In May 2021, my wife and I took our post-Covid-lockdown, vaccinated bodies to a neighbor island to celebrate my 70th birthday.

It was our first time off the rock in 15 months.

We enjoyed a relaxing, three-day getaway at Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort, the wellness retreat formerly known as the Lodge at Koele. 

The resort’s room rate included flights on Larry Ellison’s private carrier Lanai Air. We were delighted to be the only passengers on the too-short 20-minute flight. Transportation around the island is via a scheduled shuttle or a Tesla Model X upon request. Ooh la la.

The grounds of the resort are striking, even in the rain. You feel like you are living in a sculpture-filled botanical garden.  

Even the dining experience was artful. A lovely touch on the restaurant’s tabletops: curated flowers in ocean-inspired vases.

At Sensei, one can select from among roughly 10 free fitness and wellness classes a day. Over the weekend, we tried “Deep Relaxation” (which wasn’t), “Minimal Strength Resistance” (those with minimal strength experienced maximal resistance), and Fascial Release (which was great when we were released from it).

Guests can also choose to reserve a private spa hale with some pricey pampering possibilities.

We opted for a 90-minute, private, horseback-riding excursion along mostly forested trails led by chief wrangler Molly. Serene and sublime. The stables made for an interesting photographic subject, as well, once back on terra firma.

In town, I photographed the plantation houses that hearken back to the 1920s, when pineapple was king. In 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Lanai City to its list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America.

Many of these homes have been lovingly renovated and landscaped. Others, not yet.

Also in Lanai City (population 2,705), we came across Travis and enjoyed a chat, as he was painting a mural the old-fashioned way … with brushes not spray cans.

All in all, it was an enriching, inspiring, and rejuvenating getaway. Just what the doctor ordered.