I’m probably the bajillionith person to say this to you: Happy New Year!
My wife and I are making a list of where we can realistically travel this year. We’re taking into consideration our daughter’s school schedule, our work schedule, our budget, and our points and miles balances.
First of all, our six-and-a-half-year-old daughter tells anyone and everyone who will listen that we’re going to Japan. Not merely that she wants to go to Japan — but that we’re actually, definitely going.
Well, that’s news to Mrs. Carley and me.

But a Japan trip is one we hope to book for sometime this year. My wife and I have there twice and absolutely love it. We know our daughter will enjoy it, too.
A total solar eclipse takes place on Monday, April 8. (It’s the last one for 20 years!) Unfortunately, the eclipse path is nowhere close to our home in Southern California. So, we have to travel if we want to experience it — and we do! (We bought solar eclipse glasses months ago!)
There are a bunch of cities directly in this eclipse’s path: Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo are a few. A few others are at the very edge: San Antonio, Austin, Detroit, Toronto, and Montreal.
René and Lisa rave about their experiences of the August 2017 solar eclipse. So, my family plans to meet up with them somewhere.
We expect to make our annual summer trip to the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, area to spend some time at a family lake house.
An aunt and uncle celebrate 70 years of marriage (you read that correctly: 70) this summer. We’re waiting on exact dates but may attend their celebration party in New Ulm, Minnesota.
My North Dakota State Bison play Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes on Labor Day Weekend. I have family in the Denver area, so we hope to make that trip happen! (Assuming we can get tickets that don’t cost an arm and a leg.)
Two of my aunts live in the Madison, Wisconsin, area and we’ve been threatening forever to go visit them again. We hope to make it happen this year!

As I wrote in my 2023 Delta Year-in-Review, one of the airline’s #KeepClimbings was their great SkyMiles flash sales. If more pop up — and I hope they do — we might take advantage of them. (Memo to Delta: we’d like to request beach destinations. Thanks!)

My best friend, Rick, and I have long threatened to attend a Minnesota Vikings game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. I think we’re going to make that a reality this year.

I’ve visited Las Vegas several dozen times — but never stayed at Tropicana. The (disastrous) Oakland A’s are apparently relocating to Sin City — and will play at a ballpark to be built where the Trop currently stands. So, I might make a Vegas pilgrimage just to stay there for a night or two before the iconic resort closes either later in the year or sometime in 2025.
Our daughter didn’t have a passport until late summer— and we missed out on a great cruise opportunity with René and Lisa. We might attempt it again this year.
If my client schedule permits, I might be at the Chicago Seminars this year. But who knows if we’ll have a repeat of this year’s drama (I really, really, really hope not).

I haven’t been to Europe since before the pandemic officially started raging (I was there on Leap Day 2020) and would love to go back. My wife has been all over Europe — but somehow never made it to London! (Yeah, yeah, I know it’s no longer technically part of Europe.) That is a crime and I’d like to remedy that. One of my college roommates lives there and is a fantastic tour guide.
How About You?
What are your travel plans this year? Do you have any places to recommend? Please share in the below Comments section!
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Happy new year! My new year wish is for the EotF website to stop “refreshing” every 10 seconds and resetting back to the top of the page. It’s impossible to read an article when the site redirects from your reading spot (literally) every few seconds. This is happening in Safari on iPhone right now, but I’ve experienced the same on other browsers (Chrome, etc). Otherwise keep up the good work.
@D Thomas – We are aware of the issue impacting IOS stuff but support has been off over the holiday weekend. We hope to have this issue fixed soon and thanks for understanding.
It is fixed as of now for me.
Happy new year Chris! Going to Heidelberg and Strasbourg in a week. Using my GUCs for Delta One. Cleveland for the eclipse. Seattle in May for an Alaskan cruise. That’s it so far.
I get two weeks vacation. My plan is to use one of them in Sept to continue my trek across the Camino de Santiago for however far five days of walking will take me and the other is to impulsively take advantage of one of the amazing fares that pop up and go somewhere I’ve never been. I booked and then cancelled that Easter Island flight last year and have kicked myself ever since. This year I’m going somewhere crazy like that.
Happy New Year Y’all from ATL!
What’s booked: CES in Las Vegas in January, Panama Canal Cruise in April, Alaska Cruise in June
What I’m hoping to book: a quick trip to Maine BEFORE our Alaska Cruise so that Alaska will be my 50th state visited, trips to Colorado and Nebraska to visit family, a trip to London if I can manage to use my hoard of Avios to secure some first class tickets, and maybe a trip or two on Aeromexico to take advantage of some of their new routes out of ATL. I’ve always wanted to go to Merida and now it should be really easy to visit for a long weekend.
HNY, to you and your fam, Chris!
We’re flying AF to hang in France for a couple weeks in April. Looking at MIA/Key West in late fall, maybe NYC for the holidays at the end of the year. Then there are the work trips. Had Asia planned for the first half of the year, but that may get cancelled. Talking to my son about a short hop to Monterrey NL, MX, maybe during one of the Delta flash sales (I’ll channel your subliminal vibes!).
Safe travels and cheers to a safe and sane 2024!
Heading to Valencia Spain the first week of April for my birthday, Playa del Carmen the first week of June, all over Scotland the end of June and into July, then on to a week in Belfast. Ending the summer with a week in Playa del Carmen again, AND Playa for Thanksgiving. And last, spending 2 weeks doing an all encompassing tour of Morocco- Dec 15 – 30th. I will probably fly in and out via Madrid and spend a couple nights (including New Year’s Eve) in Madrid.
At some point, I will fly out to Denver to visit my niece who moved there to be an ADA last Fall.
A full year!
Hello from Fairhope, AL! Heading to Bora Bora (5 nights at the Conrad) and Tahiti (2 nights) in February that have been booked for months. Looking at Las Vegas to see some shows. Anywhere if a good Delta flash sale pops up. For early 2025 considering a 37 day cruise to Sydney then 2 weeks traveling around Australia.
Safe Travels
Hi. This and. Wry Happy new year to you and yours!
I have a run via Montreal on AM to GRU which was booked Before the BIG changes. Decided to keep it for the MQD. I have about 1600.00 in vouchers which I’ll use this year for something somewhere. Sigh. I shall be flying to Seattle for annual professional Conference.
and LAX. For the spot
LAX /NYC aviation weekend…
I am less than 100,000 Miles away from MM2
And will remain DD through 2026 and shall hopefully attain the 2MM by then.
Re London I adore it and have been there innumerable times! A great area to stay in is along the Piccadilly line… Russell Square. A Tea at the Berkeley hotel themed in fashion is fun! Go to the “China town area and eat at : 12 Gerard st, four seasons; you MUST go to the Theatre …. Either buy in advance or go to official Leicester Square ticket booth to get same day tix for a bargain.
The Royal Ballet if in season at and Covent Garden
Eat a “jacket potato” and fish and chips. Go to Gastro pub….. walk the streets and get lost wandering and exploring. Go to MASALA ZONE one of 4 is on floral st near Covent Garden… cross the river and pig out at Borough Market!
See a show at the globe theatre . Visit the museum of natural history and Victoria and Albert Miseum. Try to see something at Royal Albert Hall. Take the jubilee line northtowards St. John’s wood… abbey road … YUP if you are a Beatles fan !
Go to Camden locks. Market to get a. Bit of punk goth rock scene, visit spittalfields market…. Take the RR to Cambridge and visit beautiful college town and go punting on the river cam…
How ma y days do you have?????
Safe travels to all!
I’m working thru my stash of miles on Delta before moving over to United. So far, booked is Nashville, Paris, London, and Montreal. Second half of the year…looking at a California trip, and some smaller trips like Savannah and Portland, ME. That should use up the miles.
I’ll miss Delta a lot. But, they’re leaving me…I’m not leaving them.
3 night “date” trips to St Petersburg for the jazz festival and Melbourne to watch a rocket launch (drive from SW Florida)
Grand Cayman in March for some diving and down time
Alaska in June for 17 days (annual trip) with biz rt on Alaska Air. Doing a side trip to Kodiak this year
Austin for 5 nights in September
Paris and London for 3 weeks in December 24
TBD trip to Panama west coast to do some fishing
Looking at ??Australia and NZ for our 50 anniversary at the end of the year!! Probably back to France at least once.. Maybe Alaska and the SFO-DUB run is interesting .I am at 1,964,024 MM hope to get to the 2MM unless the IT guys???, I had 550,000 MQMs but my screen says 0 now..??