Southwest 50,000 Rapid Rewards Points: Your Ticket to a Multi-Destination Tour

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Brad Christensen

The Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is being advertised as “two roundtrip flights” after you spend $1000 within three months.  With such a low minimum spending requirement and such a high bonus value (more than $840 after you meet it), this is a great option for domestic flights.  They’re right, this card will get you two RT flights, but it will do more than that – it will make it possible for you to do the kind of incredible multi-destination trip that you’ve always dreamed of.  After all, if one destination is good, aren’t many much better?

Southwest’s reward points program works based on the actual cost of the flights – the best value is in using points to book “wanna get away” fares, where it will cost you 60 points per dollar.  Most legs you can get for about 9,000 points at the right times, and sometimes even less than that.  That’s why I like to think of this opportunity as 5 1/2 one-way flights… and because when you give me an inch I take a mile, why not lump all those into one amazing tour?

Now, on to the fun part.  I am itching to map out one of these dream itineraries – all of which you could book with the 50k Rapid Reward Points.  I just need our army of wanderlusters to provide some input as to which you’d really like to see.  Take a look at these options and comment below to tell me where you wish to wander.

  1. A winter ski-slope circuit – taking in Salt Lake City, Denver, Lake Tahoe and Portland.
  2. A springtime mormon pioneer pilgrimige – Salt Lake City, the Nauvoo area, Kirtland Ohio, and Palmyra New York. (Pardon the particularity, but it tends to be one of our key demographics).
  3. A summer beach bonanza – Charleston South Carolina, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Baltimore.
  4. An autumn color escapade – Nashville, New Hampshire, Arkansas, and St. Louis.

You’ll want to look into getting this card if:

  • You haven’t applied for another Chase card within the past 40 days (Chase tends to deny applications from individuals who have applied within the previous 30 days).
  • You won’t have any problem meeting the $1000 spending requirement within 3 months.
  • You like the idea of taking two bags free on each of these flights (Southwest is as generous as they come on this issue, representing a savings of as much as $60 per flight).
  • You don’t mind paying the $69 annual fee.

Furthermore, this card is a great way to get about 45% of the way to the magic 110k qualifying points that will get you a companion pass – allowing your spouse or friend to travel for free on any flight you book.

This is not one of the links we get paid on when you use it to apply, but if this card and its benefits fit the bill for what you want to do, start making it happen sooner rather than later. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Thank you for multi-destination wanderlusting with us.

Posted in Chase, Southwest | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Our Interview on MillionMileSecrets.com

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Not too long ago we were featured on the www.MillionMileSecrets.com blog’s interview series.  We drew in a few more followers from the experience and we’re appreciative of Daraius and all of the hard work he does to deliver deal details to the travel-hacking world.  Here’s the interview for your reading pleasure.

“My miserly father is finally staying in hotels that aren’t named with numbers.”

1)    How and when did you start collecting miles and points?

We come from a family that bargains for garage-sale items.  Our tightwadedness has been carefully cultured over centuries, and while such attitudes generally wane over generations, in our family it has done exactly the opposite.  It is in our nature to think cheap.  It is not, however, in our nature to travel… we found that on our own. The wanderlust seized me before a steady job did, and points were the only way to bridge the gap.

2)      Why did you start your blog?  What’s special about it?

Brad:  I got to where I was telling so many people what to do that it just made more sense to put it out there and let people read it.  We didn’t invent travel-hacking and we’re certainly not the best at it. If the traditional “Travel Blog” is Spain and the “Miles and Points Blog” is France, then we must be Andorra.  If we have a niche in this world, its showing people what amazing trip itineraries they can build with optimized point usage.

3)      What’s the one single thing people can do to get more miles?

Sheldon: Ask for them.  Whenever a company has given you terrible customer service, or when the flight has mechanical problems that causes you to miss your connecting flight, ask for some points.  Use Twitter to contact the customer service team and explain your situation.  In three instances of airline errors I’ve scored 27,500 miles.  I’m batting three for three at 100% and averaging 9000 miles per complaint.

4)      What’s your most memorable travel experience?

Brad: I took my family of six to Medellin, Colombia for a total of $574 and 150k AA points. We spent a month there and  made Colombian friends for a lifetime,  indulged in more than our fair share of “bandejas paisas,” climbed to the top of El Peñol, traced the history of Pablo Escobar, visited the historic city of Santa Fe de Antioquia, and paraglided over the Andes.

Sheldon: Two months ago I returned from an Alpine Europe tour – visiting Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Italy for 12 days.  My wife and I brought along our 10 month old little boy to see the wonders of Europe.  He visited castles in Germany, rode on a gondola in Venice, and ate gelato in Milano all before being a year old.  With some help from AA and SPG, our total out-of-pocket cost was $900.

5)      What do your family and friends think of your miles & points hobby?

Brad: They are believers.  They were the earliest adopters and are our biggest advocates.  Last December we had a block of 6 rooms at the Salt Lake City Radisson so all of us could cash in on the Club Carlson promotion.  For the first time, my miserly father is staying in hotels that aren’t named with a number. We get calls, texts, emails…we are volunteer travel agents and we love every moment of it.

6)      Is there any tool or trick which you’ve found especially useful in this hobby?

Sheldon:  Most of the travelers out there have a normal 9-5 job, and can’t be on the go all of the time.  Such is life for the majority of Americans.  I’ve had the strategy of booking a trip every six months.  When I get home from a trip I let myself get settled in, and then book another trip that is about six months out.  Taking two vacations a year is a must and most jobs allow for that.  This gives you something to look forward to on those long, dragging days at work between trips.

7)      What was the least expected way you’ve earned miles or points?

Sheldon: The recent Fidelity promotion has been a great success for me.  50,000 United miles instead of 0.000001% interest is a deal I’ll take any day of the week.  Can’t wait to put those miles to good use on a fun vacation with the family!

8)      What do you now know about collecting miles and points which you wish you knew when you started out?

Brad: Too many people think that they’re playing the miles and points game by simply spending on a FF card.  That’s like saying you’ve toured Italy when your cruise ship stopped in Rome. I know.  I was guilty of it. You’ve got to capitalize on every promotion and every opportunity.  If you knew where a treasure chest was buried, you’d go to great lengths to dig it up, but far too many people opt out because “it will hurt my credit,” or “I don’t have time to figure it out.”  Investing time in understanding these things pays immediate dividends.

9)      What would your readers be surprised to know about you?

Brad: I’m a little bit compulsive when it comes to taking on hobbies.  In addition travel and WorldWanderlusting, a full time job and four adorable kiddos, I am a political junkie (I’m on the city council in my hometown).  I helped found and run a non-profit Haiti Relief Organization, www.HaitiSakPlen.com.  I’m a hopeless romantic and I write and read extensively (finally getting into Hemingway at the moment).  I love motorcycles, languages, and architecture… and I have a thing for blue turf. Sheldon:  I spent two of my prime years in Paraguay doing a service mission, which was totally worth it.  I received my degree in Business Finance and had a 3.96 GPA.  My only B came from the class in which I met my wife (it was worth it).  I spend most days calming people about their health insurance rates going through the roof, and convincing others that it’s worth the hefty premium.

10)     Any parting words?

Both: We are arms-dealers in the war of monotony vs. adventure and excitement.  It is a sad fact that most people simply raise their white flag in surrender to boredom and sameness.  They’re overpowered by the battle-call of the humdrum, “we can’t afford to do things like that.”  They cower from the challenge with phrases like “we can’t find a babysitter,” and “traveling to those places isn’t safe.” We just won’t tolerate weakness like that.  We won’t let them win. We soak in the refreshing springs of civilizations’ celebrations. We gorge on the sweet variety of global gluttony. We learn the intriguing history of local legends. We wanderlust. The opportunities that are out there for absolutely free travel justify banishing thpse despicable phrases forever. Come see what we’re doing, come do what we’re saying.  Wanderlust with us. www.WorldWanderlusting.com

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What Do You Love About Traveling?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by wpengine

Sheldon and Shae at the Batu Caves

Mark Twain once wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

All barriers came down for me in 2009 when I was sitting on a bus headed toward the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  I was seated next to a Muslim guy about my age who was speaking in broken English  Even though he was raised as a Muslim and I had been raised as a Mormon, I realized that many of our teachings were the same.

Although there is still a dispute as to whether Isaac or Ishmael claimed the birthright, in the end we both had been taught to follow high levels of integrity and character.  He talked about the avoidance of alcohol, wearing modest clothing, and living a chaste life were all teachings he had received as a youth.

Sometimes living in America you get the idea that Muslim=Taliban.  Never had I been so narrow minded personally, but those people exist.  Living in “one little corner of the Earth” doesn’t allow for open-mindedness unless you travel.  I love travel because it opens my view and helps me to see more clearly.

Service Travel

Expedia recently released a few touching videos about why people love traveling and how it has affected their lives.  The marketing campaign’s goals are to motivate people to travel and find their purpose, passion, love, calling, curiosity, etc.  The videos will warm your soul as you see how travel can truly change people.

Last year a local doctor spoke to his employees regarding his two week trip to Tanzania.  He had gone on a service mission, and was working in a rural hospital performing surgeries for the local tribes.  His slideshow showed victims with their before and after pictures.  The results were astonishing.

The lives that he changed will be forever grateful for his trip to Tanzania, however the doctor walked away as the person who was most affected.  He worked to raise thousands of dollars to send to the hospital for new equipment.  He has recruited other physicians that will join him next year.  Realizing that his life was rather abundant, he has made sacrifices to make the lives of others significantly better.

Foods

Doesn’t everyone dream of eating crepes in Paris?  What about eating a bratwurst with mustard in Germany?  There isn’t much like eating a gelato while admiring St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.  Foods enhance your travel experience, and in some cases are the reason for travel.

I’ll never forget the time when I was in Paraguay and a few locals invited us over for a special dinner.  The father of the family was having a birthday so they were going to have a birthday celebration by cooking akayvype.  For those of you who don’t habla Guarani, that means a cow head cooked underground.

The table was set, everyone had a utensil, which left only the unraveling.  My level of anxiety grew as they peeled back the multiple layers of tin foil.  The entire head laid on the table when they were done and I was nervous.  As everyone was about ready to dig in, I reminded them that this might be the time for a prayer.  Of course I requested to offer the prayer, and I gave one of the most heartfelt prayers ever.

Once the prayer was over the party began.  Everyone was scraping, cutting, and munching, but I was still apprehensive.  One friend who was with me insisted that I needed to try the tongue.  He pried open the mouth of the cow head and put his fork into the tongue.  The knife came next as he cut a morsel from the tip of the tongue.  He gave it a long, hard look and placed it in his mouth and began chewing.

This wasn’t macaroni and cheese, or the enchiladas that my mother made me in the comfort of my own home.  This was far from my comfort zone, but was definitely in theirs.  This was a delicacy that was rarely enjoyed, yet they were sharing it with me.

The pressure was ON for me.  I took down a very dry swallow and took a couple of steps toward the head.  Everyone around me seemed to be enjoying the food.  I was the only nervous person in the room.  Things almost went silent as I cut a small piece from the mouth of the cow.  All eyes were on me and I knew there was no turning back.  The pause felt like an eternity, but in reality was probably a few seconds.

When it entered my mouth I had an expectation that it would be repulsive.  Instant vomiting would occur because it was going to be so nasty.  Unexpectedly, I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor.  It was MUCH better than I had expected.  In reality it was delicious.  The room roared with a cheer as I had taken my first bite.

In that moment I felt like I had taken part in their culture.  They had adopted me as one of them, and I realized that we weren’t so different.  Just because minestrone soup is my favorite meal that my mother made for me, and akayvype is the favorite of theirs.  I’m so glad that I didn’t listen to my mind, but I did my heart.  The experience will always stay with me as a special moment.

Why do you love to travel?

It is too common for people to live within a bubble, and never experience other foods, cultures, or people.  Don’t allow cost to prohibit you from Finding Yours.  Become a WorldWanderluster and learn how to save thousands on your travels.  Today I’ll be flying to San Francisco for free.  I’ll stay in the Sheraton Four Points for free.  You guessed it.  My activities will cost me maybe $300 for a weekend in San Fran.

We would love for you to share your experiences with us.  Let us know of moments when travel has made a huge impact on your life, because others need to know about it.

Start WorldWanderlusting today with the Sapphire Preferred from Chase.  Currently the offer gives $500 in travel when spent through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal.

Posted in About us, Fun Travel Stories, How to Wanderlust | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Starwood Alpine Europe Hotel Review 1

Posted on July 25, 2012 by wpengine

It has been over a year since we discovered the incredible Starwood hotel loop in Alpine Europe.  Yeah, that’s the one that we drew up to take advantage of the lowest Starwood redemption rates and stay somewhere around 7 or 8 nights for free in some of the most amazing country in Europe.  Planning it, talking about it, and sharing the idea invoked a thirst that had to be quenched… and in April of 2012, quench we did.

All of these hotels were paid for with Starpoints that I received from the Starwood Preferred Guest(R) Credit Card from American Express, something I’d urge you to look into if you have any kind of European wanderlust.

Dornbirn Panoramahaus Four Points By Sheraton

Dornbirn Hotel (Courtesy of Starwood’s Website)

This place is an absolute paradise.  It is easily the tallest building in town and the reason for which it is named “Panoramic House” is rather obvious.   It is right off the highway and you won’t have any trouble finding it.

The hotel is located very close to the border of Switzerland and Austria and is surrounded by mountains and lakes. Each room has an incredible view of the mountains above or the valleys below.  The outside walls are all windows so you’ll never wonder what the weather is like.

Dornbirn’s Spa

How do you improve on a free hotel room? How about free access to the spa?  You could easily lose yourself in this spa for weeks at a time.  This photo doesn’t even do justice to how wonderful this place will make you feel.  Drift away in the huge heated pool and move from station to station of bubbles, water massagers, foot jets, and more.

You’ll also enjoy the two saunas, ice room, and steam room for your maximum comfort. In Europe, it’s not taboo to enjoy the sauna without clothing.  Although most are clothed, plan on seeing a few nude people.

View from the Hotel Room

They also have a lap pool outside for anyone who is interested in swimming laps after enjoying the sauna.  Bring along your favorite book and soak up the rays in the sun room or take a nap in one of the comfortable loungers.  Essentially this place is for ultimate relaxation after enjoying the outdoor activities which abound in the valley.  Sadly, underestimating the excellence of this property and the surrounding area, I only booked it for one night.  You can imagine what a travesty it was to leave so soon.  I could easily have spent a week or more enjoying the natural beauty of Dornbirn.

The hotel is only about an hour an a half from the Zurich airport, so it isn’t too far to drive and parking is also free.  This is in stark contrast to any place you might try to stay in Switzerland, where expenses run high for just about everything.

Located right next door to the hotel is a mall where you can shop for everything from clothes to groceries.  The grocery store is the best place to find breakfast because it is the cheapest place to eat in town.  Pick up some European snacks and don’t even think about leaving until you have a stash of dream-worthy chocolate.

Close Things to Do

  • Visit Lake Constance
  • See the Rolls Royce Museum close to town
  • Drive to Bludenz and see if you can buy some discounted Milka chocolate that is produced there.
  • See Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world.
  • See the Zepplin Museum which is a 28 miles away.
  • Spend a day at the spa relaxing.
  • Do some hiking.  The front desk told us about a beautiful canyon closeby called Rappenloch, but we didn’t have enough time.
  • Enjoy specatcular views of the valley by riding a cable car to the top of Pfander.

This is a Starwood category 2 hotel, meaning that it will only burn 3000 points per night on a weekend or 4000 on a weeknight.  Right now, the Starwood Preferred Guest(R) Credit Card from American Express will bonus you 25,000 Starpoints after meeting the $5000 spending requirement, so staying a couple of nights  in this Alpine paradise will barely even put a dent in your points balance.

 

Posted in Hotels, Starwood Preferred Guest | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Great Rocks of the World

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Brad Christensen

We like to feature what we see as some of the great destinations around the world from time to time in a series we define as “Eight Great…(insert something here).” I am a fiend for finding cultural celebrations, and historic havens are heavenly, but I also happen to believe that geologic gems are great.

I’m going to tease your travel palate with a feature on some amazing sites, many of which I’ve personally visited.  Listen up and get ready to add to your bucket list.

El Peñol

The inspiration for this post, la piedra de peñol has a way of making you believe that you could spend a lifetime visiting interesting rocks around the world.  In the Guatape region of Colombia, a lone rock towers over a verdant, lake-lorn landscape.  740 steps wind back and forth in a crag along one edge to escort visitors to an impressive 360 degree view that is hard to match. I took my family there in 2011 and only paid $574 for airfare for six.

Blarney Stone

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Probably the smallest of the bunch, but no less exciting, the Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone that was built into the tower of a castle near Cork, Ireland.  The legend goes that kissing the stone will endow the kisser with rhetorical power.  The trick is that kissing it involves a bit of flexibility as you have to hang underneath in order to reach it.

Haystack Rock

Cannon Beach in Oregon would be an amazing destination even without it, but Haystack Rock does more than invoke reminiscence of the Goonies movie, its shadow leaves you awestruck in the setting sun.  If that weren’t enough, the tidepools below are an entire ecosystem for starfish, crabs, clams, and other sea-life.  This is simply a place that must be visited, even if it’s not along the way of scoring 188,000 Club Carlson points like I did.

Ayers Rock

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Also known as Uluru, Ayers Rock is a sacred place for the Aboriginal people of Australia – an interesting culture in and of itself. It looks like a petrified sand dune, though it is actually a solid remainder from an alluvial fan of sediment among others which eroded and dissolved into nothingness.  It is a World Heritage Site, one of almost a thousand “must-sees” around the world.

Devil’s Tower

The state of Wyoming isn’t exactly a tourist mecca… but it does have its jewels, and Devil’s Tower is one of them.  Easily drawn into a loop through Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills, the enormous shaft of uplifted basalt will razzle you… watching climbers scale it will dazzle you, and knowing that at its summit are dozens of rattlesnakes sunning themselves… will frazzle you.

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

If you’re wondering what language combines Zs and Ts, and Ts and Xs so casually, I’ll point you to my post about my First Foreign Love – The Basque Country.  On the coast of Northern Spain, you’ll find this rock outcropping – topped with (what else?) a Catholic church. Picnic in the narrow green strip of grass, ring the bell at the church, or relieve yourself into the vast openness below in the public restroom perched on the edge.

The Rosetta Stone

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Of all the free museums in the world, the British Museum in London has to be the most impressive.  My favorite item was the Rosetta Stone (and that says a lot for a place that houses the better part of the world’s antiquities).  I’m a bit of a linguiphile and it was pretty intriguing to think that I was staring at the key to understanding Egyptian Hieroglyphics, and thus centuries of previously-unintelligible history.

Stone Mountain

Combining geology and history into one, Stone Mountain was the secondary highlight of my trip to Georgia last year (the first being watching Boise State put a beatdown on the Georgia Bulldogs).  Carved into the side of the enormous monolith is a scene depicting the great Confederate Generals of the Civil War (and their horses).  (Another interesting bit is that it was Gutzon Borglum, the Idaho-born sculptor who was initially commissioned to do the work before he abandoned the project in order to sculpt Mt. Rushmore).

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I hope you enjoyed our sampling of eight great rocks of the world.  If you have another in mind, please comment below and let us know about it.  You can also check out other posts in our “eight great” series and keep wanderlusting with us.

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WorldWanderlusting Photo Contest

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Photographs are a frame of time and space – a moment, captured, to be kept.  Images unlock our minds and then shove them – shove them into the wide open space of imagination and hope and dreams.  Nothing induces wanderlust like a great photograph.

Rather than ask the question, “have you ever seen a place and pictured yourself there?,” I find it easier to ask, “have you ever seen a place and not pictured yourself there?”  Such is the power of these captured moments.

It’s our mission to make you, our army of wanderlusters, absolutely blood-thirsty with travel-desire – then we seek to equip you with the armaments of frequent flyer miles and points, voucher-tactics, and cheap-flight strategies.  But we don’t pretend to have a corner on the market of wanderlust-stimulation.

We asked for your photographs – your captured moments – in hopes that we, too, would imagine ourselves in different places.  And we got them.  We got far more than we could include, so we selected the “sweet sixteen” for you, our followers, to evaluate.

Please take a look, be inspired, and keep following WorldWanderlusting for a series on how you can put yourself in these pictures.  If you’d like to vote, please “like” our Facebook Page, then choose your favorite from the contest folder.

 

Make us wanderlust – post your favorite travel photo to our Facebook page.

Posted in Contests | 3 Comments

Club Carlson Baltic Trip

Posted on July 18, 2012 by wpengine

Racking up 188,000 Club Carlson Gold Points within the last two months has started a fire in my pocket. As always, I’m looking to optimize my usage of the Gold Points with low level redemptions.

I’ve put together a Club Carlson Trip through the Baltics.  This trip takes advantage of hotels in St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, Vilinus, Kaunas, and Klaipeda.

My only personal experience in the former Soviet Union was a quick trip to Moscow in 2007.  A small taste definitely left me wanting more of their culture.  This trip would give you a virtual immersion – visiting four countries from the former Soviet Union.

Club Carlson Hotels in the Baltics

The Baltics is an area which is rich with history and unique culture.  To be honest I didn’t know much about the area until I started this post.  For some reason I had assumed that their languages were all very similar to Russian as they had been a part of the USSR, but I was very wrong.

Languages

This trip will take you to four countries, and you’ll get to experience at least four different languages.  Although Latvia and Lithuania have similar languages, they are not mutually  intelligible.  Estonia is more like Finnish than any of the other Baltic countries, but I get the sense that you won’t be learning Estonian overnight if it is anything like Finnish.  Finnish is categorized as one of the most difficult languages in the world.  Good luck on your language studies before the trip!

History

As you might guess, your Baltic adventure will take you through a series of invasions and takeovers.  Estonia, for example, has been ruled by the Danish, Swedish, Germans, and Russians.  You’ll find evidence of Nordic people as this area was used commonly as a port for the Vikings.

St. Petersburg

Welcome to the city where Lenin arose to power to lead the Soviets against the Germans in WWI.  This is the northernmost city in the world with over a million people in population.  The Russian culture is a very different to that of most of the Western world.  Leave your smiles at home and your round-toed shoes in the closet if you have any interest in fitting in here.

Palace Square in St Petersburg, Russia (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Parks are plentiful and are usually well manicured.  The Soviet styled housing brings back feelings of the Communist Regime that ruled for over 40 years.  You will love their beautifully decorated metro stops, which are attraction in and of themselves.  Study up on your architecture before you go to learn about styles and identify them on your trip.  Try to learn how to pronounce the Cyrillic alphabet before you go too.  Some words sound similar to English if you can learn to pronounce them.  Remember that their signs are going to be in Russian only, don’t plan on reading anything in the greek alphabet.

Find yourself tonight at the Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya (good luck pronouncing this place).  It is a Category 1 Club Carlson Hotel, which means it is only 9000 Gold points.  Hit up the close waterpark or take the free shuttle to downtown St. Pete’s.  Either way this place is not going to cost you a single Ruble with your recently acquired Gold Points.

Tallinn, Estonia

Medieval Tallinn Estonia (Courtesy of Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau)

Hearing about Estonia will always remind me of the 1992 film, Encino Man, with Pauly Shore and Sean Astin.  They claim that the Neanderthal that they found in Sean’s backyard was an exchange student from Estonia.

The city center has a Medieval feel, and it has named itself the “Best Preserved Medieval townhall in Northern Europe.”  They have a living history museum (one of our favorite kind of attractions) just outside the city and if you go during midsummer or Christmas they have traditional food, music, and dance.

This is one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world.  You’ll find free Internet everywhere in the city, so you can upload your photos to Facebook and Twitter and Skype your friends.

Helsinki is just a few miles directly north of Tallinn, so if you’ve ever dreamt of visiting a Finnish sauna (who hasn’t?), this would be the time to make the hop over to Finland.

Tonight you’ll be staying at the Park Inn Central Tallinn hotel for a measly 9000 Gold Points.  Plan on staying a couple of night to soak in the cultures, foods, and sights, because your 188,000 would get you almost 21 nights free at this hotel alone!!

Riga, Latvia

Riga, Latvia City Center (Photo Courtesy of www.bturn.com)

This will be your most “expensive” hotel of the trip.  There are three to choose from and all are Radisson Blu hotels.  Each night will burn up 28,000 Gold Points here, so plan on keeping this place to just a couple of days or you’ll burn through the points quickly.

Latvia is loaded with museums and the history of its various occupants.  Plan on spending some time at some of the museums and enjoy their history, arts, and culture.  Old Town Riga will impress you with its history.  From Tripadvisor…

The Soviet War Monument (with fresh flowers still laid daily) is a must and highly controversial, as is the Occupation Museum (free entry,but give generously, its very moving), Also, visit the Museum of the Latvian People Front, whose exterior gives the impression it’sbeen closed since 1967, but this tiny tiny place is great because of the enthusiatic staff and eccentric painter, whose studio is above this third floor museum.

Lithuania

Castle in Trakai, Lithuania (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia)

You’ve got three cities to visit in Lithuania that all have low level redemptions for the Club Carlson hotels.  The hotels in Kaunas and Klaipeda are both category 1 hotels for 9,000 Gold Points per night.  The hotel in Vilnius is a category 2 for 15,000 points.

Unfortunately, this place was entirely steamrolled in the 1940’s.  Germany came in an killed thousands of Jewish people.  When The Russians booted them out they sent lots of Lithuanians to Soviet camps in Siberia to do who knows what.  It should come to you as no wonder that Lithuania was the first country from the USSR to declare its independence.

Summary

Summertime is the best time to visit the Baltic countries.  Sunlight will fill your days and nights because of its longitude.  Hit the beach and enjoy the soft sand of the Baltic Sea.

I find it interesting that these countries have been strong enough to stand on their own despite the barrage of occupations from Russians, Germans, and Swedes.  Countries like Spain and Italy roped in various diverse cultures and made them one country, yet the Baltic countries have managed to maintain their own identity.  Each country still uses their own currency and speaks its own language.

Fortunately for you the hotels are free because of your diligence on the Radisson Big Night Giveaway Promotion.  Take those 188,000 Gold Points and put them to use in this wonderful trip through the Baltic States.

Score $500 toward your flight with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

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