Meet Our 30th Anniversary Sweepstakes Winner

Last year, in celebration of our 30th anniversary, we held a sweepstakes offering one lucky Tommy Bahama fan the island-hopping adventure of a lifetime: 6 days, 3 Hawaiian Islands, 5-star, first-class all the way. Mark and his wife Mandy have returned from their whirlwind island getaway and we just had to hear all about the adventure!

Welcome back from your Hawaiian getaway! We trust you had a good time?

Mark: We had a fantastic trip—I was sad to come back to the real world! It was one of the best vacations we have ever taken, and that's saying something. The weather was perfect, the beaches and scenery probably the most beautiful I have ever laid eyes on, the food so fresh and flavorful, and the hotels were some of the most luxurious and picturesque that we have stayed in.

You and your wife clearly have a love for travel – tell us more about that.

Mark: Travel is one of our greatest passions in life. We have visited about half a dozen European countries and several Caribbean locations. I think travel is important not only for leisure and entertainment, but also to enrich your life by experiencing new landscapes, food, architecture, and cultures. We had talked about going to Hawaii this year for our 25th anniversary—we’re on a quest to visit all 50 states and Hawaii is one of the last on our list.

You were celebrating an anniversary! How did it feel to spend it in paradise?

Mark: it was an idyllic setting for such a happy milestone! We almost always travel with our teenage daughter, and we love traveling as a family, but it was a nice experience to celebrate our anniversary as a couple and reconnect as two people that fell in love over 25 years ago.

We hear you enjoyed a few happy hours at a Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar! Did you have a favorite dish?

Mark: We really enjoyed dining on the open rooftop at the Waikiki location and we tried to sample most of the happy hour menu. Across two visits, we got three orders of the World Famous Coconut Shrimp, 2 orders of chips/guacamole/salsa, 1 order of Cheeseburger Sliders, 1 order of Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos, Key Lime Pie, Malted Chocolate Pie, a Faux-Jito and a Sicilian Peach. Everything was fantastic! As you can probably tell from the orders, the coconut shrimp was our favorite, and the Malted Chocolate Pie left us fighting over the last bite.

Did you do any shopping on your trip?

Mark: We shopped at the Waikiki store, the Ko Olina store, and the Waikele Outlet store on Oahu, and also at the Mauna Lani store on the Big Island. I got the Tobago Bay Crewneck Sweatshirt in the Light Sky color. I like that even though it’s a sweatshirt, it has an upscale look to it. My wife picked a pink and white striped hoodie and a very classy zip-up cream-colored sweatshirt. She’s already worn the hoodie twice since we got home from the trip, so I know she loves it.

One last question: What does “living the island life” mean to you?

Mark: I think living the island life has a lot to do with your state of mind…letting go of your worries, losing track of time, enjoying good food, and appreciating the people who come into your life.

We’re so happy that Mark and his wife Mandy were able to celebrate a milestone anniversary enjoying the island life with us in paradise! Let's raise a glass to every moment spent together and all the years still ahead.