Editor's note: Welcome back to the Points Pursuit Series! Today the team finds themselves in Phoenix, AZ for some hiking, tacos, family time, and togetherness. You won't believe how far a strong one-card strategy can take you, and how many points were earned. Fair warning… every photo you're about to see is the desert, and only the desert. Because Erin learned she loves being in that Southwest landscape. Lather that sunscreen on and let's head out to the hills…
Here’s the thing about Phoenix in the spring: there’s a very small window where the weather is actually magic. Hit it right and you get cool evenings, blue skies, zero humidity, and the kind of afternoon you keep trying to recreate the rest of the year. Miss it by a few weeks and the desert reminds you exactly who’s in charge.
I hit it right.
When I found out Brendan and Erin were coming to Phoenix for Points Pursuit, the strategy was simple: spend $500, earn as many points as possible, and show two people who travel constantly that Phoenix isn’t just a layover city. It has real charm.
My strategy was simple. Use one card for everything: the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. The plan was deliberate: the travel portal gives 8x points on hotels when booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal. I knew from the start that lodging would eat the biggest slice of the $500 budget. If I was going to maximize points, I needed to put as much as possible on the highest-earning category, then stretch the rest across food and activities that also hit elevated rates.
With $0.24 left at the end, I think the plan worked.
The Strategy Before the Fun
I’ll be honest, most of the mental energy went into the hotel booking before the weekend even started.
Hilton North Scottsdale at Cavasson, photo courtesy of Erin Paules
Booking hotels through the Chase travel portal earns 8x points, one of the highest multipliers the Sapphire Reserve offers on any category. So, I did the math. If I put $329 toward a hotel booked through the portal, that single transaction would generate the bulk of my point haul before Brendan and Erin ever stepped off the plane. Everything else: coffee, bowling, groceries, rock climbing, the hike, was about spending thoughtfully in 3x dining categories and keeping the overall budget tight enough to not blow past $500.
Day 1: Coffee, Family Chaos, and Bowling
Pickup was at noon from their hotel. Our first stop was Light Heart, my wife Brenna’s favorite coffee shop in Phoenix.
I told them to try the Go Banana Latte, and Erin and I both got it. Brendan ordered a cappuccino like a perfectly reasonable person. We sat outside and caught up. It had been a while since we’d all been in the same place, and Phoenix was doing its best impression of a perfect day. A week before their arrival, it had already cracked 100°. We (accidentally) timed this exactly right.
Piestawa Peak selfie, courtesy of Erin Paules
After coffee, we headed to Harkins Backlot for bowling, the whole family in tow. One round of bowling, a hummus plate, and three kids who brought exactly the energy you'd expect. It was loud and wonderful.
Zero Points, Zero Regrets
After bowling, we drove to my local climbing gym. I have a membership, which meant I could bring my 5-year-old on a guest pass. My 4-year-old climbs free, and a friend came along with a guest pass for Brendan. Brenna and Erin entertained the baby with front row seats to witness the action.
Brendan gave it a genuine effort, and the bouldering walls have a way of making everyone look a little more human regardless of fitness level. My 5- and 4-year-olds, who have zero concept of self-doubt, were absolute menaces in the best possible way.
Rock climbing didn't hit the budget at all: guest passes, free kid pricing, and a friend with the right membership – thanks Luke! Not a single point earned, but completely worth it.
Dinner: Costco Did Not Miss
Here’s a thing I believe firmly: a Costco taco platter is one of the best dinner values on the planet.
$19.31 fed everyone. After, we made s’mores over a fire pit. The weather was still perfect. Phoenix in late spring is genuinely great.
More Piestawa Peak, courtesy of Erin Paules (I told you she fell in love with the desert)
The Costco run and sides coded at 1x on the Sapphire Reserve. Grocery spend doesn’t hit dining rates, which is one of those things you know but still feel a little every time. The s’mores supplies were worth it anyway.
Day 2: Piestawa Peak at Dawn and the Best Breakfast Burrito
Piestawa Peak in Phoenix is steep, direct, and spectacular. It’s not a leisurely trail. It climbs fast and doesn’t apologize for it. We went early enough that the heat wasn’t brutal, but late enough that the sunrise views were in full effect. The city stretches out in every direction. It’s the kind of view that makes you remember why people move here.
Sagauro cactus in Piestawa Peak, courtesy of Erin Paules
After the hike, we went to Press, my favorite coffee shop in Phoenix. I’d been looking forward to this stop specifically. There’s a breakfast burrito there that I rave about, and after a hard uphill hike, nobody needed convincing. Brendan and Erin tried it. Correct reactions were had.
The Press stop was $72.61, the highest single dining charge of the trip, and the one I felt best about. It coded as dining, hit 3x, and generated 218 points. Worth every dollar and every point.
Then: airport drop-off, end of challenge.
The Points Breakdown
Total spend: $499.76. Total points: 2,982 with a blended average point earn of 5.96. Here’s how it broke down:
Stop | Multiplier | Amount | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
Hotel | 8x | $329.45 | 2,636 |
Light Heart Coffee | 3x | $14.92 | 45 |
Harkins Backlot — Bowling | 1x | $24.01 | 24 |
Harkins Backlot — Hummus Plate | 1x | $16.73 | 17 |
Costco Taco Platter | 1x | $19.31 | 19 |
Sides + s’mores supplies | 1x | $22.73 | 23 |
Press Coffee + Breakfast Burritos | 3x | $72.61 | 218 |
The hotel was, by design, the star of the budget. Booking through the Chase travel portal meant that one transaction, $329.45, generated 2,636 points on its own. That’s 88% of the total haul from 66% of the spend. The math on portal hotel bookings is hard to argue with when your card supports it.
Dining hits 3x across the board with the Sapphire Reserve, which made every coffee run and restaurant stop productive. Press Coffee at $72.61 earned 218 points, more than the bowling and Costco spend combined.
The places that earned 1x were the intentional trade-offs: Costco grocery spend doesn’t code as dining, and bowling coded as entertainment. No surprises there, but those added to a well-rounded trip.
Bottom Line
The Sapphire Reserve is built for weekends like this: book the hotel through the portal, eat good food, drink delicious coffee, and let the points stack up naturally. This trip was almost entirely those two categories, which is why the blended point rate came out where it did (at almost 6 cents earned for every dollar spent) despite some spend landing at 1x.
Phoenix did a lot of the work, honestly.
One more Piestawa Peak selfie, courtesy of Erin Paules
Perfect weather, a six-month-old who charmed everyone, two older kids who made every activity more chaotic and more fun, and a breakfast burrito that I was so excited to share. But the part I didn't plan for was how much fun it was just to hang out, to show two friends the city I grew up in and genuinely love. The points were almost a bonus.
