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New Orleans has a ton of food choices, and there are way too many to list here. So, I’ve included popular favorites to get a taste of the good life!

Commander’s Palace is an uptown historic restaurant with award winning food! Make a reservation for lunch to enjoy the 25¢ martinis. The bread pudding soufflé will delight your sweet tooth. Valet parking is available.

Arnaud’s in the French Quarter is another popular spot for traditional fine dining. Make a reservation in the jazz room to enjoy the live music while you try the gumbo. The Bananas Foster is made table side with fire before the delight!

Brennan’s- “Breakfast at Brennan’s” shrimp and grits! Perfect to start your morning off before viewing antiques on Royal St or walking over to the St Louis Cathedral and Jackson square.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern - poboys: hot sausage, fried shrimp and roast beef are just some of the options. Grab extra napkins for the Roast beef gravy. I always get my poboy “dressed” with lettuce, tomato and pickle. Parkway is in Mid City, which is close to Bayou St John, New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and City Park.

Instead of going to the touristy Virginia Beach that is known for the restaurants, resorts, and boardwalk, go to Chic's Beach. It's a local beach where you find nicer sand (and people)! However, you should be aware that there is not a specific place to park so you will have to find street parking. Make sure to read signs so that you won't get towed. There are also multiple restaurants right off of the beach (Buoy 44 and HK on the Bay) that are PHENOMENAL! Since it's on the Chesapeake Bay, the water also tends to be calmer.

Last night I attended a Mastercard x American Airlines loyalty dinner. Truly incredible experience at the Priceless Table. The evening started with complimentary parking and a golf cart ride into Wrigley Field. A short walk into the 1914 Club with artisan cocktails and passed hors douerves. A meet and greet with Ryne Sandberg and photo opps galore. We proceeded towards a “tour” in seats behind home plate where we learned some Wrigley facts. Back to the 1914 Club for libations, and we leisurely made it onto the warning track where we dined with around 75 of our new friends.

Chef Graham Elliott curated a four course meal with phenomenal wine pairings, and we were sent home with a gift bag that had a co-branded cooler bag, co-branded corkcicle cup, autographed bottle of wine, autographed menu, and two tickets to the NY Mets vs Cubs in the bleachers later this summer!

Loyalty has its perks. I don’t know how they did the targeted invitation, but I’d venture to say it was a combination of mileage, status + annual spend. So grateful. So fun.

1. If you’re thinking about taking an Alaskan cruise, do it NOW! Glaciers are receding every year (according to frequent visitors), so go before the situation gets worse. Even if you hate the idea of cruising (as I did), this is a great first-time cruise (calm waters, relaxed itinerary, stunningly beautiful scenery). May-Sept is the official season, with July and August being the warmest months.

2. Use Costco to book your cruise if possible (would even be worth joining if you aren’t yet a member) because it’s hard for other travel agents to compete. We not only got a great price, but also $525 in shipboard credits that we could use for gratuities, alcohol, and other fun on-board events (and it was even refundable as cash, though we used it all and ended up having a final balance of about $60). If you can afford it, definitely get a room with a verandah/balcony, because it’s nice to sit out there and watch the scenery (and look for whales, dolphins, seals, otters, etc.).

3. Many cruises leave out of Seattle (cheaper to fly to from many US cities), but if you’re worried about seasickness or are nervous about being in the open water, consider leaving out of Vancouver (you can fly directly, or the 4-hour train to Seattle is a beautiful ride along the coast), where you will spend less time in open water. Some of us wore “seabands” to prevent seasickness (others didn’t think it was necessary), and we had ginger candy on hand in case of nausea. (Even though we were worried about possibly getting seasick, none of us used the patch or thought it would be necessary on this cruise). Another plus of leaving from Vancouver is that it is an incredible city to explore before or after your cruise if you haven’t been before.

4. Although the itinerary is important, it’s just as important to choose the right cruise line and ship for you, as they have very different vibes/ages/entertainment/food quality (e.g., Disney has characters everywhere and is full of children; Holland America is more calm, has an older crowd, and far fewer kids; some have rock walls and ice rinks, whereas others have Broadway-quality productions). Read “cruisecritic.com” (think “Tripadvisor for cruises”) to decide on your line and ship before booking. [Note: We chose Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam 7-day round trip out of Vancouver and loved it; great food, chill atmosphere (never felt crowded), older crowd, enough-but-not-too-many activities (we liked the "America's Test Kitchen" cooking shows), good music, etc. If you have a younger crowd and want a more active/busy environment, you might prefer a different cruise line.]

5. Book your airfare as soon as you book your cruise: as a general rule, availability goes down and price goes up the longer you wait. If you find a cheaper fare on Southwest, you can cancel and rebuy your ticket with no charge; other airlines charge a fee, but if there is a change in flight time (sometimes only by a few minutes), you can use that as an excuse to cancel your ticket and rebook at the lower price for free. If possible, book your flights for a day and half before and after the cruise (so you don’t have to worry about a delayed flight making you miss your cruise, or about rushing to fly all day after walking off a cruise; plus, it’s nice to have a little time to explore the port city).

6. Book your excursions way in advance (at least 6 months or as soon as you book your cruise) and avoid buying them through the cruise line (where they are more expensive and less personal/intimate). Instead, read Tripadvisor for reviews in the ports you’ll be going to, and choose the highest-rated activity you can afford (ideally in smaller groups or private). I highly recommend “Trail of 98 tours” in Skagway (a private, customized tour of the Yukon territory) and Ketchican Kayak tours (small groups, amazing guides, will likely see humpback whales, seals, bald eagles, etc.) in Ketchican.

7. Read cruisecritic.com again about a week before your trip to get good tips, both general (e.g., packing lists) and specific to your ship (e.g., to book spa appointments and upcharge restaurants in advance, what the various on-board activity choices are).

8. It is possible to pack in a carry-on (all 4 females in my family packed in a carryon-sized rollerboard and a backpack) and not to overpack, if you follow the suggested lists online. We each took 1 pair of hiking pants (for excursions), 1 pair of leggings or yoga pants (for most ship days), and t-shirts, a fleece, and a waterproof jacket. For dinners, we wore skirts and blouses and each brought a nicer black dress (which we wore to both formal nights, with a different shrug or scarf). We found tennis shoes to be just fine (did not need hiking shoes), but if you are going on a serious hike or climb, you might need them.

9. The best packing tips I got from Facebook before our trip: 1) buy wine (1 bottle per 21 year old on Holland America, though this varies by cruise line, so be sure to read their rules) in the port before you board to take with you (if you want to smuggle other alcohol on board, you can google how to do this), 2) Bring ziplock baggies of various sizes to take food from the buffet (sandwiches, cookies) on excursion days, 3) bring some magnet hooks or clips (the room walls are made of steel, and you can hang up your daily itinerary, 4) bring extra outlets/extension or long power cords (though our room had plenty, some don’t), and 5) buy an over-the-door shoe hanger with clear plastic compartments (like from Target; $15) to hang inside the bathroom door and keep everything organized.

10. Onboard dining: we preferred the early dinner seating (5:30 pm; usually they are at 5:30 and 8pm on various ships) because of the 2-3 hour time zone difference with Austin. I read online to order room service (it’s free) every morning to avoid the crazy lines at the buffets, and this was the best tip ever—it was so relaxing to eat in our room and look out the window at the scenery. Note that they have a small list of eligible items, but we wrote in items (“pancakes”, “extra sausage instead of bacon”) and they were very accommodating. At dinner, unless an extra charge is specified, you can feel free to order 2 appetizers, entrees, or desserts (we often ordered vanilla ice cream to go with our chocolate dessert, and my brother sometimes ordered second entrees).

SUM: although I thought I would hate cruising, I enjoyed this one because it was so much more relaxing, beautiful, less crowded, and easy (not to have to switch hotel rooms to move to a different city was nice, as was being able to pop into your room to rest at any time; it’s also great for traveling with friends and family, because people can do their own thing but then meet up for dinner) than I expected, plus smooth sailing. Would I take another ocean cruise? Probably not, but I’m definitely looking into European river cruises ;).

If you've ever wanted to check off the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade your list, but don't want to pay the crazy hotel prices or stand in line all night, then Marriott points come to the rescue!

We stayed at the Springhill Suites on 37th street between 5th and 6th avenue the night before the parade. It was 35K Marriott points (or $480+ in cash!) - perfect for a free night certificate redemption that you earn each year with the Marriott lower tier card.

The hotel room was pretty good size in NYC standards, had a nice modern feel, and very clean. There was even a little sitting area in the room partitioned off from the king bed! The shower/bathroom was clean and updated and had a nice barn door/sliding door feature that I thought was a nice touch.

Free hot breakfast! Maybe I'm easily impressed, but I thought the breakfast selection here was over par! Oatmeal bar, eggs, bacon, hash browns, all kinds of pastries and cereal, waffle maker, etc. Take advantage of this if you want to feul up before standing outside for 3 hours in the cold!

Best part in this scenario though...location location location! To get right to the parade route, all you had to do was walk literally 1 minute to the right out of the lobby doors; end of 37th street/6th avenue intersection. BAM, you're there. We literally left the lobby breakfast area at 8:57am for the 9am parade. Yes, it was the coldest parade on record, but you can see from our picture that we were only 3 rows deep! The people in the front of us got there at 5:30am...pass!

This hotel is also within easy walking distance of other holiday attractions in the city! My mom and I walked 12 minutes to the infamous Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. On our way, we took a 5 minute walk to Bryant Park to see all their little pop up holiday shops (and food booths!). There's a cute ice skating rink there too!

If you've always wanted to check out the parade, I would highly highly highly recommend this spot. The staff was very friendly and welcomed us back every time we left, rooms were spacious and clean, and the location was unbeatable for the price!

I used to live about 10 minutes away from Hershey Park for about 5 years until we moved a few hours south. We loved everything about the area up there, but recently we went back to Hershey Park and decided to make a weekend out of it by using my free night certificate from one of my Bonvoy cards.

We elected to start at the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Chocolate Ave in Hershey, which is a category 5 Marriott hotel and maxes out the free night certificate (worth 35,000 points).

It was one of the best experiences we've had at a Marriott brand hotel (and we stayed at two super nice Marriott brand resorts in Hawaii earlier this year!). The front desk staff was extremely accommodating when I had trouble making the reservation with my points for a double queen room. They told me to just book a king room for 2 people and call them back at the front desk and they would put us in a double queen and add the kids. They even upgraded our room and put us in the biggest room type available for our family of four. Rooms had a fridge and microwave too. We didn't use them, but it's always nice to know it's there. The kids loved having two TV's in the room. And the free breakfast was great too! We will definitely stay here again in the future.

When I lived in the area I had a side job delivering pizzas and I got to go to all the local hotels. Fairfield, Hilton Garden Inn, and the Hershey owned hotels are the nicest. There's also a Spring Hill Suites and a recently renovated Hampton Inn a little further out of town, but closer to I-81.

Hershey Park is great, but there's so much more to do in the area, or a short drive out of town. Right down the road from the park is the Troegg's Brewery. It's worth the trip alone for their great food and even better beer. Turkey Hill is a short drive out if town and has a cool museum with activities involving ice cream and tea sampling (unlimited with admission).

Some great restaurants to try out include Hershey Pantry (my longtime favorite), Irv's Pub, Smoked, Millworks (in Harrisburg), Soda Jerk, and JoJo's in Hummelstown (the pizza place where I used to work!).

We went to Key West in 2011, and stayed at the Santa Maria Suites hotel. It was beautiful and so relaxing, and our 2-floor room was so elegant, and clean. The must-dos for us were the butterfly sanctuary, the Ernest Hemingway home and the hotel swimming pool. I would like to go back there just so I could stay in that hotel again.

Thanks Julie for your letter! I edited and used it. I was attending a national restaurant association show at Chicago McCormick place, and stayed at the new Marriott marquis hotel. I sent the letter through the Marriott app chat the night before, they upgraded me to a King corner suite with city and lake views and a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary. My wife was surprised! I got some brownie points with her

If you're planning a trip along the coast of Oregon, a few places that worked out well for us with points were:

Hyatt Place in Portland - great location super close to the airport, no microwaves threw us though, it was fine for a quick stay but nothing special. Modern.

Hampton Inn, Astoria - great location right along the trolley route and with sea lions down on the rocks in the harbor, very nice and modern. I don't know that a river view would be incredibly beneficial here. Just go outside!

If you can find it via a portal, Surfsand Resort in Cannon beach has an awesome location right on the beach and within a short walk to Haystack Rock. Great pictures. They have s'mores on the beach each night. Super family-friendly. No breakfast but they have cookies and treats at night, movies at the desk and free popcorn.

Best Western Plus Lincoln City was my son's favorite. We had a patio door to the outside and it was right on the beach (you did have to go to the side to get down just to keep the sand dunes preserved, but the view was right there and you could sit out on the chairs and watch the sunset). They only have an outdoor pool but it's heated. He thought it was the greatest! It was the oldest room but it had two full bathrooms, and the bedroom separate from a pull-down bed in the living room. There was also a full kitchen. For a normal amount of points it was a fantastic redemption and if we go back, we'd stay there a few nights. Lincoln City is part of the "7 miles of smiles" where they hide floats, and even though we didn't find any, it was fun to look for them.

Best Western Plus Agate Beach in Newport is gorgeous, very modern. It isn't right on the beach but the view from the rooms is good. Being a member we were upgraded to a room with a great view, and there's a small balcony you can stand on. Very modern. They had a free wine hour. When we left the parking lot the back way we discovered just how close we actually were to the beach. This would be a place you'd be comfortable to stay more than one night. The Oregon Coast aquarium in Newport is a must with kids - check out the tide pool area!

Best Western Pier Point Inn in Florence is one where we were sure to get a riverside room looking at the bridge. It wasn't quite like being on the beach as you're back a bit and trees are sort of in the way but it did allow us a good sunset view and to see a pelican or stork or something fishing in the river. The floor in our room was sort of caved in so it might not always be the best-kept hotel. It's also a really strange pool in the basement and a bit creepy. But it worked.

Hampton Inn Portland Clackamas is where we stayed on our way back. Ick. Find something better. Poor service. The manager never said hi when I went in, just kept waiting on a guy trying to print out 96 pages from the office printer. It took a good 10 minutes before he addressed me. Sugar cookies in tinfoil were the treat, which again just seemed a little odd. The manager kept messaging my phone to know how we were doing which was annoying and felt like an invasion of privacy. So whereas the hotel and rooms were fine, it was the only one that really left a negative impression.

Places we liked that stick out as special: Astoria (just the whole town is neat, the trolly is fun, easy to walk along, my son loved Mo's restaurant), Cape Meares (easy to do a few things like the lighthouse and octopus tree in short spurts with kids), the Tillamook Cheese Factory tour (silly but good for ice cream and again, actually pretty interactive for kids), a glass-making shop/store in Lincoln City, and Cape Kiwanda. That one doesn't get a lot of press as far as I can tell, but it had the best tide pools of our trip (starfish! yey!) and some pretty unique scenery with a big sand dune as you come in and some other-worldly looking rocks. We also did a sand-dune buggy tour in Florence which my son enjoyed quite a lot.