​

Happy Saturday!

Hi Reader,

I want to start today's email with some updates from some stuff going on over here at Discovering Hidden Gems.

1️⃣ For starters, we are in the process of merging our Timeshares, Resorts, and More review blog with Discovering Hidden Gems.

So basically, the 60 or so hotel and resort reviews we have on that site will all be moved over to this blog and interconnected with all the relevant content we already have.

That project should be done in about a week, so check out our home page throughout the week to see the latest posts because we'll be moving about 10 posts a day (completely updated by the way with any new, relevant information).

2️⃣ As part of this process, we'll have a couple new free guides that will be incorporated into those posts.

These will include how to get free room upgrades every time you travel (from someone who used to work front desk for Hilton) and how to take safety precautions wherever you stay (again, from someone who used to work at a hotel).

So be on the lookout on our website for those as well to get an early look, but I'll be sharing them here next week too.

3️⃣ Lastly, I want to plug again that I have a separate business from this one called Eva Keller SEO.

So if you're a content creator, blogger, online business owner, or maybe your career job has an online element, follow me over on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest SEO best practices, especially with the new incorporation of AI.

I'm doing a 3 day live series this upcoming week (Monday-Wednesday 12 pm eastern time) over on Instagram which you can check out here.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the real purpose of today's newsletter.

With the latest hurricane, which luckily did not make landfall, I thought this week would be the perfect time to share some hurricane travel hacks.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with the most active stretch in late August through October and a peak around September 10.

This year forecasters are predicting an above normal season with 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes.

So what does that mean for your vacation if you’re headed to the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, or Southeast U.S.?

Here are some of the most popular destinations where hurricane season can throw a wrench into travel plans:

• Florida: Orlando, Miami, the Keys, and Tampa
• Gulf Coast: New Orleans, Gulf Shores, and Galveston
• Caribbean islands: The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic
• Mexico: Cancun, Cozumel, and Riviera Maya
• Southeast U.S. beaches: Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks

It doesn’t mean you have to cancel.

It just means traveling smarter.

Here are three simple hacks that can make all the difference:

🌀 Travel with flexibility

Choose refundable bookings or add flexible cancellation options so you are not stuck if a storm threatens your plans.

🌀 Secure hurricane safe travel insurance before storm watch

A “Cancel for Any Reason” plan is the best bet, but it must be purchased before a storm is named.

🌀 Monitor weather and pick safer dates

Use NOAA’s storm tracker and subscribe to alerts.

If you can, plan trips outside hurricane season from December to May for peace of mind.

🌀 Plan free and low cost backup activities

If outdoor excursions are canceled, research free museums, indoor attractions, or local food markets.

It keeps your budget intact if plans shift.

🌀 Use points or miles to book flights.

Award tickets are often easier to cancel or rebook without fees compared to cash tickets, especially during storm disruptions.

If you have any wild hurricane travel stories, feel free to reply to this email to share!

As many years as I spent living in Florida, there were never any major storms going through Orlando.

In 2016 I was working at Disney World and they closed it all down for a whole day in advance preparation of the hurricane, but then it hit overnight and was very weak and didn't really do anything.

So the whole next day the parks were closed and no one really had anything to do because there was no damage to clean up, but most businesses were closed because they thought it would be too bad to open.

So if you have a better story, please share!

See you next week,

Eva and JP 💎

P.S. Ready to plan your next trip?

Find some of our favorite travel-related resources below.
Using our affiliate links won't increase your costs in anyway, but it will earn us a small token of gratitude from the company for directing you their way.

✔ Find the cheapest rental car rate
​✔ Save on flights
​✔ Save on your hotel booking
✔ Save on airport transfers, tours, and attraction tickets
​And finally...
✔ Check out our resources page on our blog​