Attending FTF as a Featured Author in Forks, WA (on Points)
My table at the Featured Author Event at the Ki’tla Center Roundhouse in La Push, WA during Forever Twilight in Forks 2024. Yes, it’s La Push.
The Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite places to visit because it has everything — beautiful mountains, waterfalls, coastline, and endless forests that lead to stunning beaches with sea stacks sticking out of the Pacific Ocean.
When I first visited, it was under the impression that I wouldn’t be able to visit for a long time after that because we hadn’t discovered points and miles yet, and a trip like this for even just one of us was expensive. I went solo, which was odd for me at the time. Now, I wouldn’t think much of it, though I love going with others when traveling to new places. When I applied and got accepted as a Featured Author in January of 2024 for the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival in September, I had to go! And use points to do it, of course ;) This is how I got there:
Airfare:
I flew Alaska from Nashville to Seattle non-stop for 10k points. This was originally 20k, but a couple of weeks before my trip, I looked on the app and saw it dropped 10k points, so I jumped on a chat and the extra points were deposited that night. I was supposed to fly Alaska coming home from Portland, but I started getting a cold, so I cancelled my Alaska flight out of Portland and booked a non-stop on Southwest out of Seattle instead, since I had a stockpile of points ready. Pick a seat on the left side of the plane when you are going to Seattle, and a right on your way out…you’ll see Mt. Rainier out your window!
Rental Car:
We usually book a rental car through the Chase portal, so this time wasn’t any different. If you want to book a car rental using Chase UR points through the portal, simply go to your Rewards page, and under the “Travel” tab, select “Book Travel”, then select car and choose the dates you need. For this particular trip, I needed September 12-15. I spent 20,170 UR points on the car rental for the entire weekend instead of over $250.00.
Hotel:
There aren’t any hotels in Forks or La Push that you will find or can book through Hyatt, IHG, Marriott or any of the major hotel brands. This is where the Chase Travel Portal comes in. Any hotel I need to find in Forks, Port Angeles, La Push, or anywhere that isn’t Seattle, Vancouver, or Portland, I will find in the portal.
To search/book a hotel in the portal, go to your points homepage, click the tab under “Travel”, then click “Book Travel”. From here you’ll be able to search for hotels, flights, activities, etc. I just typed in Forks in the search bar, and it gave me a pretty good list of places I could book right in town. I had been to the Forks Motel before, and it was a great location and clean, so I booked that one again this year. Hotels gets booked up pretty fast during the time of the festival, so I booked this in January or February. I used 20,903 points for one night here. You can find other hotels on that site and search for a particular hotel in the Chase portal to see if you can book it with points.
From here I drove up to Port Angeles to stay the night so I could visit the Olympic National Park on Saturday morning. This is a typical motel-type place, nothing fancy. I spent 14,994 points for one night here.
*Keep in mind that prices can go up or down depending on what time of year you go and how far in advance you book.
I should have checked the cameras for Olympic Park because as I drove up the winding mountain road, I realized I wouldn’t be able to see anything past the parking lot. And I was right. Bummer. Quick tip for those visiting: There is a webcam that you can check here before you pay the entry fee and drive up, so you can check the view. I did a quick hike but didn’t stay long as I grabbed lunch and sat in a Safeway parking lot while I called to cancel my Alaska flight and hotel for the night. I was starting to feel lethargic here and didn’t feel energetic enough to drive 6 hours to Portland, Oregon to my hotel room.
Luckily, I was able to find the same hotel chain, (Kimpton through IHG) in Seattle that I had originally booked for Portland. Once I rebooked my hotel (I used my yearly free night certificate here), changed my car rental drop-off, and booked my Southwest flight, I made the drive to Seattle.
This was the first time I went on an hour long ferry! And it was by accident…I put in my route to Seattle via Tacoma, but Google maps switched without me realizing…but I’m so glad it did! It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be😂
Coming into Seattle on the ferry
One of the perks when you hold an IHG Premier Card is that you get a free night certificate you can use yearly. I originally had booked for the Kimpton Vintage Portland, but like I said, I changed my itenerary last minute the day before. The booking agent was very helpful and was able to cancel my original room in Portland and saw availability in Seattle so she booked me a king room with the same free night credit.
My spacious hotel room I got for $0 in Seattle using a Free Night Certificate with IHG. @ Kimpton Vintage Seattle
Sunday morning, I checked out a little early so I could grab breakfast at Pike’s Place Market before heading to the airport to go home. The hotel was only a few minutes away, and I parked in a covered garage before heading to the Market. I had never been here before, and the shops were just beginning to open. I walked around and got a coffee and croissant at a very cute French bakery called Le Panier. I also bought some souvenirs across the street before heading to the airport.
A trip to the Pacific Northwest, whether it be Seattle or Portland, is very doable on points! Alaska airlines would be my first choice for airfare, but Southwest also flies to both airports for reasonable prices, though it’s more likely you won’t be able to get non-stop flights from my experience looking in the past.
SUMMARY:
Airfare: 10k Alaska miles, non-stop from BNA to Seattle, then Southwest non-stop Seattle to BNA for 30k SW points
Hotel: Forks Motel - 20,903 Chase UR points + Olympic Inn & Suites -14,994 Chase UR points + IHG free night certificate @ Kimpton Vintage Seattle - 0 IHG points
Rental Car: Enterprise - 20,170 Chase UR points booked through portal
