-
Carrying On in Maui (Maui, HI)
I recently detailed our stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, where we experienced both highs and lows pertaining to the resort itself. Off property, carrying on in Maui was fabulous. From a succession of phenomenal meals to taking in the island’s most amazing sites and excursions—we had a magnificent time. My husband booked an a.m. Deluxe Snorkel Sail through Alii Nui Sailing Charters on one of our first mornings. The Alii Nui—a custom-built sailing catamaran that measures 65’ front to back and 36’ across—is one of a kind. It is certified for 100 passengers, but they cap their capacity at 45 for guest comfort. For $398 (two…
-
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (Maui, HI)
If I am being honest, I’m quite tired of writing about COVID. Unfortunately, there is no separating our experience at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea from the coronavirus’s impact on our trip (No, we did not contract the virus—my husband and I stayed completely healthy). We were not even remotely concerned given our vaccination status, mandatory negative tests, the low COVID numbers throughout Hawaii, and our fabulous recent trip to Aruba. None of that really mattered, it turned out, as Maui was in a full production of pandemic theater. The Four Seasons Maui was designed with an open-air floorplan. The architecture is impressive: virtually none of the hotel…
-
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Revisited (Aruba)
We could have gone anywhere; we chose Bucuti. As soon as my husband and I secured a date to get vaccinated, we meticulously deliberated where we would take our first trip. We had the world to choose from, but the haven that called to us was Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. Readers of Carrying-On might remember our trip from March 2019, where I extolled the virtues of Aruba as the most revisited island in the Caribbean, Eagle Beach as one of the best beaches in the world, and Bucuti as a phenomenal adults-only paradise. What’s changed in the twelve years since our first visit is that we have gotten to…
-
The Brazilian Court Hotel and Flagler Museum (Palm Beach, Florida) | Winter 2020
For this winter board meeting, our group elected to venture to Miami in February. We were lucky enough once again to be guests of our friend Dan on his Privé Jet. #grateful We knew Miami was a gamble given the inconsistencies of Florida weather. Everyone thinks South Florida is a lock for sunshine this time of year, but it is not. We had lows in the 40s and a little rain. But we did see some sun (65°– 80° highs), and no day was a total washout. We also got to incorporate a stay in Palm Beach, so all in all, it wasn’t a bad trip (though the board did…
-
Galley Bay Resort & Spa (Antigua) | Winter 2020
As much as we loved our recent trip to London, it was time to get back to what we do best—chasing the sun. And so we packed our bags and headed to the island of Antigua. A trip this time of year would typically have been to Aruba as in years past, but we were determined to try something new. As usual, I copiously researched a variety of options. My finalists were the Turks and Caicos and Antigua. Turks was more expensive and farther north. In my mind, destinations farther south usually correlate with better weather, and I wanted to be as close to the equator as possible. In Antigua,…
-
London Calling (London, England)| Winter 2019
Five weeks ago, I was preparing for trips to New Hope, PA in the fall and Mexico for Thanksgiving, when I received a wedding invitation in the mail. Our friends were getting married in London in December—just a month away. Having never been to the UK, I literally thought, “Is London calling?” I immediately sent a text to my husband who was in the throes of his own year-end business planning. You know you’ve met your ideal partner when you send a picture of a wedding invitation in another country at 3:35 p.m. and the response you receive at 3:44 p.m. is “Let’s go.” Lest you think this spontaneity is…
-
Flying Private | Summer 2019
“It’s nice to have friends with toys,” my husband joked as we boarded our Lear Jet 45 for a recent business trip to Omaha. He’s been lucky over the years to have been invited on some amazing sportfishing boats as a guest. I suppose this was not new to him. But for me, this was a totally foreign experience, and if I’m honest, I felt a bit out of my league. Flying private? Though we enjoy the finer things in life, we rarely even fly first class. Enter our friend and colleague who joined two private jet companies in 2018: Privé Jets and Private Jet Services (PJS). Privé Jets has…
-
The Centurion Lounge | Fall 2018
I remember a time when visiting airline lounges was exclusive enough to feel special, but not so hard to get into that you had to have a ridiculous amount of miles or pay exorbitant fees to gain entry. Additionally, the front desk staff was amazingly helpful and the perks were many. We now know those days are sadly gone. Let’s Begin with the Positives Enter the Centurion Lounge—the best thing to happen to a handful of airports in a long time. Where many airport lounges have meager food selections (think cereal boxes and yogurt for breakfast) and an equally scant beverage offering (Bloody Mary’s are complimentary, all else is extra),…
