Adventures Archives - Marge Swearin

How I Earn Southwest Airlines’ Companion Pass Every Year

September 2, 2020 No Comments

What is a Companion Pass, you ask? Southwest runs a promotion for its most loyal customers every year, that if you reach a certain threshold of airline points and/or number of flights, that from that day through the next calendar year, you can name a companion to fly with you for free! (Yes, you read that correctly – FREE!, only paying a small amount of tax on the free flight. The last one I bought was $11.70 for a round trip flight). So, keep on reading to find out how I earn Southwest Airlines’ Companion Pass Every Year.

companion pass, southwest airlines, airline points, free flights, southwest airlines' companion pass

I have heard that some people do not like the overall feel and processes that Southwest offers; however, we find it’s great for our lifestyle, and I can honestly say I’ve never had an unpleasant flight with Southwest. They do not have traditional assigned seats like other airlines. If I had to guess that would be a drawback for some. The key is to check in early — 24 hours prior to your flight, to get a better boarding position so that you can choose any seat you want. (Insider tips!)

First off, you will need to sign up for a free Rapid Rewards Account. Sign Up Here if you don’t already have one. This is simply so that you can earn qualifying points to use on flights and ultimately reach that goal of earning Companion Pass. Now, if you don’t travel regularly for business you’re probably wondering how in the heck you could earn so many points OR flights to even get to that level!

The secret truly is in the Credit Card. The Southwest Chase Visa generally offers 1 point per $1 spent, and then 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines flights. Additionally you can shop through their affiliated stores – the Rapid Rewards Shopping site, and earn extra points that also count towards your companion pass, in addition to the dollars spent on those transactions.

The first year you enroll with a card, you will receive a variable number of points – just for signing up! Depending on the time of the year, I have seen this range from about 30,000 to 65,000 points. If you’re really clever, I’ve noticed that the highest points offers are offered around January and July, with some variability in between. The card offers 3 tiers to select, each with more perks that get you closer to earning that Companion Pass. *Side note, each card does have an annual fee, ranging from $69 to $149; I justify the annual fee by the free flights! I mean, really, can you even get a flight for less than $149 these days??

If you spend several thousand dollars (which varies based on card rules) in the first few months of card enrollment, you get an additional number of bonus points. Our true secret to earning the Companion Pass every year is that we put every. single. purchase. (Yes, EVERYTHING) on that Southwest Credit Card until we have reached our goal, which typically happens in the late summer/early fall. Think every bill, every grocery or gas purchase, literally Ev-er-RY-THING! Of course there are a few things we can’t utilize the card for (car payments, student loans), but everything else goes on that card until we reach our goal!

If you’re an online shopper, be sure to check out the Rapid Rewards Shopping site, and install the Google Chrome plugin to earn even more rapid rewards. Southwest affiliates with multiple different online stores where you can earn a bonus “lump sump” for signing up with a new service, or additional points per dollar by linking through the site. This plug in will also alert you when you’ve entered a site where you can earn extra points! (Thanks, Southwest!).

Disclaimer, Southwest does have services to most of the cities that my husband and I are traveling to, so before you commit, be sure that they’re flying where you want to go! In addition to many airports througout the US, they fly to Mexico, the Caribbean and just added Hawaii this year! We’ve been nothing but pleased with our experiences with the airline and enjoy utilizing our Companion Pass together multiple times throughout the year! If you want to you can check out our adventures here.

PS, you can also find additional points on travel needs (hotels & rental cars) by routing through the Southwest Rapid Rewards site as well, getting you all that much closer to earning companion pass! So I thought it would be beneficial to share how I earn Southwest Airlines’ Companion Pass every year so that you can too!! Happy Travels!

Did you sign up?? Let me know how it’s going! And be sure to check out my previous post on airplane travel essentials before you go! 😉

Adventures, Fashion & Beauty

12 Must Have Airplane Travel Essentials

July 18, 2019 No Comments

Y’all. I have been in and out of airports more often than I would like the last couple weeks, and have at least 3 more trips within the next month!! Check out my Adventures for details. So I wanted to share my top 12 must have airplane travel essentials with you!

1. The Right Bag – I absolutely love this Vera Bradley Weekender bag. Let me give you a little background. I went to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and packed for an entire 10 day trip in a carry on! (It helped that the clothes were smaller – it’s warm there, you get it.) But this bag was crucial. It has a strap that allows it to slide onto the handle of your roller bag, and it’s amazing – if you’ve never had one like this before. There is a side pocket padded extra for electronics, separate interior pockets for toiletries, etc., and I just can’t get enough. I’m so dependent on the storage that this bag actually has for any of my trips – foreign or domestic!

2. Neck Pillow – I’m tall and awkward. I hate sleeping on planes, but sometimes you just have to – especially for a trans-continental flight; I love this particular neck pillow because you can adjust the positioning & shape of the pillow, and can utilize it in different ways (around your shoulder, sleeping on your tray table) and aren’t limited to sitting upright with it.

3. Eye Shade – A must for overnight flights, or really long flights you plan to sleep on. I got this cute sleep mask (that I also use at home) for a bargain on Prime!… and then I found the cutest one with sequins!

4. Ear Plugs – (a must on an overnight flight) – Need I say anymore? Not that the white noise of airplane engines won’t knock me out, but the ear plugs help with everything else.

5. Chargers / Battery Pack – I absolutely love this guy because it ALSO charges my Apple watch! I don’t have to take apart my charging station on my night stand, and instead just bring this guy along with me. I prefer the white but it’s available in a black too.

6. Book to Read / Things to Do – I don’t sit still & do one thing very well for more than a period of an hour or two. I love to have a few options available for me, so I tend to take my tablet loaded with movies, series, etc. I’m currently reading “Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered: A Definitive How To Guide” written by the hosts of one of my favorite podcasts. And if you’re not much of a reader, Amazon Prime has some of my faves! (If you haven’t watched the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – it’s hysterical!) You can get a 30-day free trial by clicking here.

7. Head phones – My preference is wireless. Simply because they keep all the cords out of the way! I love these earbuds, and if you’re looking for a larger noise cancelling headphone, these are cute and affordable!

8. A Water Bottle – I don’t know about you but I absolutely hate paying $5 for a bottle of water at the airport! I always have an empty re-useable bottle with me and then fill up once I’m through security. I prefer one with a screw on lid vs a spout/straw for drinking, and I’m a little anti-plastic if I can help it. I’ve had issues with those leaking on airplanes, (and unfortunately into my bag!) too many times, so I’ve converted. I linked a couple cute reliable ones.

9. Cleansing Wipes – I don’t know about you, but after several hours of travel and multiple planes/airports, I feel gross. If a shower isn’t an immediate option, a quick wipe down with some great little scented wipes can work wonders.

10. Makeup – I may be just a total weirdo over here, but I always carry on my makeup with me. I would hate to lose it or be without it out of inconvenience. And buying all the pieces again would be a pretty penny! I prefer clear cosmetic bags because I can see what I’m reaching for, and this one’s TSA approved. 😉

11. A Great Travel Wallet – This clutch comes with a removable wrist strap, and is designed to carry tickets, passport, cards, and even your cell phone! Love that it’s so stylish and functional. It’s available in over 15 colors, super affordable, and comes with the RFID protection so your info stays safe while traveling.

12. Electronic Organizer – If you’re anything like me, you have multiple devices (iPad, lap top, apple watch, phone charger) that require multiple cords, which can turn your bag into a tangled mess! I love this electronic organizer because it helps to keep all my techy items organized!

And those are my top 12 must have airplane travel essentials! What items do you always travel with? And what did I forget??!

Adventures, Food

Girl’s Weekend in Hill Country!

July 17, 2019 No Comments

My girlfriends from college & I graduated about 10 years ago (whaaaaa? Where did the time go?) And now that we’re all married…. we need an excuse to get together every year. We went to Oklahoma State (*Go Pokes!), and most of the girls live in Oklahoma and Texas – I’m the oddball over here in Colorado. This year, we decided to get together for a girl’s weekend in hill country!, which is otherwise known as Fredricksburg, Texas.

I flew into Austin, and the girls picked me up for the drive down. They had their hearts set on BBQ so we started at The Salt Lick. Now, I understand this is some of the most famous and delicious barbecue around. This, unfortunately is wasted on me because BBQ is just not my cuisine, but I had a delicious chopped beef sandwich that was absolutely huge – everything is bigger in Texas!, so they say!

We wrapped up lunch and headed on our way to Fredericksburg. One of the girls picked out a charming Air B&B where we stayed. If you haven’t used air B&B yet, give it a shot! I’ve been very impressed the several times we’ve used it for group trips!

Dinner/Drinks on Friday was at a local restaurant & brewery – Altstadt Brewery – We made a reservation for 8:15pm as we’d gotten into town around 5. This was a mistake. This place closes at 9, and was practically empty by the time we arrived for our reservation! Our server was particularly patient and great, but he was the only one of the staff that didn’t seem frustrated by our presence… I had a large pretzel, and a beer flight. This was plenty for Friday because there was wine on the way!

Now, Saturday was our big day! The 290 Wine Shuttle has buses every 10 minutes that stop along a select number of vineyards off highway 290 (where all the wine is 😉). I’m not sure if there’s any way to stop at all of the wineries and return home standing?! So we stopped at a few select ones that are known by their good reputation to kick off our girl’s weekend in hill country! Tours run from 10am-6pm. We chose to stop at 4 wineries and spent nearly 6 hours only exploring four.

Woerner's Warehouse, Lunch, Tuna Melt, Fredericksburg, TX — This Tuna Melt was Delicious!

But first, lunch. We stopped at this local place called Woerner’s. The menu was very eclectic! All the sandwiches & paninis looked so good it was difficult to choose. I went with a Tuna Melt, which was amazing. I can’t wait to go back for more! The restaurant was shabby chic, and was sort of in the front room of an interior design/furniture store.

Woerner's Warehouse, Interior Vignette, Fredericksburg, Tx

One odd thing I noticed about this town was that many of the storefronts served a dual purpose (Hair salon / Coffee Shop; Wine Bar / Retail Store) And it was everywhere! This was one of the little vignettes inside Woerner’s – Yes, our lunch spot!

Baron’s Creek Vineyards- Stop #1 called for a tasting and some Rose! We had to wait to do a tasting, so of course, we went for the bottle…. Loved tasting the wines here, they offer a White/Light tasting and a Red Tasting. I’m the oddball out that got the lighter tasting, which was awesome. Of the wineries we visited, this one was the priciest tasting, but the grape juice was definitely worth the squeeze! 😉

Becker Vineyards – Stop #2 – Offers free tours! We learned so much from our guide about how they make wine (white and rose and red, oh my!), why & how they barrel age, and for how long! Some of them are over 2 years. If you live in Texas, you can find many of these wines locally. 🙂

Beckett Vineyards, Fredericksburg TX, 290 Wine Tours, Wine Cellar, Wine Storage

Messina Hof Winery – Stop #3 – They have a Prosecco flight here which I would highly recommend! Check out my instagram for the boomerang video (Hey, we were winding down for the afternoon, so the photos became fewer & fewer!)

Fiesta Winery – Stop #4 – Such a fun concept, though I wish we had gotten here earlier in the day! The names of their wine and the artwork is so clever. I had a special rose, and tasted a sweet watermelon wine, which was delicious, but a little too sweet for your girl!

Tex Way Rose, Fiesta Winery, Fredericksburg TX, 290 wine tour

We were starrrrving after our day of drinking and went to “the best Mexican place in town”. Not bad, as I’m always on the lookout for good Tex Mex. (Can I have everything smothered in cheese?) Hondo’s on Main

Believe it or not, we were pretty exhausted after our day of drinking so we headed back and hot tubbed it up for the rest of the night. We had an early morning and several of us had a long drive home, so we kept Saturday night relatively calm!

Cheese Enchiladas, Hondos, Fredericksburg, TX — More cheese please! Cheese Enchiladas…. WITH Queso. What?… I was on vacation.

Sunday was time to get up and move out. Most of the girls had quite a few hours to drive home, and so we stopped over for brunch at Rathskeller Restaurant. I had a half order of biscuits & gravy which was plenty! All those restaurant portions are too big anyway! As we were leaving, I noticed that it’s actually into (or next to) the basement of the former town hospital. There’s so much crazy history here!

So what did I miss? Where else would you have gone? And if you have extra time in this part of the world, take some time to peek around Austin, TX if you’ve never been.

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Adventures

Your Best Weekend in ATX

June 28, 2019 No Comments

austin tx, best weekend, things to do in austin, ATX, weekend

Hey Friends!, We just got back from a weekend trip to Austin, TX where it was H-O-T, hot! We’ve been in Denver so long I forget how much humidity there is until I’m immersed in it again! So, I wanted to share a few of my favorite food / scenic spots so be sure you spend your best weekend in ATX!

The Chive Headquarters – Downtown, Austin. OK, I’m a touch biased here, but it’s downtown, only blocks from the South Congress Bridge – so just stop in! My husband is a board member of Chive Charities which is also headquartered here-so go check out their message! On Fridays they offer free tours with a reservation. It’s about as dude-tastic as you’d imagine it might be!

Watch the Bats at the South Congress Bridge – While you’re on South Congress, this is VERY close to the South Congress bridge, where you can watch the bats fly at sunset!

Travel by Scooter – Austin has TONS of electric scooters available downtown for quick & easy transportation rather than grabbing an uber – just scoot! This was so much fun scooting around on Sunday afternoon- although a little scary! I’d recommend NOT doing it in heels, and be careful crossing the street!

Austin Beer Works – North Austin. If you’re a beer person, check this place out while you’re up north! Obviously local, they have some cool & unique craft brews available, and a great back patio that actually stayed pretty cool with the misters!

Beer Flight, Austin Beerworks — I grabbed a flight, as per my usual at a new brewery! I thought all the options I tried were really flavorful!

The Domain – North Austin. A really cool outdoor shopping and eating spot in North Austin! Other than the heat in June, it’s a great day spent shopping & eating!

If you swing by Sprinkles be sure to grab a delicious cupcake indoors or better yet – at the Cupcake ATM! – Yes, you read that correctly!

Wonderbar – The Domain – North Austin. If you visit one spot strictly for the photo ops alone – this is it! Talk about psychadelic. I can’t imagine this place at night. They have a tube system into a private room, where you can order shots (cash only) via the bar. There’s also a spinning wheel – think Price is Right – where you can win everything from a free drink, to a warm shot of gin, to getting escorted out of the bar. Ha! And an entire rubber ducky room!

Austin TX, Wonderbar, The Domain, Happy Couple, Head in the Clouds

The Erin Condren Store – The Domain – North Austin. Talk about photo ops!

The Rainbow Staircase at Erin Condren – Since it’s just down the street, at the Erin Condren Store, go take a quick pic at this totally instagrammable staircase. (My husband is such a tolerant photog! )

Erin Condren Store, Rainbow Staircase, Austin Texas

Cyclone Anayas – The Domain – North Austin. – A staple of mine, but lets be honest, all Tex Mex is a priority when I’m in the region! Cyclone Anayas was a favorite of mine when I lived in Houston, and I was lucky enough to snag a meal here. Do yourself a favor and get a delicious Marg while you’re here! I’m a girl who can never have enough cheese, so I’d recommend the Spinach Enchiladas or basic Cheese Enchiladas – which are anything but. (PS I cannot find good Tex Mex in Colorado, and it’s the pits.)

Margaritas, Cyclone Anayas, The Domain, Austin Texas

Culinary Dropout – The Doman – North Austin. While I can’t speak for the food other than the look of it, the craft cocktails and beer selection available here were delicious. I went with one of my favorites – a French 75, and it was 100% on point.

French 75, Day Drinking, Austin Texas, Culinary Dropout

Jo’s Coffee / “I love you so much” Mural – South Congress – [Old Photo] Who doesn’t love a great Iced coffee? I can’t get enough cold brew either, now that I’ve mentioned it!

I love you so much mural, Austin Tx, South congress, jo's coffee, mural, photo op — And in the SAME kimono nontheless! (TWO years later!)

Greetings from Austin Texas Mural – South Congress – [Old Photo] But a staple for at least once in your life! And Funny enough, wearing the same kimono! Ha!

Greetings from Austin Mural, Photo Op, South Congress, Austin TX

A few of my other faves we didn’t get to this trip:

Torchy’s Tacos – South Congress – an Austin staple if you’ve never been! Though they’re expanding to other states, it’s still best to check out the original. I’d call this a taco stand with some Tex Mex influence. Grab some queso – it’s spicy!, Ask for the Secret Menu, and be sure to order a “trashy” taco.
Nightlife – Rainey Street – Downtown Austin. This is where the party is! Several blocks of bars, most of which are open air.
Nightlife – 6th Street – Downtown, Austin. – Touche’s Bar (Get a Flaming Dr. Pepper! Get a photo at the Jackalope, and Check out the Aquarium.
Float the Guadalupe – San Marcos, TX. If you have a chance, drive down about 1.5 hours to San Marcos and get in a river float on the Guadalupe River! I’ve done this with my girlfriends several times and we always have a blast!! We use Don’s Fish Camp for rentals.
Texas Wine Country – Fredericksburg, TX. Depending on the length of your trip, make some extra time to check out some wineries and vineyards in Texas Hill Country!

What are your favorite things to do/places to visit in Austin? In other words, what contsitutes your best weekend in ATX? I’ll be back in about 6 months and would love some new places to try!