerary into Autoslash. So this was a sunk cost. But I feel like I got a *great* deal on a week driving around Glacier.

Bookend hotels

The first night, we’re getting our bearings in Whitefish before we head up the mountain. And the last night, we’re chilling in Kalispell to catch flights the next day.

Using points in both towns is an excellent deal in high season.

In Kalispell, I booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express for 35,000 IHG points.

Incredible deal

Considering cash rates were~$283 for the room type booked (2 queen beds), I thought that was a good use of points.

The same room would’ve cost ~$283 in cash

And in Whitefish, my friend Angie got us a room at the Hampton Inn for 48,000 Hilton points (she liked that location the best).

All the Hilton hotels in Kalispell were bookable with Hilton points

And, we saved even more on our room there.

This room would’ve cost ~$315 otherwise

Between the two of us, we were able to save even more money out-of-pocket with our hotel points.

Other accommodation$$$

So far, my only cost has been the car rental.

But this is part where the costs really began adding up: rooms within Glacier National Park. There’s nothing in there available on points. And each lodge is often booked up in advance. So you kinda have to… take what you can get. And pay it.

Our 3 nights at Granite Park Chalet cost ~$717.

I’m so looking forward to this

My food was an extra ~$106. But for 3 days of full meals on a mountain, that’s not bad at all.

My food selections lol

Then we got 2 nights at Many Glacier Hotel right inside the park!

Sooo excited – those views!

And we’re paying ~$292 per night. Like I said, take what you can get.

Still think it’s worth it

Again, this was by far the most expensive part of the whole trip.

Putting it all together

I’m shocked how difficult it is to use points and miles to national parks. I feel like it would’ve been cheaper to spend a week in New York City, honestly.

In total, I’m paying:

$121 – my half of car rental
$359 – my half of Granite Park Chalet (3 nights)
$293 – my half of Many Glacier Hotel (2 nights)
$106 – food for GPC

$879 for a week in Glacier National Park – and that’s just so far. We’ll have to get supplies here and there, food while we’re in town, gas, etc. I expect the week to run about $1,000 once it’s said and done.

It’s crazy to think that would’ve been easily doubled had I paid for my flights and the other 2 hotel nights. So having a stash of points helped me take the cost down a lot. But not as much as I’m used to.

Bottom line

Sometimes you just have to pay the piper, even if you’re sitting on a pile of points and miles.

Suffice it to say this is a very special trip. But I can’t take trips like this all the time. Glacier has a special place in my heart and it’s been 10 years since I’ve been there – so I figured this time, the expense is OK. I just really want to be there again. And happy I’m going with someone who loves it as much as I do.

I can’t wait to report about this trip when I get back! But yeah… ouchies on the out-of-pocket cost. I don’t know what I could’ve done differently.

Have you had a similar experience booking trips to rural places? Any other tips or tricks to cut down on costs? Or is the price you see the one you pay? 

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.