“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, “It might have been.”
Kurt Vonnegut
Ever had a missed opportunity? A missed coffee date, phone call, a missed excursion? Then a new circumstance developed and you regret not having worked a bit harder to make it happen?
Travel is all about balancing opportunities. Depending on the trip, you research and compromise to cover off on your priorities.
This lesson was underscored on a recent trip to Hawaii. Our travel bucket list included canvassing the Volcanoes National Park. No, we didn’t get to see LIVE lava flows but we have an understanding relationship with Mother Nature. She’s the boss and we are grateful to work with her, respecting the decisions she makes.
So, no fiery liquid rock, no molten rivers to see this trip. Maybe not even again next year or our lifetime. The boss, Mother Nature, doesn’t participate in committees or meetings to disclose her agenda.
We did get to see the live steaming vents. We took in the aftermath of the volcanic activity. Massive craters, lava tubes, mile of varying lavascapes. Every step you take on the island is volcanic rock, it’s just how much earth and soil is between your feet and cooled lava. Some is covered with jungles, some with rolling green pastures. But all rock.
The island is framed with black sand beaches, tall cliffs and formations from the historic flows.
One of the most impressive formations is the Holei Sea Arch. The drama of turquoise Pacific Ocean waves crashing to white through a ninety foot black arch is mesmerizing.
We spent time snapping photos, jockeying for every angle and view, hiking along the coast above it. It was a once in a lifetime “Scenic Viewpoint” on the road of life.
The next day it was closed. Till further notice.
The news feeds and National Park Service provided the official word. New cracks and instability had been observed.
Reading the newspaper the day after our visit…
Of course, they knew it was an eventual reality. Even the description from decades ago talks about the formation having a limited life span. The architecture itself is estimated to be between 500-600 years old, built by the sea which eroded the weaker points in the lava flows.
At some point in the future, perhaps the arch will begin to break and spectacularly fall to the sea in a major splash like Glacier calving. Perhaps it will quietly erode over centuries dispersing particles to blanket a new black sand beach.
While you can still view the arch by air or sea, there’s no access by land.
Good thing we didn’t wait.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/HtSdDJwZvP8