This summer we took our first road trip in my EV. We wanted to stay somewhat close-ish to Denver since I had some anxiety about charging and getting stuck with a dead car in the middle of nowhere. I also had an annual $200 hotel credit to use from this credit card. So I started cobbling together a short but intense road trip. The boys and I had been trying to get to Utah since 2020 when a freak accident canceled our original trip to the Beehive State at the last minute. I wanted a redo, and I wanted to make it unforgettable!

Our first stop was in Grand Junction, Colorado, where we stayed here. It was a great location, and I had a free night thanks to this credit card. We got some juice and drove the next day to the beautiful Gateway Canyons Resort. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but a very scenic middle of nowhere. Along with the $200 hotel credit, we also got $100 food and beverage and a room upgrade. The hotel was lovely, with multiple pools and bars, and the location was simply stunning. It’s also the home of a classic car museum which was FREE and very cool to see. We maxed out our benefits fully!

From there it was a scenic drive over to Moab where we stayed at Under Canvas – Moab. Now that this is a Hyatt property, you may find great points deals at this super unique property. Yes, we slept in a (pricey) tent. No, we did not have electricity (although they do provide hefty battery packs for lanterns and phone re-charging). Yes, we had the greatest time! The amenities offered at Under Canvas are great – s’more packets for the evening fires, board games for borrowing, free ice (this was a big deal for us as we spent so much time eating from our cooler on this trip).

We spent two days enjoying Arches National Park and even hiked out to the Delicate Arch (the one famously featured on the Utah license plates). It was an amazing time, and we enjoyed every second in the national park.

On our way back, we stopped in Glenwood Springs for one last night of fun. We had another Marriott Free Night Certificate and maximized that, as well.

Overall, we had five nights in amazing hotels for less than $400 (most of that coming from Under Canvas), which allowed us to do more fun things on vacation!