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Maui is Calling Me – Taking a Winter Break

Posted By Nancy Holston On In LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL,RETIREMENT CONCERNS,Travel | Comments Disabled
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Those days when I loved going out and playing in the snow are long gone.  I think they disappeared when I got rid of my skis in the 80’s. I do like watching the cardinals eating at the feeders in the trees after winter snow storm, but after about a month of that and temperatures hovering around the freezing mark or lower, well I’m ready for warm weather.  But knowing that spring and warmer temperatures are still more than a couple of months away draws me to flight or cruise deals that will take me someplace warm. Maui in February is the perfect trip given that I love whale watching, snorkeling, watching the surf and sitting under the palms on the beach.

Resorts are great if you’re the type of person who wants to have activities available all day.  Resorts are also a great place if you don’t plan to cook at all during your vacation.  For my break, I am spending a week at a resort on Oahu with family and friends before we all head to Maui for a week. After being at the pool with 30 or more kids during the day, spending a ton on eating out and nights at the clubs enjoying music and Mai Tai’s we’ll be looking for some quieter time when we land on Maui.

This visit to Maui, I opted to look for a vacation home to rent for my winter break.  Finding a vacation home rental is easy; selecting one is the hard part.  You can use one of several vacation home web sites or any local real estate office that manages vacation rentals with a web search.  It can be frustrating though since the smaller homes that are reasonably priced are the first to go.  Of course planning far in advance can help you get a great deal.  This time, with some help, I was guided to local owners who manage their own properties.  I found a gem, perfect for 4 people with 2 private bedrooms and baths near Lahaina. The West Maui Lodging offers nine distinct options for travelers all managed by owner Jan Hendrix.  She also happily shares a wealth of information for your trip including planning your island activities.

I am so excited about staying in a house on the hill near Lahaina to call home for a week.  We’ll be close to the action of Lahaina but enjoy the privacy of a home and what it offers.  We can probably whale watch from the Lanai first thing in the morning while enjoying a coffee and in the evening watching the sunset with a Mai Tai. We will be able to enjoy breakfast every morning in the Palm House and evening meals rather than eating out.  We can also relax as long as we like without needing to clear the table for waiting customers. Having a full kitchen and a grill allows us to plan ahead, stop at the store and pick up items to enjoy a meal outside or inside depending on the weather of the day.  Jan provides a list of restaurants in the area, including her favorites and also an idea of costs for her guests.  I plan to try some for lunch while we’re in Lahaina shopping or following a whale watch trip.

I’ve planned some of my favorite things to do and have also picked a couple of new adventures for this winter break. I accomplished this with the help of the owner of my vacation rental who recommended Tom’s Barefoot Tours and a specific customer representative who’s very responsive. With Andreas help at Barefoot we found some great activities that fit what we want to do on Maui.  We’ll be spending a day boating around the island of Lana’i with snorkel and beach stops throughout the trip.  We also will spend our last night on a sunset dinner cruise.  The advantage of having Andreas make our reservations is we will pay for the activities the week prior to our arrival on Maui.  Of course we can still cancel 24 hours prior to any activity for a full refund.  But if you do your own bookings and exploring numerous sites yourself, you may miss an activity that is unique and you’ll also have to pay when you book on line.  I was glad to have been given this tip from Jan when we reserved the Palm House.

Well, that’s my winter break plan.  I need to start packing.  Don’t wait for summer.  Start planning your winter break.  There are lots of deals out there.

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The information provided may not cover all aspect of unique or special circumstances. Travel policies and packages are subject to change without notice. To ensure the accuracy of this information, contact travel providers and hotels at the time of your bookings to confirm pricing, itinerary, and all costs. The comments and observations are limited to the author’s personal experience and your results may vary significantly. This article and replies to comments are not intended to substitute for professional travel services. Our reply is time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic economic factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change.

Last 5 posts by Nancy Holston