Skip to main content

Natures Sandbox

In this episode - Natures Sandbox . . .


"Greensand? It looks dirty brown from up here.”


We were standing atop the towering cliff at Green Sand Beach, the wind whipping, with a glaring sun overhead, looking straight down to the beach.

Our vacations center around wedding anniversaries. This adventure was our 28th (Oct. 2016). We visited the Island of Hawaii with our friends Merrill and James Marker, called the "Big Island," and what an appropriate name it is.


"According to our map, this island is near twice as big as all other Hawaiian Islands combined.”


"This is amazing. Did you know one can travel through ten of the world's 14 different climate zones on Hawaii ranging from Wet Tropical to Polar Tundra.”


Says here, "A result of the shielding effect and elevations of the massive volcanoes Maunakea and Maunaloa."


"Are you guys up for a hike to the green sand beach?" According to Google Maps, it's about a three-hour drive, located at the southern tip of the Big Island just west of South Point.”


It was day four of our Hawaiian adventure. During our drive to the southern tip of the Island, Merrill was reading from our travel guide. Each morning Lori and Merrill would scour the vacation packet we received from the timeshare hosts at Paniolo Greens in Waikoloa. We wanted to see another of Mother Natures' wonders.


Green Sand Beach is named Papakolea. The green sand gets its color from tiny olivine crystals (commonly known as Peridot) created from eruptions to a dormant volcano. Nestled in Mahana Bay, this is truly a unique place and one of only two green sand beaches globally. The green sand beach itself is within what was once a cinder cone. Three sides of the cone are still present, with the ocean coming in from what would have been the eastern edge.


Once you reach the primitive parking, area you have two options; ride in an open truck bed with a group of tourists, or make the six-mile round-trip hike on your own. No signs, really just cryptic instructions on a map. Be sure to pack plenty of water and snacks. I suggest packing a lunch.


The hike is relatively easy; it's a walk along the coastline. Magnificent aqua blue waters with waves crashing 15-20 feet in the air against jet black lava rocks, covered with emerald green mosses and outlined in the golden-brown grass. A majestic contrast of color and sound.


Don't be fooled; this is not a Disney-approved safety site. Scrambling down the cliff bank, there are no stairs or safety rails. It's simply a worn dirt path with footprint size indentations just wide enough for two people at one time—what a wondrous adventure, playing in Natures Sandbox.


When you visit the "BIG" Island, it's an absolute must, Aloha . . . and - Happy New Year!


Yes, it is 2022! What plans do you have for the new year? Today's podcast is a tickler; there's a BIG world just waiting to be explored.


Don't drop your guard when you travel. Get smart. Get vaccinated, get your booster, wear a mask, and avoid large crowds. Let's step into 2022 together with hope and expectation for a better year.


I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; I'll see you in the next episode.


(Updated 12/31/2021)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

A Mother’s Day Reflection

With Mother’s Day here and the world bustling with cards, brunches, and busy schedules, I find myself reflecting on something a bit simpler: taking a moment to remember the person who helped shape my earliest sense of home. Mauricette Elaine (Bontemps) Ball. My Mom. We arrived in Cuba after leaving La Rochelle, France, in 1959—a transition whose enormity I only fully appreciate now. My mother, barely in her mid-twenties, stepped into Midwestern life with remarkable courage. Her smile could warm the coldest Illinois morning, and her hugs lingered long after she let go—quiet reminders that you were deeply loved. Born February 16, 1934, the third of four children, she grew up in Nazi-occupied La Rochelle. As kids, we listened wide-eyed to stories of soldiers patrolling her streets and fear shadowing everyday life. Yet she carried none of that darkness forward. What endured was resilience and an unwavering devotion to family—qualities she carried across the Atlantic and planted firmly in C...
1 comment
Read more

Time Travel, Roving Mics, and Muscle Memory

In this episode, the 2026 Sinkankas Symposium. Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t arrive in a DeLorean. No flux capacitor, no dramatic lightning strike—just a Saturday parking pass and a name badge. And yet, somewhere between the rotunda doors and the first handshake, it happened anyway. This past Saturday, April 25th, I was transported—effortlessly and completely—back in time at the 20th Annual Sinkankas Symposium on the GIA campus in Carlsbad. Walking into that magnificent main campus rotunda early with my colleagues, Paul Mattlin and Glenn Wargo, felt like wrapping myself in a familiar, gem-encrusted blanket. It was less a building, more a family living room where nobody ever really forgets your name. The halls were quiet (a rare and beautiful thing), and the soft echo of our footsteps on the polished floors sounded exactly as I remembered it. For a moment, it wasn’t 2026—it was April 1997, my first time walking onto the beautiful, brand-new GIA campus as Director of Alumni. Som...
Post a Comment
Read more

Freedom 7 - 65th Anniversary

Podcast - Freedom 7; 65th Anniversary . "Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives." - Socrates, 500 B.C. May 5, 2026, marks the 65th anniversary of Freedom 7's launch. Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space. A 15-minute sub-orbital flight, a day for the history books; the entire world was watching. NASA and the world had witnessed many trial runs explode violently on the launch pad. The space program was in its infancy. Unlike today, there were far too many unknowns. This prompted me to pull out one of my favorite books from my office library,  Light This Candle , by Neal Thompson, copyright 2004. Light This Candle is a biography of Alan Shepard, Jr., you won't be able to put down. It's - "Story-telling at its best . . . every page is alive," says David Hartman, U.S Naval Institute. In the opening pages, you read endorsements fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ode To Gemology

For over 80 years, students of gemology have struggled with spectrums, bewildered by birefringence, and simply plagued by pleochroism. The following sonnet is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a glow to your heart, and a simple reminder that students of life and gemology rediscover nature's gifts every day.  Ode to Gemology , by a GIA on-campus student. Dispersion, fire, adventurescence. Orient, sheen, or iridescence. Refractive index, high or low. The luster should indicate that, you know. Polarization, double or single. What to do now, they intermingle. Pleochroic colors you really should see. Was that only two, or actually three? Birefringence should help you a lot. Use your polarizer and watch the spot. Now, did it jump most on low or high? Sure, you can get it if you really try! Your liquids should be an aid, I think. Does it float, suspend, or slowly sink? Just use your imagination now. (He doesn't see me wiping my brow.) Solid inclusions or only bubbles? Huh, th...
Post a Comment
Read more