Monday, August 06, 2007

Free (almost) Hawaii Trip

In January, Conde Nast Traveler magazine notified me that I had won the 2006 Word Trips puzzle contest. The prize was airfare for two and two nights accommodation at one of the top 25 North American spa resorts, according to their latest poll. My husband and I dithered over which one to chose and when to go. We decided to go when my daughter was home from college for the summer, so she could keep our 17-year-old son company while we were gone. We wanted to go to an exotic locale, yet not spend forever traveling there, so we picked one of the Hawaii resorts. And, we splurged for a third night. Here's the thank-you note I just emailed to the magazine:

Thanks Conde Nast!

This is a huge thank-you for the top North American spa resort trip I won as a result of the 2006 Word Trips puzzle contest. My husband and I chose the Kahala Hotel & Resort (www.kahalaresort.com) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and we just returned from our early August visit. We had a wonderful time biking & hiking to the top of Diamond Head, snorkeling the reef & watching the dolphins at the Kahala, meeting a friend to take an outrigger canoe ride and eat sushi, toasting the sunset with Mai Tais at Duke's on Waikiki, and indulging in lots of lounging on the beach at the Kahala. The service and accommodations at the hotel were superb, and the whole atmosphere exuded relaxation. It was a wonderful way to decompress after a busy season of promoting my debut mystery novel, A REAL BASKET CASE. We returned with smiles on our sun-kissed faces. Thanks again for the lovely trip. Now, on to solving this month's Where Are You? contest!

The friend we met up with was Debby Turrell Atkinson (www.debbyatkinson.com), author of the Storm Kayama mystery series set in Hawaii and published by Poisoned Pen Press. Her latest, Fire Prayer, is due out next week, and I can't wait to read it. Many thanks to Debby and her husband Bob for their hospitality!

No comments: