Lee Foster (fostertravel.com)

Nature Adventures in Canada's Gaspe Region of Quebec

Recently I had an opportunity to explore the nature adventures possible in Quebec's Gaspe region.  See my full writeup here.  I will always remember the cacophony of the 57,000 nesting pairs of large white birds, northern gannets, on an island called Bonaventure Island.  As I hiked across the island to the site, it was encouraging to learn from the park ranger accompanying me that the recovering fishery in the St. Lawrence Seaway allows these gannets to increase their numbers incrementally each year by about three percent.  Besides seeing the gannets, I enjoyed whale watching (saw some diving humpbacks), canoeing (down one of the clearest rivers on earth), sea kayaking (to see seals), and, perhaps most unusual of all, fossil viewing (to see the wonderful "Devonian period" fish-evolution fossils at Miguasha Park, which show how some fish developed lungs about 380 million years ago and climbed out onto the land.)  For all these nature adventures, Canada's Gaspe region of eastern Quebec is the site.  If you plan to replicate my experience, think July or August of some future year.

Pleasures of Molokai, Hawaii

What I found on Molokai pleasantly exceeded my expectations.

I enjoyed two nights of kupuna, or elders, entertainment by the local people with ukuleles, song, and hula at the Molokai Hotel (every Friday night) and at Molokai Ranch.  Of all the Hawaiian islands, Molokai is the place where the local people provide the entertainment most directly, integrated into the traveler experience.  There is a family feeling.

Lawrence Aki led me on an engaging hike into Halawa Valley, where he is re-developing the taro fields.  This has become his life's work, teaching visitors about Hawaiian culture and protecting the ecosystem.  We walked past the heiaus or sacred sites, 12 of which are in this valley.  We ended up at the long, diaphanous Halawa Falls and swam in the cool water.

Molokai Ranch has a new-style lodging option called a "tentalow."  This is as green as lodging will get.  Each of the tented bungalow units, set adjacent to a lovely beach, has its own electric solar cells for light, its own passive solar hot water unit, and its own composting toilet.  Only water needs to be brought in.

Ray Riegert's recommendation of the mule ride to the leper colony was a good one.  On a mule I made the long descent from the top of the mountain ridges to the seaside location of the leper colony.  The seacliffs seen on the switchbacks are as dramatic as the Napali Coast on Kauai.

I'll do a full-scale writeup on Molokai eventually.  These are a few of the elements I will emphasize.