MLK weekend · January 2027

Pick the trip

Five options: two big desert houses, one camping trip, Hawaii and Costa Rica. Read them, then vote. You can change your vote any time, and you'll see the results after you vote.

Flights from home

Cheapest round trip per person. Thursday to Monday for Hawaii and Costa Rica, Friday to Monday for the rest.

FromJoshua Tree
Palm Springs		Las Cruces
El Paso		Death Valley
Las Vegas		Big Island
Kona		Costa Rica
Liberia
New York × 2$460$379$292$525$466
Boston × 3$470$399$307$674$589
DC × 1$473$371$303$614$416
Rochester × 1$534$380$359$705$526
Portland × 1$417$326$198$513$611
Denver × 2$331$77$125$552$651
San Francisco × 1$242$175$105$431$698
Group average$423$306$247$585$568

Joshua Tree, California

Boulders, desert sky and a big house 5 minutes from the park, with Palm Springs and live music close by. The easiest trip to pull off.

Stay
Big house with a pool and hot tub
Fly into
Palm Springs
Flights
~$423 average, $242–534
Nat'l parks
1 Joshua Tree
Driving
~5 hr total
January
52–55° / 36–38° high / low
Each guy
~$960 with flights
Heads up
The hikes are shorter than the other trips, and the pool is a small cowboy pool. The hot tub and fire pit are the main event.

The house

Xanadu: sleeps 14, 5 bedrooms, 11 beds, 2.5 baths, cowboy pool, hot tub, fire pit, 252 reviews, 5 minutes to the park. $2,591 for 3 nights.

Upgrade: 2.5-acre retreat, 5 bedrooms, 10 beds, private pool, hot tub, sauna, 83 reviews, $3,220.

The plan

  1. FriLand by noon, get supplies, 50 minutes to the house. Hot tub and fire.
  2. SatJoshua Tree: Ryan Mountain, Hidden Valley, Skull Rock and sunset at Keys View.
  3. SunPalm Springs tram or golf, then Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown.
  4. MonMorning at Cholla Cactus Garden or the pool, then fly home.

Fifth day: more park time, or a Palm Springs golf day.

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Jagged Organ Mountain peaks behind town, white dunes an hour away, and the cheapest big house. The toughest hiking of the three desert trips.

Stay
Big house with a pool or hot tub
Fly into
El Paso, then 50 minutes by car
Flights
~$306 average, $77–399
Nat'l parks
1 White Sands, plus Organ Mountains National Monument
Driving
~4 hr 40 total
January
50–58° / 29–34° high / low
Each guy
~$720 with flights
Heads up
Most of the group connects into El Paso. Trails have no reliable water, and there is less to do beyond hiking.

The house

Sleeps 12 pool house: 4 bedrooms, 8 beds, 2.5 baths, pool, game room with a bar, fire pit, 96 reviews. $1,281 for 3 nights.

Hot tub option: Jade House, 4 bedrooms, 4 queen beds, hot tub, game room, fire pit, 107 reviews, $1,019.

The plan

  1. FriLand by noon in El Paso, get supplies, 50 minutes to the house. Fire night.
  2. SatSummit day in the Organs: Organ Needle or Baylor Peak.
  3. SunWhite Sands: drive the dunes, walk the sand, stay for sunset.
  4. MonEasy morning in Old Mesilla, then back to El Paso.

Fifth day: Baylor Pass across the range, or Rabbit Ear Plateau.

Death Valley, California

The biggest, emptiest and warmest park of the bunch. We camp in it, so there is no long drive in each morning. The coolest place, and the roughest trip.

Stay
Camping, inside the park
Fly into
Las Vegas
Flights
~$247 average, $105–359
Nat'l parks
1 Death Valley
Driving
~6 hr 30 total
January
62–66° / 43–51° high / low
Each guy
~$570 with flights
Heads up
All 5 reservable group sites at Furnace Creek are taken Jan 15–17, so we would split across two first-come sites, which hold 8 people each. Fire rings are not guaranteed at those sites. Titus Canyon Road is closed.

The camp

Sunset Campground: first-come, and the park says it almost always has sites. Bring gear, or buy it in Vegas.

Backup: Texas Springs or Stovepipe Wells, also first-come. Texas Springs is often full on holiday weekends.

The plan

  1. FriLand by noon, buy supplies and firewood, about 2 hr 15 to camp.
  2. SatSummit Corkscrew Peak: about 7 miles and 3,100 ft of climbing.
  3. SunGolden Canyon and Badwater, or rent Jeeps at Furnace Creek for the Racetrack.
  4. MonBreak camp and drive back to Vegas. Book flights after 3 pm.

Add-on: two Farabee Jeeps for a day run about $77 a guy.

Big Island, Hawaii

Five days instead of four, with an active volcano, warm ocean and golf. The biggest trip of the four, and the priciest.

Stay
Big ocean-view house near Kona, with a jetted tub
Fly into
Kona
Flights
~$585 average, $431–705
Nat'l parks
1 Hawaii Volcanoes
Driving
~5 hr 40 total
January
77–78° / 67° high / low
Each guy
~$1,350 with flights
Heads up
Thursday to Monday, so everyone needs an extra day off. Volcanoes is about 2 hours each way from Kona. Lava is not guaranteed, since eruptions come in short bursts.

The house

Honu House: sleeps 16+, 5 master suites, 15 beds, 4.5 baths, jetted tub, 162 reviews. $4,058 for 4 nights. The host asks for quiet from 9 pm.

Backup: 360° ocean-view house, 4 bedrooms, 8 beds, private hot tub, about $3,670 if it fits 11.

The plan

  1. ThuLand in Kona, get supplies, sunset at the house.
  2. FriHawaii Volcanoes: Kīlauea Iki crater hike and the summit overlooks. Lava if it is erupting.
  3. SatGolf on the Kona coast, or hike Pololū Valley.
  4. SunBeach day at Kua Bay, then a night manta ray snorkel.
  5. MonOne last swim, then fly home.

Stays in Kona for sun and beaches. Hilo is closer to the volcano but wetter.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Hot, dry and on the beach, with surf, golf and a volcano park nearby. The best party town of the five, and more of a beach trip than a hiking trip.

Stay
Big house with a pool and hot tub, 2 minutes from the beach
Fly into
Liberia, then about 1 hr 15 by car
Flights
~$568 average, $416–698
Nat'l parks
1 Rincón de la Vieja, about 2 hours away
Driving
~6 hr 30 total
January
88–92° / 75–77° high / low
Each guy
~$1,290 with flights
Heads up
Everyone needs a passport and Thursday off. The volcano's summit trail is reported closed, so hikes are shorter. Rental insurance can add a lot, so that cost is my estimate.

The house

Playa Langosta house: 5 bedrooms, 11 beds, 4 baths, pool, hot tub, daily maid, beach club. $3,012 for 4 nights. New listing with no reviews yet.

Backup: 8-bedroom villa, 8 beds, 8 baths, pool, pickleball, concierge, 40 reviews, $4,115.

The plan

  1. ThuLand in Liberia, get supplies, drive to Tamarindo. Sunset on the beach.
  2. FriSurf lessons and beach day, then a night out in town.
  3. SatRincón de la Vieja: Las Pailas mud pots and the La Cangreja waterfall hike.
  4. SunGolf at Hacienda Pinilla, about $125 a round, or a boat day.
  5. MonLast swim, then back to Liberia to fly home.

Park entry is about $17, and tickets are bought online in advance.