Turn miles into adventure: How to travel to South America with Alaska Airlines miles

When I first visited South America in 2013, I took a nonstop 27-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Florianopolis, Brazil. I had no choice, as my backpacker budget couldn’t afford the last-minute $600 flight. Needless to say, it was a horrendous experience that I vowed never to repeat. Over a decade later, points …