Diary Of A Fam

April 2008

Departments

Just a few weeks ago Smart Meetings' founding publisher Marin Bright and I boarded our Hawaiian Airlines flight for The Big Island via Honolulu. Our trip took us to the gorgeous Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Kohala Coast. Over the previous months, Marin had worked at length coordinating with Joan Palmtag, director of sales and marketing at the Mauna Lani. They were creating an irresistible FAM program for an exceptional group of meeting professionals from around the country. The Mauna Lani wanted to acquaint our group with all the features the resort has to offer. Hawaiian Airlines graciously partnered in the program to bring all the participants to the island. It all worked out splendidly. Thanks to group member Rick Wakida's great photos, you, too, can come along.

Wednesday, May 17

I pull my suitcase behind me, heading out the front door in the pre-dawn hours. Marin and I join up to head for SFO.

Our Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu passes quickly. Between chatting and napping, we hardly know where the time has gone.

Arrival at the Mauna Lani is beyond delightful. First of all, the hotel is situated on an oceanfront point with three-and-a-half miles of beaches sweeping outward in either direction. Around and behind it are gardens and a greenbelt of 36-holes. There's an itinerary in my room outlining the delights ahead:
Afternoon at leisure"

My room has handsome, Hawaiian-style wood furnishings. Light breezes carrying scented 80-degree air pass through the slats of the sliding panels of dark wood louvers of my spacious room. There's a generous balcony that overlooks the pool, the beach and the ocean beyond. I can already tell I'm going to have a tough time leaving at the end of the week. I dress for dinner after the nap I took during that lovely period known as "afternoon at leisure."

6:00 p.m. "Welcome Dinner at the Oceanfront Sand Volleyball Court"

Marin and I meet up to walk to the dinner through lush tropical gardens and surrounding ponds. These are filled with sea turtles and tropical fish and that's just inside our hotel! The dinner site is a spacious area on the point and under the palm trees; "Ricky Ricardo's" trademark outburst, "Honey, I'm home!" comes to mind.

Our group meets together here and the sound of happy conversation is infectious. Channeling Elvis, I'm inspired to drink a Blue Hawaii. Round tables are set with flowers and tropical-patterned linens, against the backdrop of a shimmering sunset.

Thursday, May 18

7:30 a.m. "Breakfast at the Honu Garden"

Set out on a lawn amid flowering gardens and trees, our breakfast setup invites us to choose between the buffet and impeccably served, made-to-order entrées. We're all getting to know each other better over the fresh-brewed Kona coffee.

9:15 a.m. to 12:00 noon "Resort Tour"

We visit the well-appointed Mauna Lani Ballroom and nearby breakout rooms and then tour the gardens. There's the surprise of the ponds, where baby tortoises are raised, tagged and ultimately released. One, we're told, swam thousands of miles away, tracked by transmitter, only to return several years later.

These dark reflective ponds that dot the surroundings were used as fish farms as long as 2,000 years ago. Today, they hold 15,000 fish.

As we walk along the shore, we wander past a thatch-covered shelter for a canoe. Close by, in a shady grove of coconut palms, is the Eva Parker Woods Cottage. Not far away, I dip my feet into a freshwater, lava-lined pond for good luck. Then, at the cottage, we savor a boxed gourmet lunch.
1:30 p.m. "50-minute custom massage treatment at the Mauna Lani Spa"

The spa facility includes a major fitness center. The reception and changing areas are stylish and have a slightly Asian air. I opt for an open-air massage in the La'au Garden under a thatched-roof hale that transports me to total bliss.

3:00 (Beachtime!)

I finally find my way to the immaculate beach. My cushioned, double-chaise on the beach is hard to leave for a swim in the warm water. But I float, arms outstretched, savoring the relaxed feelings to remember the next time I need a meditative state.

6:30 p.m. "Dinner at the Canoe House Restaurant"

The Mauna Lani's Canoe House is an open-air pavilion slightly set back from the beach. Our group has its own pavilion with vistas out to the surf. Over the delicious dinner and informal wine tasting, we talk, share experiences and laugh well into the night.

Friday, May 19

8:30 a.m. Hale Hoaloha"Breakfast

The Mauna Lani's  new, almost 11,000-square-foot pavilion is open on three sides. Tall glass and wood doors disappear into the walls, and 25 foot-high ceilings with clerestory windows add to the natural light. Awaiting us is another perfectly arrayed buffet and white-linen-bedecked banquet table. I am Queen Liliuokalani at the Iolani Palace. A fun surprise is the little golf lesson just outside, complete with video playback, that follows afterward. I discover I like the feel of the swing.

Late morning "Optional island tours. Private snorkel tour"

Fitted out with snorkels, masks and fins, it's not long before we're swimming in the sheltered bay, getting used to the equipment. Our two guides lead us out through the coral reefs to the deeper waters beyond. We float over underwater volcanic lava tubes and ridges of coral out to 20-foot-deep waters where we're surrounded by colorful tropical fish. At the very end of our excursion, a green sea turtle zips by, small fins propelling his movement forward in graceful arcs ahead of us. It is the stuff of memories.

Dressed again, we go to see the Mauna Lani's golf club and the pair of courses, one built on top of a lava bed. As we head northward along the coast road, we pass the stark form of Mauna Kea, and the landscape gradually changes from rippled lava to pastureland, complete with grazing horses. Finally it turns lushly tropical. Our journey takes us to the former sugar town of Hawi for lunch and shopping. Behind the old storefronts are locally made fine jewelry pieces, clothing, Hawaiiana and even some antiques. Marin and I each come away with pretty things.

6:00 p.m. "Final Night party at the Bungalow"

A private estate-like gate leads to four private bungalows. A discreet private butler comes with each one. The Koa wood on the floors and the furnishings express a regional elegance. But it's the open wall  out to the ocean that captures my eye. The setting sun reflects on the pool in the foreground, the ponds in the middle and the ocean beyond. The effect is simply stunning. Our fresh grilled lobster tails come hot off the terrace grill as we take our places at the tables set up around the pool.

Saturday, May 20th

8: 00 a.m. "Final Breakfast at the Bay Terrace Restaurant"

I make my peace with leaving and so dash for breakfast, where the array of food stations is dazzling. We retrace our journey southward along the lava-lined roadway to Kona International Airport. We'll be winging homeward with several in our group through Honolulu to San Francisco. Marin and I are each amazed that, although we were at the Mauna Lani a very short time, we felt like we truly had a complete getaway. Our heartfelt thanks to the fabulous team at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows for the preparation that made our FAM trip so enjoyable, and also to Hawaiian Air for transporting our group to that lovely spot.