Maximizing travel/vacation time as a staff nurse?

I really love to travel and am about to start my first staff nurse position in a hospital (likely Med-Surg).

I want to maximize the number of days I have for vacation/travel in the year.

Advice I've received is 1) to combine vacation time with your weekend (i.e. use vacation + 4 days off for weekend)

2. to frontload your shifts so that you get 4 days off at the end of the month and stack shifts late in the next month, combining to get 8 days off w/o using vacation.

Any ideas, suggestions, food for thought would be appreciated. :)