Road to Hawaii
When Sarah and Derek Hancher landed in Honolulu, the pilot announced, “As I've been reporting for the past 40 years, it's sunny and 80 degrees in Hawaii.”
Married July 25, the Hanchers immediately embarked on a 10-day honeymoon to Waikiki and Maui — their first major trip as a couple.
“Just getting to spend time together in such an amazing place was exciting,” said Sarah Hancher, 26.
“Each time we looked out the window at the beach, we'd look at each other and just think it was so nice to be there,” added Derek, also 26.
WaikikiThe Zelienople couple spent their first four nights in Waikiki, in the city and county of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu.Their room at the Pacific Beach Hotel afforded them a breathtaking view of Waikiki Beach, Sarah Hancher said.“We'd wake up and see people surfing,” she said. “(The hotel) was neat because it had a huge aquarium in it, which we could see when having breakfast.”The accommodations were basic, but the Hanchers didn't mind.“It wasn't the most luxurious place, but we spent a lot of time outside of our hotel room,” Sarah said.Their first destination was Diamond Head, a volcanic crater at the southeast coast of Oahu that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.Extinct for 150,000 years, the crater is 3,520 feet in diameter with a 760-foot summit. Two steep sets of stairs lead up to the observation deck. It took them about 2Z\x hours to climb the spiral staircase to the top, Sarah said.“We didn't know how long it would be, or how hard it would be,” Sarah said of the hike. “It actually wasn't too bad and it was definitely worth it — the view when you get up there is just beautiful and you can see all of Waikiki.”The next day, they visited Pearl Harbor and learned more about the Japanese attack on the naval base which spurred the United States' entry into World War II.“It's something you wouldn't want to miss while you were there,” Sarah said. “They showed a video that was really moving about what happened that day and how the war progressed.”The couple also visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on board during the attack. The memorial was dedicated in 1962 and is visited annually by more than one million people.Pearl Harbor was tranquil and calm, Sarah said.“It's a really serene, quiet place and people are respectful that it's a grave site,” she added.After fitting in a walking tour of Honolulu the next day, the couple concluded their stay in Waikiki with a Hawaiian luau.
The Hanchers then continued to Maui and checked into the Ka'anapali Beach Club.“It was more of a resort with activities and a gym,” said Sarah, comparing it to their first hotel. “It had a really amazing pool with waterfalls and little hot tubs.”After renting a car, they took time explore their surroundings and take in the beauty of the island.They drove their rented Jeep along the famous Hana Highway, a scenic drive along Maui's northeastern coast with 600 curves and 54 bridges. The sweeping 68-mile stretch takes tourists past countless seascapes, waterfalls and rain forests.“There are just spectacular views and crazy hairpin turns, and waterfalls and swimming holes where people were jumping off cliffs into the water,” Sarah said.The Hanchers saw the islands from another perspective when they took a helicopter tour early one morning.“I think we both agree that was the best activity we did in Hawaii,” Sarah said.Later in the week, they went snorkeling and had the chance to see native wildlife up close.“We were 10 feet away from giant sea turtles,” Sarah said. “Along with all the tropical fish, the turtles really stood out.”Also in Maui, they visited Lahaina, a historic whaling village now on the National Register of Historic Places.The village boasts scenic oceanfront views, restaurants and more than 40 art galleries and vendors.“One thing they were selling were little tiki carvings,” Sarah said of the wooden sculpture the couple purchased. “They hold the wood in their feet and carve it with their hands.”The tiki carving is engraved with Sarah and Derek's names and displayed on their mantle at home next to another special memento.“It's a small drawing called the marriage blessing,” Sarah explained. “We have it framed. It's a Hawaiian drawing of a man and a woman.”The souvenir serves as both a memory of their honeymoon and a celebration of their married life.
The Hanchers visited the AAA Travel office in Cranberry Township to plan their trip so they were ready to go immediately after their wedding.By visiting both Waikiki and Maui, the Hanchers said they experienced the best of what Hawaii has to offer.“Waikiki is bustling. There are a lot of tourists and a lot to do, with lots of restaurants, bars and shopping,” Sarah said. “It was nice to go to another island because Maui is totally different. It's more spread out and quiet.”It's not unusual for vacationers to visit two or more islands in Hawaii, said Tracy Edwards, manager of travel sales at AAA East Central headquarters in Pittsburgh“You do see a lot of people doing what we call ‘island hopping,'” he said.Derek recommends other travelers plan to spend at least eight or nine days on vacation in Hawaii.“There's just so much to do there,” he said. “Don't plan to just sit on the beach or you'll miss out on a lot.”Hawaii is an ideal destination for honeymooners, but Edwards said there are activities for every age group.“You can sit back and relax and do nothing or you can do a lot of the tours,” he said. “You have your beaches for those who like the sun and you also have a lot of history there, like with Pearl Harbor on Oahu.”Edwards said the Hanchers planned their trip the right way.“You know how fast a week goes,” Edwards said. “If you can allow 10 to 12 days, you can really get a good flavor of the islands of Hawaii.”The Hanchers flew from Pittsburgh to Atlanta and then to Honolulu.The second leg of the trip took about 10 hours, so the couple stopped in Los Angeles on their trip home.The five-hour time difference between Pennsylvania and Hawaii worked in their favor, Sarah said, since it allowed them to get an early start most days without much difficulty.Hawaii has its own time zone, Hawaiian Standard Time. There is no daylight-saving time and the time runs two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.Both are glad they chose to leave for their honeymoon right after the wedding.“It was a great way to reward ourselves for the planning and hard work we put into the wedding and start our married life,” Sarah said.
