Lauren’s success story to Hot Springs National Park was a trip she took with her husband and their high school exchange student! What a great use of credit card points and miles! Here is her story.

 

Great Use of a Southwest® Companion Pass®

My success story is a trip my husband and I took with our high school exchange student last year when we first got our Southwest Airlines® Companion Pass®. My husband and I frequently travel, having completed our first goal of visiting all 50 states last year. Our next goal is to see all of the national parks.

When we decided to host an exchange student for the year, we knew we didn’t want to burden her or her family with the extra travel expenses associated with our frequent travel, so we implemented the Southwest® Companion Pass® strategy. The other costs related to traveling wouldn’t vary significantly between 2 and 3 people, allowing her to experience more places during her year in the United States.

 

A Day Trip with Points and Miles

To fly to Little Rock, Arkansas, we used 35,798 Rapid Rewards® points for my husband and me, plus the companion pass for our exchange student, and $33.60 in taxes and fees for all three of us.  

We took the earliest flight out of Salt Lake City and arrived at Little Rock Airport at approximately 10:30 am. We then immediately set out towards the park, making a quick stop for lunch on the way, and arrived at the park around noon. Boarding for our return flight was scheduled for about 4:15 pm, so with an estimated hour-long drive back to the airport and allowing for time for security and returning the rental car, we had only about three hours in the park.

 

Highlights of Hot Springs National Park

One of the highlights of Hot Springs National Park is Bathhouse Row, a collection of historic bathhouses that have been in operation for over a century. While some still function as spas, others have been converted into visitors centers or museums. We did a self-guided tour to learn about the fascinating history of these structures and the thermal springs. This took just under two hours to complete.

 

 

As you drive through the park, you will find an observation tower where you can purchase a ticket to ride to the top, offering panoramic views of the park and the town. There is also a small exhibit at the top of the tower where you can learn more about the park’s history outside of the bathhouses, specifically. This portion of the trip took about 30 minutes to complete, but it depends on how long the lines are for the elevator to ascend and descend the tower.

The park also offers some hiking trails, so we spent the rest of our time exploring outside before starting our trek back to the airport.

 

 

 

Final Costs for the Day Trip

We opted to pay cash for the car rental for the day, which cost around $65, and we fueled up ourselves for an additional $10. The park itself and the bathhouse museum were free to visit, but the Hot Springs Mountain Tower charges a fee of $9-$13. Since we had an Interagency Annual Pass from the National Park Service, our cost was only $10 per person. So, total expenses, excluding food, were under $150 for the day.

I don’t think we’ve ever had a one-day trip report using credit card points and miles. What a creative and nice use of your stash of points. This reader success story to Hot Springs National Park shows how this hobby allows you to do things that you usually wouldn’t do!

 

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