Unusual Beaches

Do you always picture the beautiful white sand and blue water of the Caribbean when you think of a beach escape? Here are some more unusual colors you might consider visiting.

Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas - Considered one of the most breathtaking in the world. It is a mixture of fine golden sand and pulverized coral and shells.

Punalu Beach, The Big Island, Hawaii - One of the rare black sand beaches. The black sand is from molten lava that poured into the ocean and cooled rapidly.

Kaihalulu, Maui - On the far side of Ka'uiki Hill south of Hana Bay on Maui. The sand gets its red-black color from the crumbling cindercone hill that surrounds the bay.

Papakolea Beach, Hawaii - Green Sand Beach is one of only two beaches with olive-green sand in the world. The unusual green color of the sand comes from a semi-precious stone called olivine that surrounds Papakolea Beach that the ocean has eroded. .

Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California - Purple Sand Beach has beautiful views of rocks and sea stacks. The purple sand comes from manganese garnet particles washing down the hillside.

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Building Sand Castles

Building sand castles is a long time favorite at the beach and can be fun for young and old. You would be surprised at some of the ornate castle designs families build together. Here are some tips from the professionals.

Plan - Have your picture in mind before you start.

Location, location, location - Make sure you are far enough from the water's edge that you do not get caught by the waves as the tide comes in.

Make a Base - Push or shovel all the dry sand out of the way until you get to the damp sand then smooth it out to create a large flat surface to start.

Wet sand - Using wet sand will help you form and build your castle. It sticks better and holds its form better. Many people use a spray bottle and spritz water on their creation as they go to keep the sand moist.

Pancake or Stacking - To build a tall castle use wet sand to make the first level of the tower. It should look like a pancake about one inch thick. Continue making and stacking pancakes until your tower is the height you want.

Tools - Bring shovels and trowels for sculpting, use ones with wooden handles they are stronger. Plastic knives, butter knives, or putty knives help you shape and draw on the sides of your sculpture. You can also use sticks, pointed rocks or even the edge of a trowel for shaping.

Walls and Arches - Continue stacking wet clumps of sand until your wall is the height you want. High walls should be thick at the base and should narrow as they go up. Arches start out as a wall, but then you tunnel through them to create an arch. Gently tunnel your way through at the base and enlarge and shape the opening by shaving off thin layers of excess sand.

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Beach Activities

There are lots of traditional beach activities such as playing Frisbee or volleyball, flying a kite, getting buried in the sand, and building sandcastles . Here are a couple of new games to add to your collection:

Sand Darts - Design a dart board in the sand. Start by drawing small circle for the target, then draw six successively larger circles outside. Assign a point value to each circle. Gather stones or shells to use as darts. Each person takes a turn throwing three "darts" at the sand dartboard.

Water Bucket Race - This game can be played with 2 people but is better with more as relay teams. You need two large buckets of equal size and two cups of equal size. Divide into two teams. The buckets are placed on a line far away from the water. Teams should line up behind the team's bucket. At the "go" the first players of each team runs to the water, fills their cup, and runs to back to fill the large bucket then passes their cup to the next player to continue. The first team to fill its bucket to the top or a predetermined height wins.

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Best Beach Combing

 

Beach combing, is defined as someone who "combs" (or searches) the beach looking for things of value, interest or utility. To some it is a serious hobby or life style. For most of us it is a time to enjoy the fresh sea air, sand, breeze and a good walk while we pick up some treasures that are great for craft projects or tokens of a beautiful day. Here are some beaches that offer a wide variety of collectible items in addition to the standard sea glass and seashells. Some of the treasures you might find at these beaches are coquinas, scallops, whelks, sand dollars, shark teeth, ark shells, moon snails, razor clamshells, and much more. Experts will tell you the best picks come the days after a storm.

• Sanibel Island, FL
• Point No Point Beach Hansville, WA
• Gulf Islands National Seashore Pensacola, FL
• Shipwreck Beach Lanai, HI
• Cumberland Island, GA
• Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
• Silver Strand State Beach Coronado Island, CA

If you plan to collect treasures while traveling bring some sturdy ziplock bags. Rinse the items several times. Let them dry thoroughly and put them into the ziplocks and make sure they are sealed well. Make sure you cushion them well in your suitcase or have a box you can put the ziplock bag into for extra protection.

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A New Use for Gingerbread

The stores are filled with Gingerbread house kits for the holidays but here is a new twist on this one favorite: A gingerbread lantern. Prepare the gingerbread dough as usual. Roll dough on parchment paper. Cut 4 panels 4 inches by 7 inches. Use cookie cutters dipped in flour to cut and remove a few shapes from each gingerbread panel. These will make the windows that let the light shine out of the lantern. Bake the gingerbread according to your recipe instructions. After the gingerbread has baked and cooled completely, use a pastry bag or a plastic bag with 1 corner cut off, filled with icing. Place icing along the long edges of 2 of the walls. Next add the other panels to assemble all 4 walls vertically on a platter or a piece of foil-covered cardboard. Allow the icing to dry overnight. Set the lantern in a safe spot, then place a small candle or a battery powered LED votive inside.

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Always Use a Travel Advisor

Clients who turn to a travel agent desire an in-depth, personal approach and want the advice and expertise of a professional. Below are a few things I provide in my role as your travel advisor:

Stay current on promotions relevant to you Make recommendations on trip-related options to enhance your travel experience Simplify the research, saving you time Enhance your trip with value-added benefits and amenities

 Update Your Travel Preferences

Wishing you all the best for a Prosperous 2010.
Let's start planning the vacation of your dreams!
Travel Agents Incorporated

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