What this site is
Alpine to Aloha publishes day-by-day travel itineraries for three regions: Colorado ski country, Seattle & the Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii. Each itinerary is a practical planning document — what to do in the morning, afternoon, and evening; the logistics that decide whether a day works; roughly what things cost; and the packing and gear notes that matter for that climate.
This is a planning and inspiration site, not a booking site. We do not sell trips, and the prices we mention are rough estimates to help you budget — actual prices move with season, demand, and availability, so always check current rates before relying on a number here.
Based in Colorado, written honestly
Alpine to Aloha is an independent publication based in Colorado. The editorial voice is deliberately practical: we write “here’s how to plan it” guides, not travel diaries. Where gear is covered, the guides synthesize what reviewers and owners consistently say across many sources — recurring praise, recurring complaints, sizing notes — written in our own words rather than copied from any single review.
How the Cash vs. Points box works
Every itinerary includes a Cash vs. Points box with two columns. The cash column estimates what the trip’s big pieces — flights, lodging, lift tickets or tours — cost in dollars, using ranges rather than false precision. The points column shows the same pieces priced in miles and points: for example, United miles for flights into Denver, airline miles and transferable bank points for Hawaii flights, and hotel-program points for stays near the resorts or the beach.
The point is comparison, not hype. Sometimes points win by a mile; sometimes cash is clearly better and the points are worth more saved for another trip. The box says which, and why, for that specific itinerary. Award availability and prices change constantly, so treat the points figures as planning estimates too — and if you are new to this, the short version is: flexible bank points that transfer to airlines and hotels are usually the most valuable currency to hold.
How the site makes money
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you follow one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. That is the business model that keeps the itineraries free to read. The full disclosure appears in the footer of every page and at the top of any article that contains affiliate links, before the first one. Commissions never change the order or content of an itinerary — a day is planned the way it should be planned, and the links follow.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or a destination you want covered? Reach us at hello@alpinetoaloha.com. Corrections are genuinely welcome — prices and logistics change, and keeping the guides accurate matters more than being right the first time.