Beyond the beach

A honeymoon is the one trip a newly married couple can expect to spend on their own. As popular as the Caribbean and other coastal destinations may be, some couples explore the world farther. Two recently married pairs said “I will” to new adventures after they said, “I do” to one for a lifetime.

HAWAII

Hawaii condenses varied environments in a single location. Mike Ziegler and Ellen Raczkiewicz flew there after they were married March 2, 2013, at St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church in Kirkwood and their reception at Sheraton Chalet in Westport Plaza.

“You find wet and dry on different sides of the mountain,” Mike said. “Right next to each other is the dry mountain while it is lush and green very close by. We both enjoyed how pretty it was with the views and the landscapes, wherever we were.”

They wanted to honeymoon in a place new to them. Having enjoyed a weekend cruise in the Bahamas, they saw Hawaii beckoning with another splendid water backdrop. A travel agent used by friends for a similar trip guided them.

“We were originally thinking Europe for our honeymoon, but realized that would not be such a relaxing time,” said the bride. “This way, we rested on Sunday and packed, which was good. The next day after the wedding we were exhausted.”

As they expected, the destination was worth a long flight through five time zones.

“Hawaii is still the United States, but so far away. We both are very interested in history, so we started in downtown Waikiki,” Ellen said. “We flew in Monday night and went to Pearl Harbor first thing Tuesday morning. On Wednesday we went to Maui to relax.” They stayed near Lahaina the rest of the trip.

Consistently beautiful weather appealed to them for plenty of RR, the Old Lahaina Luau and savoring long meals with fresh fish on the menu. They also sampled the island’s varied terrains and temperatures. The new Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler received champagne wherever they stayed.

In the world of waterfalls, the 400-foot Waimoku Falls on the Road to Hana stands tall. They hiked two miles to enjoy the view.

With their early wake-up call based on faraway time zones, Ellen and Mike booked in advance a ride at 2 a.m. around the twisting mountain road to the 10,000-foot summit of Haleakala Mountain, where they stayed until after the sun displayed a sunrise view of a massive depression with volcanic cones. Dressed in jeans, they donned windbreakers from the driver due to the cold and wind, conditions which cleared the view for spectacular pictures. Dropped off at 7,000 feet on the way down, they switched to bicycles to ride the rest of the way under their own power.

The destination was so enjoyable that even before they boarded the flight home, they started considering what to do on a return trip.

Ellen lists activities on a bucket list for a future trip: snorkel, parasail, expand the visit to other islands. While they now wish to enjoy Hawaii with friends staying in a large condominium before their two-somes expand, Ellen noted that many families enjoyed the location as a cold-weather getaway, yet they never “felt like anything was overcrowded.”

PARIS

Lynette Brown and Terrance Robinson had never seen the movie, “April in Paris,” so they created a personal version after their wedding March 29, 2013, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis.

During their relationship, they developed a tradition of traveling to a different place to see in the new year. First was Times Square in New York. Then came Toronto, Canada, and Cozumel in Mexico.

”We kind of switch between cold places, warm places,” Lynette said. “We had not yet traveled to Europe together.”

They decided on the post-wedding adventure: seven days in Paris. They also expected it to be a “very romantic place.”

Terrance booked the trip through American Express. They did their homework to pick a hotel near the Avenue des Champs Elysees from a logistical standpoint. The famed city charmed them both.

“Even when we were there, I found myself standing and taking in where we were,” Lynette said. “It is so different from the place we just came from, it’s almost surreal. The architecture and buildings are so ornate. And it’s really, really clean.”

Terrance admitted the only thing he readily schedules in life is work, so an initial excursion of the city helped gain perspective of attractions for the first-time visitors. A dinner cruise on the Seine River provided another eye for their visit.

Although situated at a hotel for easy navigation, they found cab service inexpensive in Paris. They followed suggestions from their airport driver, hotel concierge and tourist center maps for an enjoyable stay.

Dinner and show at the Moulin Rouge topped their list of favorites. For its symbolism, they attached “locks of love” to a bridge as a sign of their own union. They visited the Eiffel Tower and toured The Louvre.

“If you are a fan of art or just from a historical standpoint, you couldn’t pass up a bucket list item like seeing the real Mona Lisa and all the museums,” Terrance said.

Values in delicious meals were just a close walk beyond high tourist areas. Pleased with the value of their honeymoon trip to the “awesome” destination of Paris, they have discussed returning to Europe – possibly a longer stay in Italy or a visit with friends in Switzerland.