the turquoise trail

Hawaii; the big island I like to think of the big island of Hawaii as the rural island; it's raw, far less developed & has lots of wide open space (relative, of course.. you can still drive across the island in less than 2 hours..).  This is the island to come to if you like getting off the beaten track and nature is more your thing!  Some of my favourite things from a week on Hawaii.. {hiking} Kaumana Caves Park I did very little hiking during my stay on the big island.. the hiking I did do was mainly short sight-seeing type hikes.  Unfortunately, the Waipio Valley was closed due to a dengue fever outbreak, but I hear it has great hiking!  Kaumana Caves Park is just outside of Hilo and has a lava tube that you can follow for at least 1km!  It's really neat to see.. I'd recommend taking a light & coming back through the lava tube - the surface trail isn't well maintained or marked.  Green Sand beach is on the southern part of the island and...

Maui; the valley isle Maui was probably my favourite island; it features a huge variety of landscape & packs in a multitude of things to do!  It's absolutely gorgeous, and completely different around every bend!  From rainforest to desert, lava rock to white sand beach, quaint country towns to artsy boutique towns.. this island's got it all.  Some highlights from 7 days on Maui.. {hiking} Haleakala Crater There are some fantastic hiking trails scattered over Maui; the highlight for me was Haleakala.  The different minerals left behind from the volcano are displayed in the variety of colours in the crater.  It's a sight to behold, and well worth the trip up - try to go on a clear day!  There are plenty of other opportunities for nature hikes, beach walks & window shopping, no matter what area of the island you're on.   {food} I didn't actually eat out too much during my time on Maui, but there are plenty of farmer'...

Week 8: My favourite part... I thoroughly enjoyed the town of Trois  Rivière Miles... 1063  Day 47: Quispamsis, NB to Fredericton, NB 79 miles  Not feeling too great this morning so I got off to a slow start, but I still made it up the stairs to church. After church a few stayed for a delicious lunch, although I was really wishing I felt better. I capped off the afternoon with a sunny nap on the patio hammock, then packed up and headed to Fredericton. I got into my friend C's around 6 for dinner and the evening with her... Hammock naps.. Day 48: Fredericton, NB to Trois Rivière, QC 465 miles  Today got off to an early start with a trip to see what downtown Fredericton has to offer.  From there I hit the road and headed homeward, making quite a few stops to rest and  stretch the bum. I stopped for lunch in Grand Falls and by mid-afternoon I found a little beach, the sun was shining, and it was hot... all at the same time! Ten...

Week 3: My favourite part... Having the opportunity to see the red sand beaches of PEI! Total miles... 715 Day 12: Beresford, New Brunswick to Miramichi, New Brunswick  88 miles   I said goodbye and left shortly after 8 this morning to take my bike down to the convention for the last day. The rain forecast didn't look too promising, but I went anyways to be an hour further down the road anyhow. Early afternoon the rain did come, and come, and come.  I caught a ride out to visit Gram and witness her critique her grandson's sock selection.  From there I hopped in with another friend, S, and a few of us went for dinner at Boston Pizza.  After dinner, I hitched yet another ride to stay with some other friends for the night. Their cottage is right on the ocean and even with the rain, has a stunning view.  Day 13: Miramichi, New Brunswick to Stratford, Prince Edward Island  210 miles  Rain, rain, and more rain. Slept in...

Week 2: My favourite part.. Going lobster fishing! Total miles.. 880 Day 5: Richmond, QC to  Rivière-du-Loup, QC 274 miles It was an early start for some this morning, as a water pipe was leaking from upstairs. I, however, managed to sleep right through it. Breakfas t at 7:30 included an interesting but surprisingly edible combination of porridge, peanut butter and bacon. Our Sunday church meeting was half English and half French, and proved to test just how rusty my French has gotten.  After a delicious lunch of spaghetti and caesar salad, I headed out towards Quebec City. It was a gorgeous day to be on the road, a sentiment echoed by the sheer number of bikes on the road (I counted 227). I arrived on Ile D'Orleans shortly before 4, where I had the opportunity to pull over for a minute. Unfortunately, that led to the discovery that the front straps holding my box on had broken. I decided I had best find a  hardware store before they all closed,...