Air Canada says: Any day of the week!

When Westjet announced their new Canadian route to London's Gatwick airport, I expected Air Canada to answer back with matching fares.

Right on schedule, Air Canada did just that, but without any marketing fan fare or even a suggestion of it on their home page.

BUT, if you look at their prices in May and June 2016, you will see they jumped all in on this little London blitz. Infact, Air Canada's answer to this announcements was.... 'any day of the week.'

While my comments are simply an observation, and the words are my own, it seems crystal clear that Air Canada is sending a message.

You want to go to London? We'll take you there (and back) for $623, any day of the week!

Prices subject to change.  Routes and flight times will vary. Book early for best selection.

Tacos for Thanksgiving in the Mayan Riviera?

If Turkey and pumpkin pie just isn't your thing, you might want to jump on this 5 star deal to Mexico. Leaving October 11th and returning on the 15th, you will enjoy 4 nights on the beach and be pampered at any one of the luxury resorts that Westjet is offering.

These 5 star packages are starting at $ 797 taxes included. All inclusive. Pretty great eh? Cheap enough to invite your mother-in-law to tag along?!!

The screenshot here, from Selloffvacations.com (Sept 14th, 11pm) clearly shows you how the picking the right departure date can save you hundreds of dollars on the exact same trip.

You'll have to watch carefully though, some of the flights have an overnight connection. While it might be fun to have a night in Vancouver, it's adding to your cost and taking away from your beach time.

If you'd rather wait two weeks, you can go for a whole week for $1002 taxes included at a very well rated, 4 star hotel. October 26th to November 2nd.

As always, do your research and read the current reviews from Trip Advisor before you book. Do look for the details, like how long you will have to sit on a shuttle to get to your destination, and whether or not airport transfers are included in your package.

A Winnipeg Win at The Forks

I’m a mom. I multi-task. I can’t help but race from one thing to another, to another, and pack as much into a day as humanly possible. So spending a day at The Forks in Winnipeg, well, that was just a perfect fit!

I wanted to plan a special day for my son’s 13th birthday, and show him a great, stress free time. I didn’t want to be driving all over the city, so for our day together I checked us into the Inn At The Forks and planned to spend the evening at the Goldeyes game. 

Right away we put on our sneakers and took a lap of The Forks Market, checking out some of the vendors. It was hard for me to pass up the fudge, but I resisted. I knew I’d be eating perogies and cabbage rolls at the ballpark. (Yup, fabulous Ukrainian food at the ball game!) Could not spoil my appetite. 

It was nearing game time, so we walked across the parking lot, past the skate park (so cool! Did you know Tony Hawk even skated at this park and gave it the thumbs up?) and past the Canadian Human Rights Museum, and over to Shaw Park. Shaw Park is a fabulous facility. There isn’t a much better way to spend a summer night in the city. 

View from the third baseline. At Shaw Park, home of the Goldeyes.

The Goldeyes put on a great show! (And won that night too!) For $15 a ticket we had seats a few rows up on the third baseline. Between innings they had great on-field games and lots of giveaways. My son bought a ball at the gift shop and I was definitely tempted to grab a jersey. 

Then, for a single loonie, Riley had three pitches in front of a radar gun on the concourse. Who knew he could throw a ball 49mph? We both thought that was pretty cool. I would have tried it too, but I have this old elbow injury..... haha. 

After the game we went and had snacks down by the waterfront. Very few mosquitos and the campfire smell from Crab Shack’s fire pits, almost made you feel like you were camping. We felt very safe at The Forks even well after dark. 

At dawn the next day, we stumbled our sleepy walk over to the Johnson Terminal for a coconut latte from Espresso Junction. They’ve been making my favourite Winnipeg cup of coffee for over 20 years now! After grabbing a breakfast special from Danny’s and eating it on the benches down by the river, we decided to use the guest bikes from the hotel and take a bigger tour of the area. I left my camera back at the hotel so I could focus on keeping up with my teenager. We had a blast. There was way more to the river trails than I’d ever walked. The free loaner bikes (and helmets) were definitely a highlight. This was my favourite hotel perk of the year. 

Before I knew it, our time was up. It was time to check out and head back to work. But before I did, I rebooked for another family weekend. It was simply too good, to not do again! 

Danny's at The Forks, my fav breakfast spot.

So many great vantage points at The Forks. Pull up a chair and sit a spell!

Win a trip from Lay's Canada

Here's one more Twitter contest with a travel prize!  You can post a photo daily, but you must be over 18 to enter.  #LaysLovesSummer

I'd sure love to win the trip to Italy!