Thanksgiving on the train

Imagine the gorgeous fall colours of the prairies by rail! VIA Rail has some sweet escape prices if you book now.  These are one way fares, departing Saturday October 12th, from Winnipeg. 

5 Trips you will never, ever, regret taking

Over a lifetime some trips will hit the highlight reel, while others will be forgotten. In my humble opinion you will never, ever regret taking the following 5 trips.  In no particular order...

1. A trip to the homeland of your grandparents/great grandparents.  There is something spiritual about connecting the land and your roots.

2. Taking your children to Disney World. Regardless of your childhood, your experiences and your background... there is no more magical place to show your own children. Period.

3. A national monument/iconic building.  Whether it's Canada's Parliament in Ottawa, or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, or Buckingham Palace. There is something breath-taking to be had in this citizenship moment and learning experience.

4. To the Ocean. Any ocean. Pick one... seriously. It is awe-inspiring and reveals the life-lesson of the earth, its majesty and power.

5. Hawaii.  Have you ever met anyone who hated Hawaii? Impossible. And it appears on more bucket lists, across generations, than any other single destination. You should NOT miss it!

Tips from the pros

This is just one of many sites that offers travel tips. I find these to be sound and rooted in travel truths. You may wish to take a look if you are a travel newbie. 

Delta Airlines Travel Tips

Brandon to Palm Springs in November

The flights and prices look pretty nice on this one. A week in the desert is nothing to sneeze at. Prices and search as of September 23rd. www.westjetvacations.com

Seahawks vs Saints

Let's just say you're an NFL fan and you believe, like I do, that the Seattle Seahawks are going to have an amazing season.  I mean, look at their defence and tell me you don't believe??!!

Wouldn't you love to see them play live?

Air Canada has a beauty sale on right now that will take you from Winnipeg to Seattle and back conveniently, and for less than you'd pay taking a date to a Jets game.

The Seahawks play the Saints (2009 Superbowl Champions) on December 2nd. It's a Monday night game. Super cool.

Tickets are as cheap as $65 in the nosebleeds.

I'd go. My brother should go with me... just sayin'. He should probably buy the tickets this time too.

Coincidence?

There's a perfect place on a perfect island, that I turn to and envision when I am in turmoil.  It is my happy place.

My screen saver is a photo of my "happy place." It's a photo I took of THE perfect palm tree on Paradise Island in the Bahamas a couple years ago. It's just outside the Cove section of the Atlantis Hotel.

Today, I had a bad day at work. But who doesn't have those? Then tonight, I check my e-mails and the following ad appears for the Atlantis Hotel:

That's MY palm tree. That's MY happy place! That palm tree in the photo really exists.  I have a photo that I took, on my screen!

It's like the Bahamas are calling me.

How do they know I need them?

When can I go? Can I go now?

Please?!!!

YWG to HNL $583

Many dates & length of stays available.

United Airlines has some pretty sweet prices to Honolulu right now. Flying out of Winnipeg, (YWG) and with only one connection (Denver) you can be on a beach same day.

The connections are great and I'd jump at this change of scenery if I needed a beach break right now.

Hotels are reasonably priced and easy to come by this time of year.

If you prefer to rent a condo on the beach and just pay for your flights, I'd encourage you to go through the United.com site itself. Don't forget to sign up for their points/miles/priority club first. There's a lot of miles between YWG and HNL and you don't want to miss out on those! (Each traveller has to register seperately. Even children can sign up and collect miles. - Just ask my CJ. He's going to have platinum status before he can ever buy himself a drink!)

As a package, Expedia.com is offering October 2-8th at $850 tax, hotel & flight. Yes, out of Winnipeg. Yes. This is a very good deal.  This sample price does not include meals. Hotels/resorts in Hawaii are rarely all-inclusive like Mexico.

$583 for a return flight , taxes incl is about $100 less than an average good flight price. $800-900 is a typical fare.  During holidays you can pay upwards of $1200 for the same route.

Hawaii is lovely year round. Another must see destination!

Wine Tour to Kelowna

I've heard criticisms of Westjet's flight times and connections regarding the daily flight from YBR. Well, I'm here to prove that wrong.

How about a wine tasting trip to Kelowna, BC? Wouldn't this make a fabulous girls' trip? Or even a romantic couples' long weekend get away? Guys' golf trip?

This price is current as of the evening of September 5th.  See the variety in flight prices? But see the fabulous connection times? No layovers or extra night in an airport hotel. Ideal!! Be in Kelowna in time for a lovely sunset dinner.

Choose hotels along the coast, $100 and up per night. Wine tours are abundant in this region and can be as little as $75 for a guided afternoon bus tour.

A great site to start planning your trip to suit your own tastes and needs is:  http://www.tourismkelowna.com/do/wine/

A moderate hotel, with prime location and Canadian roots is the Coast Capri Kelowna.
Coast is the hotel chain's name. Coast is a brand which hails from BC and has expanded into Alberta. They are super! They have a customer reward/loyalty program and I would not hesitate to stay with them again. They do not have 5star amenities and are not a Fairmont, but certainly meet my needs and I travel frequently!

Today's rate for 21st-24th is $126 plus taxes. They are a short walk from the ocean and shopping, restaurants and more. They do offer a shuttle and free WIFI.

So the way I look at this getaway, it's $635 per person and includes either a wine tour or golf game.

$360 airfare, $200 (per person for 3 nights), $75 for wine tour/golf. That's a great little trip, originating from your own back yard.  See Westjet.com or your local travel agent to book your choice of dates.



See below for recent reviews from Tripadvisor.ca

Westjet site screenshot from 10pm September 5th. Prices are ever changing and only guaranteed in the booking process. 

Rhode Island in the Fall

Sometimes I feel like I write about the same or similar destinations all the time.

What about Providence, Rhode Island this time?  While I've never been, I understand it's a very quaint and laid back coastal area. It is the third largest city in the state and is known for its performing arts centre, its architecture and its place in US history. (It was one of the original 13 colonies of the USA.) And, of course, it's proximity to the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS and Foxborough Stadium! Oh, and it's the state capital.

If you want to see the New England Patriots play, rent a car and drive to Foxborough which is only about half an hour away. Foxborough is halfway between Providence and Boston.

To learn more:  www.visitrhodeisland.com would be a good place to start.

The airport code for Providence, RI is PVD.

These discounted flights are available through Minot, Grand Forks and Winnipeg.  Grand Forks being the least expensive. Lots of dates available!

Maybe you'd like to go the week of October 27th and see the Miami Dolphins play?

Here's the sample chart that shows the availability of the bargains Delta is offering.

Time Sensitive Material

Travel bargains are like finding the last coveted toy on the shelf at Christmas time. You're thrilled when you find it! You can barely believe it's within reach and yet, if you don't grab it immediately.... it's gone.

Air fares are a moving target. It's always about supply and demand. There is an average price, a sale price and "what other choice do you have" price. I'm after the sale price!  I still kick myself after having to commit to a last minute flight to Phoenix on specific dates. I paid way more than I should have! To have booked that flight two weeks earlier would have saved me $300.  Anyways, I digress.

When I talk about bargain prices, they could last a few days or a few hours. The thing though, is you should be able to book them at any number of websites or local travel desks. A deal is a deal, is a deal. There are, of course, added incentives provided my the website or agency themselves that can sometimes sweeten the deal for you. Like booking with Expedia.ca, but clicking through to it from Airmilesshops.ca will net you a pile of Airmiles PLUS the Expedia bargain price.

It's like buying a brand new GM car. You could buy it from Murrays, or Mainline and get the same vehicle but one might offer you a round of golf and a coffee mug, neither of which are "factory incentives." But if GM corporate is offering 0% financing AND a set of snow tires then you can get that incentive at either dealer. Travel is the same. A Westjet flight is a Westjet flight is a Westjet flight, regardless of how or where you pay for it.

A day can make a HUGE difference in travel. You might take a flight on a Monday that costs $500 but to fly the next day (when businesses aren't in a rush to move their people in a work week) you might pay only $340 for the flight. That's why you will typically find that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly. So when you are searching sites for flight prices, make sure you click on the "flexible days" search option. It will generally alert you to the bargain.  I've charted it here in the blog many times. A day difference can save you hundreds!

An older chart, as example only. Would you rather travel on the 6th or 9th?

This chart is from redtag.ca which I often cite as I do love their search features. Plus, at this point they are one of the only sites including YBR or Brandon in their search list. Now, granted it is limited in your searchable destinations from YBR, but it's a start.

Travel bargains are not something you can find on short notice, unless you are flexible about your destination. You could certainly choose a date range and a price range and almost always find somewhere suitable to go, but know that the more specific your travel requests and dates, the less of a bargain you are likely to find. The more flexible equals more savings.

Heck, I watched and waited for 4 years for the Turks and Caicos islands to come into my price range. It was always on my must see list, but it was just financially out of range. Then, post Air Canada strike, there were some pretty amazing "come back to us" specials and indeed the Turks became affordable.  But affordable within summer (we went in July) but certainly not in January. But once you know that the Caribbean is 28C and absolutely gorgeous year round, it becomes much more acceptable to go in the summer. It NEVER gets Arizona hot.

Actually... there's a great deal on the Turks and Caicos right now. Truthfully, it falls into the "really great" category. In my experience, this is about 40% off.

The Grace Bay Suites are not the most luxurious accommodations on the beach, but they ARE on one of the top 10 beaches in the world. And Grace Bay Beach is about as long as First Street in Brandon. You could walk it in an hour. All the hotels are within metres of each other. So, it really is a safe and happy, unbelievably gorgeous location for certain. I just haven't been in their suites. (We stayed at Ocean Club)

This is also a perfect example of travel prices in constant flux. When I noted this bargain on August 24th, it was $79 more expensive. So, sometimes prices will go up a bit, sometimes they will fall a little more closer to the date. Other times that bargain will sell out and disappear completely.

The bargain is only right for you if it meets your OWN travel needs. It has to be the right place, the right times and offer the right style of get away you need. But when those things come together it's pretty amazing. Just like being that kid, getting THAT toy at Christmas.

Vegas from Brandon $359 plus tax

Indeed, you can connect through Calgary and be in a Las Vegas casino before sundown!

And if you go on September 30th, as shown here, you can get one heck of a bargain! A bargain right in your own back yard! A bargain that includes airfare and 3 night's hotel.

 Did you ever imagine such exciting possibilities from Brandon?

Thank you Westjet!

Brandon to Vancouver $575 w/5 star hotel

Have an anniversary to celebrate or just need a few days with your sweetie?  What about at the glorious Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver? 

You can fly out of Brandon (YBR) on October 2nd and return on the 5th. Both flights are very convenient and you'll be home before dinner! 

At $459 plus $116 tax, per person. That's a really amazing deal!

The Fairmont hotel alone posts their regular room rate at $339, but can be as low as $239 plus taxes on these specific dates. So, if you choose to book the room on its own, you can expect to pay just under $800 for the 3 nights. This little package deal (at $575 per person) includes airfare, accommodations AND taxes. 

Do you see why I'm calling this an amazing deal?  It's as easy as booking online with westjetvacations.com or calling your favourite local travel agent. 

Ridiculous Vegas

You can't do a weekend in Minot for this price!!!!! And this is 3 nights in Vegas.

Direct Westjet flights!!!

5 star resorts from $309 plus taxes.
And let's just say you are an Airmiles collector.... and you book the trip immediately through Expedia.ca and airmiles.ca to get their 15x miles plus bonus... and you'd then have another 400 airmiles in your account. Win - Win!!

My Travel Lesson

It wasn't an easy or inexpensive to lesson to learn... but I believe in the future, I will stick to betting my travel dollars on sporting events, rather than aging rock stars.

You see, I travelled to Las Vegas to go see Rod Stewart perform at Caesar's Palace. (End of July 2013). For this event, I purchased fancy gold shoes, and a gorgeous black dress. I also stopped in at the Bellagio Salon & Spa for an updo and makeup especially for the concert evening.

Alas, when we arrived 30 minutes before the scheduled show (July 31st) we were advised the show had just been cancelled. As were were informed, the performer wasn't comfortable with his voice at sound check and decided to cancel the whole show at the last minute.

I was devastated! Not that it was going to be the highlight of my life or anything, but it certainly was an enormous let down.

Then, I felt ripped off. There was no alternative presented by Caesar's staff. No compensation or significant effort to salvage the evening. Yes, they made suggestion for alternate Vegas shows we "might" be able to get tickets to at late/last minute tickets but I hardly wanted to zip into a cab and hope to get into a performance of "O" down the street, or Carrot Top or the like. I wasn't dressed for Carrot Top and at this point I certainly wasn't in the mood to laugh. If Rod Stewart was in the building... damn it, I wanted him to sing to me.

Sadly, we were not able to re-bound from the disappointment and salvage the mini-vacation. 12 hours later I was at the airport and heading for home on our scheduled flight. The next day I was right back to work where I would genuinely work the next 30 consecutive days and nights.

When days off are so precious and far between, you want them to be memorable. Not a huge waste of planning energy and money.

Frankly, I fume when I think of all I had to co-ordinate to get these 3 days off, and everything I had to plan around just to make attending a concert possible. Staffing for the restaurant, 3 days with an out-of-town sitter for the kids, and a kennel for the dogs. Plus airfare, accommodations, parking, meals, and well.... that makeover.  GRRRRRR!!!

Had the concert happened and I'd sung along to "You're in my heart" I would have been a very happy and beautifully dressed lady, with a great story to tell and a memory for the scrapbook. But that didn't happen.

And for more than a week, I didn't think my concert tickets were going to be refunded. Even though I bought them direct from the concert company, I was initially offered an exchange for future tickets, not a refund and I was very unhappy. I wanted my money back. There wasn't going to be a future concert date for me.

But ultimately I did get a refund of my total purchase price to my credit card. So that was good.
Now of course there's no refund for the dress I only wore for an hour, but I guess that's life. At least I didn't cry and ruin my $100 face.

So, here's the lesson.  Hockey players don't cancel and football players finish the game even with broken ribs! So I'm going to pay to see them.  Sure, there was a delay of game at the Superbowl when the power went out.... but they didn't CANCEL!

Therefore, into the future I will pin my hopes and hard earned time off on professional sporting events. I will forgo the dress and buy a jersey. No makeup required and rather than sing along I'll scream and cheer for goals. My voice is better suited to that purpose anyway! LOL And if I'm going to travel, let's hope the host stadium/arena has club seats. If I want to watch little league and sit in bleachers, I'll do that at home. If I'm going to see the pros....  well, I'm willing to pay for it. But there sure as heck ought to be a show!

So there's my newest life lesson, in your choice of formats!  "Bet on the game. Not an aging rock star..... Travel to see the team, not the tease. Somethings are better on the radio.... but the game isn't one of them."

Now, I need to sign off and Google an NFL schedule!!! I have some ticket money and a few flight credits burning a hole in my pocket!