How I Used Points & Miles to Book Our New Mexico Adventure
By Julie — No Point Left Behind · Smyrna/Nashville, TN
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If you’ve been around No Point Left Behind for a minute, you know I love a trip that feels adventurous and easy. New Mexico is exactly that — big skies, quiet roads, national‑park‑level scenery without national‑park‑level crowds, and just enough planning to make you feel competent without needing a spreadsheet.
Here’s how I booked our upcoming New Mexico trip, the Lazy Girl way: simple systems, smart points redemptions, and a few strategic cash stays.
If you love national parks and easy outdoor trips, check out my National Park Travel Hub — it’s where I keep all our park guides, beginner tips, and Lazy Girl itineraries in one place.
✈️ Flights: Booked on Miles (of course)
We’re flying into Albuquerque (ABQ) — the easiest airport for this itinerary — and I booked our flights entirely on miles. No cash, no drama, just points doing what they’re supposed to do.
This is one of those trips where paying cash for flights would’ve felt annoying, so using miles was a no‑brainer. Easy win.
If you’re new to points, start with my Beginner Points Strategy — it’s the Lazy Girl way to build a system that actually works.
If you’re new to points, my Beginner Points Redemptions guide shows the simplest ways to book flights like this.
🏨 Night 1: Albuquerque — Simple Cash Stay
We’re landing late, so we’re keeping night one extremely Lazy Girl:
Fly into ABQ
Grab the rental car
Stay nearby
Sleep
I’ll probably pay cash for this room — nothing fancy, just convenient. This is one of those moments where using points doesn’t make sense because the value isn’t there.
I personally love using points for every hotel — it’s my favorite kind of win — but with 13 trips this year, my hotel balances are running low. So for this trip, I’m doing the Lazy Girl thing: pay cash for the cheaper nights and save my points for the stay that actually matters. In this case, that’s Tamaya. It’s one of my favorite Hyatt properties, and I want to use points there later in the trip when the value is genuinely worth it. Not every night needs to be a redemption — sometimes the smartest strategy is knowing when not to use points.
🏜️ Nights 2 & 3: Alamogordo + White Sands
The next morning, we’re driving to Alamogordo for two nights — the perfect base for exploring White Sands National Park.
White Sands is one of the most surreal places in the U.S.:
It looks like snow… but it’s warm.
It looks like a beach… but it’s a desert.
It looks like a movie set… but it’s real.
We’re planning:
Sand dune hikes
Sunset photos
Slow mornings
Zero rushing
This is the part of the trip where everything slows down — my favorite kind of travel.
Alamogordo is also known for something pretty wild — the Trinity Site, where the first atomic test took place. It’s only open to the public two days a year, and not while we’re there, but my science‑loving men are still excited to be in the area. Brandon, Finn, and Tanner are total science nerds (in the best way), so visiting the local New Mexico Museum of Space History is right up their alley. And honestly? When they’re happy, I’m happy. So yes — we’ll absolutely make time for the museum, the history, and all the nerdy joy that comes with it.
📡 The VLA Drive: A Nerdy, Beautiful Detour
On our way back north, we’re driving past the Very Large Array (VLA) — the giant radio telescopes you’ve seen in movies.
It’s one of those stops that feels:
a little nerdy
a little cinematic
a lot worth it
It’s an easy detour, and it breaks up the drive perfectly.
I love my men — Brandon, Finn, and Tanner — and sometimes that means making space for the things they get excited about. The VLA is absolutely one of those things. It’s nerdy, it’s cinematic, it’s science‑y in the best way, and it’s the kind of stop that lights them up. And honestly? When they’re happy, I’m happy. So off we go — desert roads, giant telescopes, and a little family joy tucked into the middle of our New Mexico adventure.
🌿 Final Night: Hyatt Tamaya Resort (My Favorite)
Our last night is at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, one of my absolute favorite properties in the Southwest.
Brandon and I stayed here two years ago, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and feels like a retreat without trying too hard.
We’re planning to:
take advantage of a late checkout
wander the grounds
sit outside with coffee
decompress before flying home
If time permits, we’ll also do one of the local petroglyph trails — easy, scenic, and right in the area.
This is the perfect “exhale” ending to the trip.
If you want the full breakdown of why I love this property, here’s my Hyatt Regency Tamaya Review — it’s one of my favorite Hyatt stays in the Southwest and the perfect “exhale” at the end of a trip.
If you’re building a Hyatt strategy, my Hyatt Points Guide shows how to get the best value.
🌸 Why This Trip Works
This itinerary is my favorite kind of travel:
Easy flights booked on miles
One simple cash night where points don’t matter
Two nights in nature without crowds
A scenic drive with a fun stop
A final night at a resort that feels like a reward
It’s simple. It’s beautiful. It’s doable. And it’s exactly the kind of trip that reminds me why I love points — they make the fun parts easier and the expensive parts cheaper.
New here? Start with my Lazy Girl Travel Hub — it’s where all my beginner guides live.
Want more trips like this? Browse my How I Booked It Series.
Want to learn how to book trips like this? Join my Travel Hacking Moms Group — it’s where I share real‑life wins, easy strategies, and Lazy Girl travel tips every week.
🌷 About the Author
Julie is the travel‑obsessed creator behind No Point Left Behind, where she teaches families how to travel better using simple, beginner‑friendly points strategies — no spreadsheets, no gatekeeping, no overwhelm.
She’s flown her family on almost entirely free flights since 2019, booked national park adventures, cruises, and international trips using points, and even helped her retired parents travel the world on a budget.
Based just outside Nashville, she keeps a close eye on BNA’s airport upgrades, especially anything lounge‑related. When she’s not planning her next trip, she’s creating warm, story‑driven guides that help real people travel smarter without overthinking the credit card game.
Follow more Lazy Girl strategies at NoPointLeftBehind.net.
