https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog daily 0.75 2026-01-06 https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/7medsirefusetotravelwithout monthly 0.5 2026-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/6dabc473-edf0-4e50-b3e9-0d75f1eed251/Meds+I+refuse+to+Travel+Without.jpg The Points Plan Blog - 7 Meds I Refuse to Travel Without - Being sick is awful no matter where you are, but being sick in a foreign country and trying to translate the medicine that you need is a nightmare. Here are the 7 meds that I refuse to travel without. (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This is what I personally travel with. You do you.) Immodium - Lessons learned from 2 winters in Mexico. Benydryl - Found out I was allergic to a specific sunscreen the hard way. Tylenol - Reliable fever reducer. Tums - Either we are getting older or the food is getting spicier. Dramamine - Ever booked an Airbnb on a boat? Aleve - Favorite general pain reliever. Claritin - Spring allergies are apparently universal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/ce8bbeed-0984-4548-a41b-d478e50f3eb9/Hawaii+Coffee+2021 The Points Plan Blog - 7 Meds I Refuse to Travel Without - 2. Benadryl Found out the hard way that I am allergic to something in Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen… While completely smothered in it On a remote beach That took us an hour to hike in and out Broke out in hives from head to toe as soon as I was exposed to direct sunlight. As a side note, I recommend patch-testing any new cosmetics/ sunscreens BEFORE you put it all over your body. Picture: We drove around Big Island the next day instead of laying on a beach while I recovered, and found this cute coffee shop and a rainbow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/ce051613-69bc-4eb0-85e9-c4b21701fbb8/Erika+Pizza+Napoli.jpg The Points Plan Blog - 7 Meds I Refuse to Travel Without - 3. Tylenol Our go-to fever reducer… a thermometer isn’t a bad idea either if you’re going to be traveling awhile. 4. Tums We have reached the point where we consider “pre-gaming” spicy meals with Tums. Ginger tea also works like magic for me after a long day of experiencing the culture, aka eating way too much. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/0b04af4a-65fb-43e4-b455-dda0420cb11f/Nick+and+Erika+on+Taboo+Sailing+Yacht+Virgin+Islands.JPG The Points Plan Blog - 7 Meds I Refuse to Travel Without - 5. Dramamine I get motion sickness easily and frequently since we are constantly on the move. I’ve tried sea-bands bracelets and found that they only distract you by slightly electrocuting you every few minutes… resulting in annoyance and nausea. BUT! I also found that if you take the all natural, ginger dramamine pills (looks like literally ground ginger in a tablet), that seems to do an okay job. I also bring the full strength stuff in case we decide we need to book an Airbnb on a sailing yacht in the Virgin Islands. ‍♀️ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/5bdfe414-4f58-492e-98dc-2b99b3cbd87c/Copper+Derpy+Bordaux+Sunflowers.JPG The Points Plan Blog - 7 Meds I Refuse to Travel Without - 6. Aleve Favorite pain reliever. Referred to as “the big guns” in terms of pain relief. 7. Claritin Spring time allergies anyone? This is our go-to. I’m talking about the good stuff behind the counter that’s actually effective. Otherwise you still end up feeling a bit off, kind of like this picture of Copper, our derpiest good boy. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/breckenridgeintheoffseason monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/f32632ee-7440-42d0-aee6-22b7934e25fb/Erika+and+Nick+Breckenridge+Co+Engagement+photos.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - We’ve traveled all over the world, visiting over 40 countries together and marveling over every new adventure. By comparison, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what the continental United States has to offer. But there’s one place we keep coming back to, and that’s Breckenridge, Colorado. We first visited together in 2017 and have come back almost every fall since. We love it so much, we even chose to get our engagement photos done here instead of our hometown, St. Louis, MO. The views from the mountains, hikes, food, beer, and long walkies with our best boy through the endless trails covered in golden Aspen leaves make this a magical place to visit. Most know Breckenridge for it’s ski season and charming main street full of après bars and restaurants. But we much prefer the off-season, when things are quieter and definitely warmer. Best Off-Season Things to Do Hikes (4) Alpine Slide Visit The Breckenridge Troll White Water Rafting & Biking Explore the Town Our Favorite Bars & Restaurants Restaurants (12) Dog Friendly Bars (2) Best Time to Go & Where to Stay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/a5d793b0-05b7-4248-ae2c-93acc80b9c22/Colorado+Qunadary+Peak.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - 14’ers: Hikes with a summit at or above 14,000 feet above sea level Quandary Peak Nick and I tackled this infamous 14’er the first time we came to Breckenridge together and it was tough, but absolutely beautiful. I would say it started our shared love for hiking together. That said, this hike almost wrecked us. We made all of the rookie mistakes including the most impactful, running out of water. As we climbed, I remember pointing at a goal 10 yards away at a time, and struggling to get there. We were so sore the next day, we could barely walk. The mere sight of stares made us want to cry. Learn from us: prepare, bring too much water and snacks, get there early, but most of all, enjoy the view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/9ea944d5-4e3c-4396-9791-2e23bcb1a4af/Copper+-+Boreas+Pass+-+Breckenridge.JPG The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - Boreas Pass to Baker’s Trail Loop Easy, wide trail with gorgeous views across the valley and to the ski slopes in Breckenridge. The trail is well marked, and about a 2.65 mile round-trip. Perfect to do with your dog or family. This is a more popular route so get there early! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/c6166190-4b2d-477b-a7fb-8e1f7b92de2f/Copper+-+McCullough+Gulch+Trail+-+Breckenridge.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - McCullough Gulch Trail Just across the street from The Lodge by the Blue, we really enjoyed this trail through the forest. This is a challenging trail that has you climbing uphill the majority of the time, but the views are magical. Check out the miner’s cabin about a .65 miles from the trailhead. We usually play it safe, and don’t push ourselves or our older dog to hard; we turn around when we want/ need to. *We know we like the shoulder/ off-season before because we’ve been to Breckenridge in December and decided it was still beautiful, but we love the summer and fall MUCH more. Clearly our good boy, Copper, doesn’t seem to mind either way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1f76a721-d731-4e0c-8b32-04582d555f35/Breckenridge+Troll.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - Meet Isak, the 15ft Breckenridge Troll Taking the short hike to see the Breckenridge Troll is sort of like a right of passage when you visit Breckenridge. A friendly reminder to leave no trace and respect the trails and the natural environment. Like everything else, the earlier the better. Get to the troll before 10am to avoid the crowds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/644c2fbf-8f5c-4a89-b2c1-ec744f6bf678/Copper+at+Traverse+Lodge+Breckenridge.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Breckenridge in the Off-Season - Traverse (at the Lodge) This is a dog friendly hotel that allows dogs on the deck outside the restaurant. This restaurant has a fantastic view of the mountains. A short drive from main street, but well worth it. Elk Steak and sides https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/theperfectfallfoliageroadtrip monthly 0.5 2025-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/5c9a83c9-cf78-48cf-8fe2-087b1fcd884c/Wyndham+New+York_Fall+Foliage_Vienna+Hotel_2024.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip - We occasionally throw in a bucket-list road trip between all of our (almost) free flights. The road-trip itself was amazing but there were a lot of factors impacting the changing of the fall leaves like level of rain-fall and current temperatures. We aimed for the first week in October, but that year in particular, I think the second week would have been slightly better. Day 1: Arrive in Pittsburgh Day 2: Pittsburgh to Catskills, New York Days 3 - 5: Catskills to Boston, Massachusetts Days 5 -7: Boston - Bar Harbor, Maine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/f08f6f9c-8433-4be4-88eb-c695a733ba49/Mayflower+Inn_Gilmore+Girls+Inn_Connecticut.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip - Days 3 - 5: Catskills, New York, to Boston, Massachusetts For all the Gilmore Girl fans out there, I highly recommend stopping or even staying at the Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection. This is the Inn that inspired Gilmore Girls. We only stopped by, but the Inn looked absolutely incredible. A perfect place to enjoy the fall weather with a 5-star experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1761760172498-GCON647B70GJ2E6XAB87/Freeport+Maine+-+LLBean+Store+-+Erika+Copper.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1761760174149-GVM1056XYR67CX8EILZF/Bar+Harbor+Maine+-+Wine+Garden.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1761760179255-N88ZCH39GWLDO2U5TYD0/Deer+Isle+Maine+-+Hiking+lake.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1761760182461-OJAHAN3ZHEGF8EZKQZUM/Bar+Harbor+Maine+-+Hike+-+Copper.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Perfect Fall Foliage Road Trip https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/top6tipsforbestoktoberfest monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/541375eb-0828-451f-ae00-079f217bc8b8/Oktoberfest+3+steins.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Top 6 Tips for the Best Oktoberfest - Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is unlike any festival or event we’ve ever experienced. The little Oktoberfests that we’ve gone to in Missouri pale in comparison by far. If you find your way to the real Oktoberfest in Munich in mid September, (or you let us help you fly there for almost free!) here are a few things I wish I knew before we arrived: Aim for a weekday. Rent of buy the outfit (Dirndl for women, Lederhosen for men). Find a table and stay there. No need to reserve a table online Try to stay somewhere within walking distance. Visit Neuschwanstein Castle if you have time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/6ead6fe2-6f44-4927-a541-5d1374ec401e/Erika%2C+Nick+and+Copper+Oktoberfest+outfits.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Top 6 Tips for the Best Oktoberfest - 2. Rent or buy the outfit. Dirndl for women, lederhosen for men! Everyone is dressed for the occasion and you will stick out if you don’t. Plus, it’s more fun! We rented our clothes from, Bavarian Outfitters which I highly recommend. *Yes of course we found a matching, Oktoberfest scarf for Copper, our best boy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/0c483164-cc49-4ce2-82c3-524597858ce1/Oktoberfest+Tent+2.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Top 6 Tips for the Best Oktoberfest - 3. Find a table and stay there. It’s tempting to try out all of the different beer halls and tents, but finding a table with available seats is challenging. If you do find a table, I recommend you stay there for a good amount of time. You will not be served beer unless you have a seat at a table. Wander around and visit the other tents too if you have a time. 4. No need to reserve a table online. I was convinced we needed to reserve a table online, well in advanced before arriving. This simply was not the case. Although finding an open seat a table for our group proved to be challenging, we always managed in the end. Reserving a table is expensive and unnecessary. In fact, it looked like this was done primarily by corporate groups. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/693866c6-e6e0-4916-8d98-dcd959b9b191/Butch+and+Debi+Pedi+cab+Oktoberfest.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Top 6 Tips for the Best Oktoberfest - 5. Try to stay somewhere within walking distance. This one is pretty obvious and we have suggestions! There were electric scooters and bikes, BUT there is a safety zone in place around Oktoberfest that will keep you from picking up or dropping off the electric scooters within about a 2 mile radius. Honestly, probably for the best. You can also get a quick ride back to your hotel in a pedicab. *Note: Safety first! Track your route to the hotel using google maps to make sure your driver takes you to the correct place! We stayed at the Maritim Hotel München *This is an affiliate link to the Hotel. If you use it to book your stay, I’ll earn a tiny 2-4% commission as your favorite travel advisor, and you’ll pay the exact same. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/7153bac4-ddc7-45d1-9083-76fc97474986/Neuschwanstein+Castle%2C+Munich+Germany.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Top 6 Tips for the Best Oktoberfest - 6. Visit Neuschwanstein Castle if you have time! Don’t forget to see more of Germany while you’re there! We visited Neuschwanstein and got our fill of dreamy castles and beautiful landscapes. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/big-guide-to-big-isalnd-hawaii monthly 0.5 2025-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/0bd25b30-7828-4f73-8031-f674512a4cf0/Erika+with+a+Hawaiian+sunset.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - The Big Island of Hawaii is one of those places we keep going back to. The mixture of the laid back culture on the less crowded of the Hawaiian islands, along with the mountains, landscapes, and of course beautiful beaches and unbeatable sunsets, it’s hard not to fall in love. We’ve spent around 2 months in total on the Big Island. Here are our top favorite beaches, restaurants, and other things to do! Straight to Flights to Hawaii for (almost) Free Hop to Favorite Beaches Skip to Best Restaurants Jump to Things to Do https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1753453139241-2AGBFMMI97JOKMV9LU6P/Hawaii+Redemption+1+Postcard.png The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Free Flight to Hawaii 1 Screenshot of a flight ticket from STL to Hawaii for only $11.20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1753453202185-MWRUV9R3X4LL2530NBMO/Hawaii+Redemption+2.png The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Steps to redeeming a Free flight to Hawaii Screenshot of the tickets our client was able to purchase after following our Personalized Points Plan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/077c4065-f008-4be0-89b6-44300bd5926b/Da+Poke+Shack+Big+Island.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Da Poke Shack If I could have eaten here everyday, I would have. Some of the best poke you’re going to find! Grab your poke here and take it to magic sands to eat with a view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/9def8172-84d7-4a21-ab6a-655b2378759a/Super+Js+Authentic+Hawaiian+Plate.jpeg The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Kaaloa’s Super J’s 4.9, 1,200 reviews. Do yourself a favor and eat lunch here. It was amazing and very reasonably priced. Do not be mislead by the '“hole in the wall” appearance. This is our favorite place for authentic, and absolutely delicious Hawaiian food https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/43e07dff-8ecf-4e70-adf6-93bee4e54524/Nick+at+Anuenue+Ice+Cream+with+his+shaved+Ice.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice Small, unassuming window that serves up the best shave ice we’ve found. They were super nice to us too! Pro Tip: Make sure you order your shave ice with ice cream and snow capped. Thank me later! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/20836459-7291-40af-ab6a-8de26e4a66de/Mauna+Kea+with+a+Jeep.jpg The Points Plan Blog - Your Big Guide to the Big Island, Hawaii - Sunset on Mauna Kea You NEED 4-Wheel drive for this one! Drive to the top of Mauna Kea and pass through the clouds to watch the sunset. A truly magical experience. The rangers will make sure you have 4-Wheel drive and will give you a (mandatory), brief tutorial on which gears to climb up and down the mountain. They will also check your brake temperature on the way out. Pro Tips: Make sure you stop for 30 minutes at the information station to adjust to the altitude before continuing up. This is a great spot to use the restroom, and add some warm layers. It's very windy and cool at the top. You'll also see Hawaii's one and only snow plow. Bring snacks!! https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/5-things-to-know-before-running-with-the-bulls monthly 0.5 2025-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/0ae54b33-3180-4bdf-a8cc-a9b0d666467a/Erika+Pamplona.jpg The Points Plan Blog - 5 Things You Need to Know Before going to Pamplona to Run with the Bulls. - If Running with the Bulls during the Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona Spain is on your bucket list, give this a quick read before you go. Pro tips from a two time veteran; not to mention your favorite travel advisor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/62eae76a-e227-46c6-b16d-5bb04daf334e/Erika+with+Sangria+in+Pamplona+for+San+Fermin+Festival.jpg The Points Plan Blog - 5 Things You Need to Know Before going to Pamplona to Run with the Bulls. Everyone wears the outfit. White pants, white shirt, red sash, and a red bandana. From family and friends heading to private parties, to the hotel staff, party revelers in the street, and everyone in between. Everyone is wearing the San Fermin festival outfit. This outfit will likely get ruined. Throwing sangria around is all part of the fun! In fact, I felt a little left out from my lack of sangria splatter on my whites. Pro Tip: Bring a pair of shoes that you don’t mind throwing away later. Buy a $10 pair while you’re there or bring an old pair from home. By the end of the day, you’re not going to want to touch them, let alone pack them back up. Also! You MUST bring closed toed shoes. There are thousands of people attending this festival, protect your toes! A phone carrier and/or lockable purse isn’t a bad idea either. Here’s a link to my favorite travel purse that pick-pocket proof! https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/18usd-honeymoon-flight-businessclass monthly 0.5 2025-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/aff6add9-5196-4c7f-b1a4-8d14ca20f8ee/Bali+Gates+of+Heaven.jpg The Points Plan Blog - How we spent just $18 for two Business Class seats to our Honeymoon in Southeast Asia. - We spent $18 USD for not one, but TWO business class seats from Chicago, Illinois to Bangkok, Thailand for our honeymoon. Imagine stepping onto your honeymoon flight, turning left towards the front of the plane, you and your new spouse are offered glasses of champagne as you settle into your lay-flat seats on a 18 hour flight to your romantic honeymoon in Thailand, Indonesia, and The Philippines. Now picture the utter glee in knowing you paid a little more than the quick airport Starbucks breakfast for these seats. Welcome to the magic of The Points Plan where we map out a plan to leverage your everyday spending to earn points and miles and score flights like this! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/d964a44b-ed5b-49be-b122-85fad806ee0b/Receipt+for+Honeymoon+Flight+Chicago+to+Bangkok_Travel+Rewards.png The Points Plan Blog - How we spent just $18 for two Business Class seats to our Honeymoon in Southeast Asia. - Here’s our receipt! We firmly believe that only spending $18 on your honeymoon flight is a love language. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/2e50bd36-cf81-485c-afb6-58ff0e4505dc/Wedding+expenses+into+points The Points Plan Blog - How we spent just $18 for two Business Class seats to our Honeymoon in Southeast Asia. - We leveraged our wedding expenses and turned them into points and miles. Weddings are EXPENSIVE. The venue, flowers, catering, the dress, the tux, invitations, the list goes on and on. We came up with a plan: We (responsibly!) openend the right travel rewards credit cards. Earned their Welcome Bonuses by systematically putting all of our available wedding expenses on those credit cards. ALWAYS paid the entire credit card statement balance on time, every month. Never carry a balance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/fd389b13-494f-4fd1-b20a-69744855475b/Points+Plan+vs+All+on+one+Credit+Card+comparison+chart The Points Plan Blog - How we spent just $18 for two Business Class seats to our Honeymoon in Southeast Asia. - Let’s break this down. You’ve had the same travel rewards credit card or airline credit card for years, and have been dutifully spending on that credit card to rack up the points or miles. Great! Here’s the kicker. Most travel rewards credit cards earn just 1 point or mile per $1 spent. That means you’d have to spend $25,000 to earn 25,000 points. Ouch. With a Points Plan, we find the deals that offer a huge Welcome Bonus; something like earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of your credit card opening. Stay with me here. That means you’re earning 18 points/ miles per dollar spent, not 1 for the first $4,000. Bottom line, you would earn 75,000 points instead of 4,000 points for the same money spent on your credit card. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/fb110b65-a21f-4227-a4e6-d62f67896bbd/Credit+Score+factors.jpg The Points Plan Blog - How we spent just $18 for two Business Class seats to our Honeymoon in Southeast Asia. - And no, checking your credit score will also NOT hurt your credit score. Your credit score is calculated based on 5 different metrics. Payment History: Your history of paying your bills on time and in full. Credit Utilization: This is a ratio of how much your allowed to borrow versus how much you actually borrow. For example, your credit card allowance, vs how much you actually spend each month. Credit History: How old is your credit history? Your oldest loan or credit card? New Credit: How many recent credit applications? This is the part where you don’t take out a new car loan when buying a new house. Credit Mix: What types of credit do you have? Car loan, student loans, mortgage, credit cards, etc. Now, what does opening a new credit card actually do to your credit score: When opening a new credit card, the issuing bank will do what’s called a “hard inquiry”, meaning they will pull your credit score to review these factors. Your credit score will take a tiny hit when a hard inquiry is pulled, which usually resolves itself within a couple of months Over time, your credit score actually improves because: Payment History Improves: continue paying your new credit card on time and in full. Credit Utilization Improves: more available credit, but again, not maxing your new credit card out. Credit Mix Improves: A new line of credit improves your credit mix. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/lisbon-portugal/see-do-eat monthly 0.5 2025-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/22d737b1-19af-4ba0-9ffe-50621aa52548/Lisbon+Yellow+Street+Car.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The Best Things to See, Do, & Eat in Lisbon, Portugal - Lisbon is one of our all time favorite places to explore, eat, relax and just be. The city is absolutely stunning with vibrant tiled streets and buildings, and rolling hills that will make you think you're in San Francisco. If you're looking for tapas, pastries, and wine, then I don't think you'll find better. We stayed in Lisbon for 3 weeks with friends and family and would love to return some day. Here are our favorites! Don’t miss the map at the bottom! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/965e1ed5-c0e4-483d-b653-9c1a7c1b0569/Bairrices+Lisbon+Restaurant+Food The Points Plan Blog - The Best Things to See, Do, & Eat in Lisbon, Portugal - Bairrices We LOVED this place and took 3 different groups of friends and family here. They offer a tasting menu of everything you could hope to of Portuguese cuisine and make you feel at home. Did I mention unlimited dessert? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/c99c854e-6833-4c4b-8bc8-6f7169f11368/Map+of+Lisbon+containing+our+favorites+pinned. The Points Plan Blog - The Best Things to See, Do, & Eat in Lisbon, Portugal - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/the-8-best-things-to-do-in-iceland monthly 0.5 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/70d70681-93f4-4111-9ec6-31171d23ab76/Blue+Lagoon+Iceland.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland We were invited to a Bachelor Party in Iceland, and we packed a lot into 5 days. To be honest, 5 days was not nearly enough time to explore and experience everything Iceland has to offer. After a lot of research, these were our highlights we would recommend and a few I would advise to skip for something else. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/3be6c610-81d1-451b-9bbe-e18fdf65a9b7/Sun+Voyager+-+Reykjavik.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Sun Voyager The sun voyager is a beautiful sculpture that replicates a viking longboat and represents “the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope progress and freedom.” Located on the coast and along a very scenic walkway, it’s worth the easy (and free!) visit to catch the scenic landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/b868e603-2529-499a-bb9b-4ac86175987d/Puffin+tour+-+Reykjavik.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Elding Whale Watching - Puffin Tour The tour takes about 1.5 hours and you are immediately treated with views of Reykjavik from the sea, and the nearby mountains. The boat takes you out to an island heavily populated with puffins that zoom around the ship. The guides are very knowledgeable and can send you their photos from their high powered cameras upon request. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/708bcb1c-6938-4bba-ac74-62e29f372cf3/Blue+Lagoon+Sauna+Iceland.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Blue Lagoon We were pleasantly surprised by how luxurious this experience felt despite being the most popular tourist attraction in Iceland! Be sure to book your entrance tickets well in advance, they take crowd control seriously and will sell out. Here’s how it works: Check-in at your admission time at the front desk Head to the locker rooms Change into your swim-suit (leave everything in your locker) Take a shower (remove swim suit in shower and put back on once finished) Go grab your phone for photos from your locker, and head out to the Blue Lagoon! Get your mud mask, take lots of photos, look around, maybe grab your free drink too. Head back to the locker room, put your phone away, go to the bathroom, re-shower, and enjoy the rest of the time in the Blue Lagoon hands free! Don’t miss the sauna and steam rooms in the Blue Lagoon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/a34f4cc4-3855-4c5d-bfcf-ffcd909f58ec/Gulfoss+Falls+-+Iceland.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Gullfoss Waterfall There are many waterfalls in Iceland, but this one was my personal favorite. It just kept getting better as we walked along the path. Bundle up, the spray coming off the falls is cold!. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/720f8b46-24a8-4d37-a69b-4d3a2826cf1d/Laugvartn+Fontana+Geothermal+Bakery+Bread.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Laugarvatn Fontana - Geothermal Bakery The dough is baked by burying in the hot, black sand and cooks for a day before it’s ready. Our guide dug up our bread and served it with butter and smoked trout. It was divine. Highly recommend and book in advance! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/11e3fd3d-5c4b-49c8-8873-e759738dd133/Fridheimar+Tomato+Farm+Table.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Fridheimar Tomato Farm Such an unexpected place amidst the Icelandic landscape. Stop in for all-you-can-eat tomato soup and bread, pasta, and even a tomato beer! Everything is freshly prepared from the tomatoes grown on site. Make sure to add fresh basil from your table plant to your tomato soup! Maybe visit with the Icelandic horses in the stables outside too! This is a popular tourist destination with tour buses so make sure to make a reservation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/85ad1fdd-9a7b-4993-b0f0-6a6617de6818/Viking+Restaurant.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 8 Places to See in Iceland - Viking Restaurant - Ingolfsskali This place was so cool! If you’ve ever seen the tv series “Vikings” then this place will make you feel like you’re on the set! The prices are a bit steep, but the food is wonderful, and the atmosphere is so fun. Make sure to take photos on the throne with the props and maybe throw a few axes outside. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/the-16-best-restaurants-in-kotor-bay-montenegro monthly 0.5 2025-07-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/20662948-08dd-4d32-bbf8-d1f2d59748ab/Kotor+Bay+Montenegro+Horizon+View.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 15 Best Restaurants in Kotor Bay, Montenegro We spent a month in stunning Kotor Bay, Montenegro and loved it! Whether you’re visiting for only a few hours off a cruise ship, maybe stopping by after yacht week in Croatia, or like us, you’re looking for a spot to chill for a part or all of your 90 days outside of the Schengen Zone, this list is for you! If you only have a day to explore off the cruise ship, I’ve marked the best restaurants that are quick, but delicious with a little “️” for you! Don’t miss the map at the bottom! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/ee65813d-d41a-4443-bcff-74d7b57fdbd4/Konoba+Roma%2C+Kotor+Bay+Montenegro.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 15 Best Restaurants in Kotor Bay, Montenegro - ️ Konoba Roma Tasty pasta place in old town. The atmosphere was lovely. We were seated right away and were serenaded by street performer, violinist in the square during dinner. I was served the most generous glass of wine yet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/8b47ab09-0c6d-4c2c-a610-e1abeafec8e5/Stari+Mlini+Restaurant.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 15 Best Restaurants in Kotor Bay, Montenegro - Stari Mlini This is your fancy meal. The most expensive meal we encountered in Kotor Bay, but my goodness the place was stunning. Go a little before sunset and make sure to walk around the winding stone paths to take in all of the beautiful scenery and of course take pictures. The food was pretty good, but really, you're paying for the view. This was also the first time we didn't sweat through dinner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/2fdd0903-27b1-42f9-96e4-cac39fbc42c4/MIndtrip+Map+Kotor+Bay+Montenegro.png The Points Plan Blog - The 15 Best Restaurants in Kotor Bay, Montenegro - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepointsplan.com/the-points-plan-blog/sayulita-mexico monthly 0.5 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/1a33e798-b92e-4567-899e-951b28fe2a61/IMG_2453.JPG The Points Plan Blog - The 20 Best Restaurants in Sayulita, Mexico - We LOVE Sayulita. It’s one of our favorite places that we keep coming back to. It still has it’s small surf town vibe, but also offers great restaurants and affordability. We fell in love the first time we visited for a week and have since stayed for 2-3 months at a time to escape the miserable, Missouri cold winter months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/2a60a37b-648d-4bb7-9e56-6740a36f126c/Corn+Pancakes+-+Miscelanea+-+Sayulita.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 20 Best Restaurants in Sayulita, Mexico - Miscelánea Tucked behind the main square, grab a table and order some specialty coffee! What to Order: Corn Pancakes, a specialty coffee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/3f7f4eed-2f20-40da-b966-549d78608644/Sopes+at+Su+Pancha+Madre.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 20 Best Restaurants in Sayulita, Mexico - Su Pancha Madre This place is in the next town over, but totally worth the trip What to Order: Shrimp or mushruoom Sope of course (that’s the only thing on the menu) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/ad16ee20-bdbd-4e67-b09a-3e7d4a3043f0/Buratta+Pizza+-+The+Embers+-+Sayulita.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 20 Best Restaurants in Sayulita, Mexico - The Embers Just off the main square, but offers a peaceful little garden that’s tucked behind Santa Iguana’s. The food is possibly our favorite in Sayulita. Order: Burrata Pizza, Porchetta, and chocolate cheesecake with bacon (I said what I said). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67f7ca71b3e58651f251ef78/8b646dd6-f360-4e2f-9e20-3a9d64342587/Paku+Paku+Japanese+-+Sayulita.jpg The Points Plan Blog - The 20 Best Restaurants in Sayulita, Mexico - Paku Paku Fresh, very delicious, and cooked to order. The ramen and noodles are simply fantastic. If you blink you’ll miss it. Sit in the garden tucked behind the burrito place out front for a more peaceful dinner. 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