CA shares how he traveled for 22 days. 3,000 miles, eight cities, wife+two kids with just one credit card bill
On August 3, 2025, Shah shared on X (formerly Twitter) : '22 days. 3,000 miles. 8 cities. 2 kids. 1 Credit Card Bill.Tesla Road trip. Hilton's on points. LA Sunsets. Vegas nights. Trails in Lake Tahoe & Yosemite. Here's how we hacked California without hacking our wallets.'
Speaking exclusively to ET Wealth Online , Shah said: 'Every mile gave us a new story. But also a reminder, that the best plans come from intention, and not just indulgence. For us, frugal does not mean cheap - it means deliberate choices that makes the trip richer in memories, not just expenses.' How did he travel? Shah recounted on X (formerly Twitter) on August 7, 2025: 1. The first Travel hack starts much before the vacation Booked a $250 cheaper flight to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with a 12 hour long layover in Hong Kong (HK) on purpose. Just enough time to convert a layover into 8 hours of Disney Magic. And royal dine for free at the Amex Centurion Lounge. Day 1: Landed in San Francisco and immediately hit the road in our rented Tesla (quiet ride, and the kids loved the 'Giant iPad' on the dash). Booked Tesla at 20% discount via Hertz Gold Amex Platinum. We drove down Pacific Highway 1 towards Monterey, enjoying cliffside ocean views and a quick stop at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
By evening, we reached Monterey and checked into a clients' cozy Hilton property. Visiting Target Supermarket to Charge the Tesla was our second travel hack. We fell asleep to the sound of distant sea lions, excited for coastal adventures ahead. Day 2 We drove the famous 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach ($11.25 toll). The Lone Cypress perched on its rocky pedestal, multi-million dollar mansions, and golfers in their natural habitat at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
We stopped in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a storybook town with quirky laws (believe it or not, there's a 1960s law requiring a permit to wear high heels over 2 inches). Needless to say, we stuck to flats and sneakers!
CA Mehul Shah: We drove the famous 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach Source: CA Mehul Shah
Also read: Rs 2 lakh worth earning from credit card reward points, here's how a techie working in Pune did it using these HDFC Bank credit cards Day 3 We drove the Tesla south from Carmel till the road became a postcard. First stop - Bixby Creek Bridge, the 'Instagram celebrity' of Highway 1 - it's one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world. From there, Big Sur unfolded - rugged cliffs, turquoise coves, redwood groves.
This stretch of Highway 1 is only ~90 miles, but it's consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 drives in the world.Pro tip: No cell service for long stretches - download maps offline. And if you're hungry, pack snacks. Big Sur scenery is free; Big Sur sandwiches are $18+. Preet Coffee is a new Speciality Coffee chain in the West coast where we tried our missed Cold Brew Tonic.
CA Mehul Shah Source: CA Mehul Shah
Day 4 From Big Sur, you can drive to Los Angeles but we preferred to drive back to San Jose and took a flight to LA. We were lucky that Southwest Airlines still had the 'bags fly free' perk. ( They stopped the age-old perk after our tour ). Upon arriving at LAX, we picked up TAP Cards and hopped on the LA Metro.
For just $1.75, the Metro whisked us from the airport area to Hollywood - far cheaper than a $200 Uber ride. If you take more rides, your Day is always capped at $5 so you don't need to buy a separate Day Pass. When I told about metros in LA to a Dads friend who came to pick us up for dinner, he was like - we were living in LAX for 30 years but never travelled in a Metro!
We checked in to Hilton - booked as Gold members. So got a free upgrade and Daily Hotel credits helped us use it partly for breakfast. Bonus Points on Hilton - we converted into a Lyft wallet and our next day Cab was free. Day 5 We took Metro B to Universal Studios. Look out for the 1-Day + 1-Day Free Pass - this place deserves 2 full days if you love rides and nostalgia. The rides are wild, but the real gem? The 45-min Studio Tour - old sets, behind-the-scenes magic… and midlife crisis for 80s born. Day 6 Universal Studios – Hogwarts. My wife's a certified Potterhead. And Universal gave her the stage to pass the Hogwarts obsession to our kids - robes, wands, spells. $63 for a wand. Your pockets call. But you should definitely try the $12 Butterbeer. Thank me later! Day 7 After the rollercoaster hangover from Universal, we swapped rides for rails. LA by Metro. The US is not advanced with UPI-like technology so you will need to try beforehand with multiple Credit cards to get to understand the TAP app. But $5 recharge will give you unlimited Metro/Buses Day Rides. Stopped by: Hollywood Walk of Fame
TCL Chinese Theatre
Griffith Observatory ( There is a $0.50 DASH Observatory shuttle which offers rides bus from Vermont/Sunset metro )
Saw planets, constellations & where James Dean filmed Rebel Without a Cause.
Santa Monica Pier at sunset (yes, it's as cliché as it is beautiful) PS : I tried to use the free bathroom but beware that the door opens automatically into the main street in 10 min!! Day 8 We took an early Amtrak train to San Diego which cost only $20 booked through Omio. After LA's chaos, this felt like switching from "espresso to chamomile"
Walkable waterfronts, sea breeze therapy, and parks where kids ran like they'd never seen grass.No rush, no noise - just sandals, seals, and sanity. Day 9 San Diego Sea World. Tickets cost $ 49+ but you can buy a Fun Card for $99+ if you are up for unlimited visits in a season.
For us, a local friend helped me with Annual Guest passes and you can try the same as a lot of locals buy Annual Pass which has guests access. We screamed at dolphins, and walked 15,000 steps chasing children through penguin zones. Saw orcas jump higher than my credit card limit. Parenting wins in saltwater form. The other travel diaries can be found here:https://x.com/mehulshahca/status/1951993775925960888
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