Thank you for all your kind comments on my posts last week about our amazing Stampin’ Up! Maui Trip!! What a fun week we had at the Grand Wailea resort on Maui!! The resort is huge and amazing and gorgeous! It is amazing to realize that only 1% of all Stampin’ Up! demonstrators earn the Incentive trips!! I have worked hard for many years to build my Stampin’ UP! business to achieve this yearly incentive trip.
WARNING: Long Travelog blog post 🙂
But first things first, we had a 7:20am flight from Oakland, California, to Maui, and I LOVE taking photos of the San Francisco Bay area as we take off on any flight. Here is downtown and a snippet of the Golden Gate Bridge as we flew right over it!
On the Stampin’ Up! Incentive Trips, they are so generous and pay for our resort room (or cruise cabin), tips, food and flights! We upgraded to First Class, paying the difference, and it was delightful to relax in comfort, and be served such a lovely breakfast after all of the work it took to register for all of the preclearance sites, registration forms, QR codes, and covid tests prior to takeoff. There was a checklist of 10 different forms, sites, tests, etc., that needed to be done prior to flying. We felt like we were able to take a deep breath after the ticket agent at the Hawaiian Airlines check in gave us our pink preclear wrist bands!! Hawaiian Airlines was terrific!
It’s always so fun to fly to Stampin’ UP! events with other demonstrators!!! Rosie, Gina (and Amanda, not shown) were on our flight!! So fun to get the party started in the airport (even it if was only about 6am)!!
We had to wear masks in the airport and on the plane. I really thought it would make me crazy on the plane, but it really was ok. We have been so used to wearing them for a year now, but are looking forward to the day when we no longer have to!!
After 5 hours flying over the Pacific ocean, we spotted Maui and Jason spotted the Grand Wailea Resort (yellow arrow)… he has eagle eyes!
Everything went pretty smoothly in the Maui airport, with all the preregistration and preclearance we did ahead of time. We went through several checkpoints asking for our wristbands, or certain forms or QR codes, and we were off to baggage claim. Stampin’ Up! has porters to handle all the luggage so we are spoiled and love having it show up in our room after a ride to the Grand Wailea resort!!! Below was our first look at the lobby…. ya… this is the lobby. 🙂
This resort sits on 40 acres and this is the view of part of it from the beach path. Just Amazing!
Above: view from our balcony, room 9084. Jason had the adjoining room. It was so nice of them to accommodate our request!! Stampin’ Up! pays for Eric and I and we have always paid extra to bring Jason on each trip since 2001.
Below, our gorgeous, spacious room and equally spacious bathroom!
Love this sign that was hanging on our door!! Such a thoughtful touch from the Stampin’ Up! Event Staff!!
This was a “pillow gift” on the first day (they leave it on the bed). A beautiful towel and sun hat!!
Above & Below: we took a walk on the beach on the first night and had dinner at a nearby hotel, then caught the gorgeous sunset, and then attended the Welcome Aloha Carnival!
More amazing pillow gifts from Stampin’ Up! Yes, that is new product from the upcoming Holiday 2021 catalog!!! eek!!
Above: Stampin’ Up! CEO Sara Douglass. She is a gem.. a sweet, sweet person, and someone I admire so much! So glad we snapped this photo just after we arrived on the property!!!
On the first full day, Eric and Jason went to the Kapalua PGA golf course for a fun day with Dave and Geoff.
We participated in 2 excursions offered by Stampin’ Up! in Maui. We went to the Maui Ocean Center and to Lahaina one day for shopping and lunch. The Shark Tunnel at the Ocean Center was amazing!!
Below: A highlight of each Stampin’ UP! trip is seeing dear friends, making new friends, and taking time to visit with each other!! Cara and Ruth and I spend some time chatting, and Janet Wakeland, Janice Weightman and I reunited for a long overdue photo … we’ve been friends for over 20 years through Stamipn’ Up!
Stampin’ UP! is so good at spoiling the demonstrators!! We enjoy “spin the wheel” for a prize each day as well as lovely gifts all week long! I forgot to include the darling straw bag… but I pictured it above in this post.
I am pretty sure this is the best view I’ll ever find for my daily blog posts… so lovely!
Yes, did you see it… NEW Holiday catalog 2021 products!! Whohoooo!!!
On the last night we attended the Stampin’ Up! farewell luau at the Grand Wailea. It was amazing and the sunset and weather were perfect!
Stampin’ Up! provided breakfast for us each day. I just love the fruit in these cute containers… butter and cream cheese were offered the same way. I guess with all the covid protocols, this was the easiest way for people not to handle serving utensils. This beats my eggo at my desk any day!
Flying home is always bittersweet… sad to be leaving paradise, lovely service, amazing food, fabulous views, dear friends… but of course always nice to get home and back to a work routine again.
Thank you again, Stampin’ Up! for another amazing trip!! Looking forward to the Caribbean in 2022, and the Baltic in 2023!!
MORE Maui photos
For more Maui photos, you can visit THIS blog post, or my business FB page here.
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Thanks for sharing your amazing vacation pictures.
What an incredible Post!!! So much fun to see. Your pictures were amazing!!!
Patty, thanks for sharing beautiful pics of your incentive trip to Maui.
It was lovely seeing some of the island through your eyes. Stampin’ Up spoiled you but it is well deserved. You work hard with all you do and it’s nice to be appreciated. Happy for you and your family to have this experience.
I agree with Genie, I’ve never been to Hawaii or seen the Pacific Ocean, It’s nice that you shared your experience with us. Amazing accommodations and such fun gifts and entertainment to cherish! Glad Stamping up recognizes your hard work and rewards it in such a way!
I am so glad you were able to go on this trip with your family and that you had a wonderful time! You deserved it. Thanks for all your inspiration and help you always give.
Thanks for the wonderful recap.
Thank you for sharing your amazing trip Patty.
Thank you for sharing your pictures!!!
I really enjoyed seeing your pictures and recap of your trip. Thank you so much for sharing.