For some reason, maybe having to do with reading lots of westerns as a kid, New Mexico had always been on my travel bucket list. It’s off that list now because I discovered a way to get a free roundtrip ticket there using my Capital One “miles.”

Seattle has a bad reputation as the rainiest place in the U.S. (It’s actually Hilo, Hawaii.) But for those of us that know it’s one of the best places in the country to spend the summer, that bad rap keeps the secret safe. July and August days in Seattle hover around the universally perfect temperature: 75 degrees.

It’s hard not to get a bit nostalgic about the good old days of airline travel. Remember when it wasn’t such a hassle to fly; when people actually dressed up for a flight; when it was always service with a smile; and when frequent flyer programs weren’t laden with a plethora of stipulations.