Welcome to Travelling Lens Insider, where every weekend I send you a carefully curated letter of all things travel, photography and points optimisation.

Now, onto this week’s letter…

✈️ Travel, Points and Miles

🧥 Spring in the US means the start of hiking season. And unpredictable weather, where a rain jacket is a must-have travel item.

I recently scored a 50% off deal at REI on Patagonia’s Super Free Alpine Jacket when stacking the REI outlet discount on top of a REI member discount.

But understanding the difference between 2 and 3 layer Gore-Tex and a deep dive into the 12 best rain jackets on the market right now, helped me make the right decision on getting the right rain jacket for my needs.

🥾 Break down of the top 10 national parks in the USA and why they made the list.

✈️ Notion Is the Perfect Tool to Plan Your Next Travel Adventure.

Free travel planning template included.

✈️ Sometimes booking a round trip flight saves you money.

But other times, we’ve found booking one-way tickets is cheaper or cost-neutral, while giving us more flexibility to pick different airlines and routes.

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💳 If you regularly rent cars while traveling, consider getting a credit card that includes rental car insurance.

This can save you money by avoiding the collision damage waiver add-on. We’re fans of Chase credit cards since their most popular cards include this insurance for rentals inside and out of the US.

💳 The best way to stock up on points and miles is signing up for credit cards with a generous welcome bonus (there are lots out there right now).

But to get the welcome bonus, make sure you can hit the minimum spendrequirements. If you’re getting a US credit card, here are 14 ways to help you hit the minimum.

(Like what you’re reading? Pass it along to someone who might love it too. And if that’s you, make sure to subscribe here! Thanks so much 😀)

📸 Photography

📷 Listen to this interview with David Duchemin, a world renowned travel photographer and book author, to learn about his photo adventures and travel photo tips.

🎒 Camera gear often costs thousands of dollar so protecting your gear when you travel is a must.

​This camera bag is one of my favourite bags I travel with and trust to keep my camera and travel essentials safe and accessible when I’m out and about exploring a new city.

📷 Want to improve your travel photos?

These three essential and unconventional tips can help you do just that.

👀 Lately

I’m a sucker for good coffee.

The Heights in Houston has an excellent selection of specialty coffee bars. The latest one I tried is Cafe Forth. They wiped up a decent flat white.

And it has a cute little collection of stalls at the back, selling boutique clothing through to cook books and stationery.

📸 Photo of the week

Santorini, Greece. One of the most beautiful places on earth.

💬 Final Words

That’s all for today!

Thanks for reading the Travelling Lens Insider newsletter.

I’m always looking to improve. If you have feedback, I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s newsletter. And if you enjoyed it, please let me know why!