Ticket to Paradise

I'm not shy about grabbing the opportunity to take a vacation, so when a work trip to Maui came up, I jumped at the chance to spend 2 out of the 4 weeks of February in paradise. To make my departure even sweeter, it snowed the night before I left. It seems that every time I take a vacation in the Winter, it snows in Seattle, making my commute to the airport more challenging than necessary. Hmmm....

After 6 hours of seeing nothing below me but clouds and water, finally... land.

The first week of my trip would be spent in Wailea, a posh resort area in what is considered South Maui. It's on the leeward side of the island so that means less wind and calmer water. It also means that the hotels can charge you $5.20 for a teeny tiny bottle of San Pellegrino and a modest room rate is around $400 per night. My room at the Marriott was nothing fancy, but I can't deny that it was heavenly to fall asleep to the sound of the surf and wake up to tropical birds chatting outside my balcony.

The view from my room.

There's a walkway that hugs the coastline and wends its way through the various resorts and their beaches. It's perfect for a morning run or, if like me, you need to get to another hotel to meet your coworkers.

Our meetings would be taking place at The Andaz, a brand spanking new eco-resort. If I had a trust fund, I wouldn't blink an eye at dropping the big bucks to stay and enjoy the endless parade of wealthy tourists and sunsets.