Craving a Weekend Getaway

{A Cute, Travel-Themed Kate Spade Ad}

This year has been crazy busy and at times, rather hectic, so now that we are more than half way through 2011, I am desperately craving a weekend getaway! I am still hoping for a trip back to London or Spain in the fall in honor of my 30th birthday, but I would love to get away, if only for a couple of nights before then. Sometimes, we just need a change of scenery and a break from our day to day responsibilities in order to reboot and recharge. I always feel so refreshed and energized creatively after a vacation.

{The Posh Rooftop at the London West Hollywood Hotel}

Luckily, American Express has given me 150,000 Membership Rewards Points and the opportunity to craft my own, little weekend getaway using those points! Membership Rewards can be redeemed for so many things, the points never expire, and anyone with an American Express card is eligible for the program. The points can be applied towards airfare on 20 major airlines, hotel stays, cruise and rail tickets, vacation packages, and car rentals. With so many options, I  need your help in picking a vacation. I can transfer points to fly with Continental Airlines, which is my preferred airline. It will take anywhere from 25,000-50,000 points each for airfare for my husband and I, depending on the flights we select. The remaining balance will be used for a hotel stay which starts around 18,000 points per night, so we can definitely craft a nice, long weekend.

{The Famous “Vegas Strip”}

While the possibilities are endless, we’ve narrowed our getaway down to three options. Our first option is Southern California- either Los Angeles or Orange County. I’ve been to Los Angeles a lot while working on High Gloss, but I do love it and I love Newport Beach and Laguna Beach even more. My husband has never been there and I’d love to experience it with him. It might be nice to enjoy the weather and a relatively laidback trip. Our second option is to go to Las Vegas. Neither of us has ever really had a big interest in going since we’re not gamblers or big club-goers, but we’re thinking it would be a lot of fun to go for a couple of days, enjoy some of the great restaurants and take in a few shows. Lastly, we’re considering Chicago, another city we haven’t yet visited. We’ve heard amazing things about how beautiful Chicago is and about it’s amazing food scene.

{Chicago’s Beautiful Skyline}

I would really appreciate your help in choosing a destination for our American Express Membership Rewards weekend getaway. Is there anything in particular that you would recommend about any one of these destinations? Would you steer me in any particular direction? I can’t wait to hear your feedback and am so excited to finally get away for a few days!