Plan for winter trips now

I know the 204 is just heating up, but I can guarantee that winter will come again. 5 months from now you will be longing for a beach.

Tour operators are offering incentives now, and it is certainly worth a few minutes of your time to peruse the offerings.

Many travel agencies will secure the price for you and make the booking with a small down payment. This might be the best way to get going on your first winter vacation.

Prices for hot spots like these will surely be 40% higher when the snow hits the ground.

15% off flights in Canada for the rest of 2014

If you book before May 29th, you can enjoy discounted rates on Canadian flights from Air Canada. The promo code is TOGETHER. Some blackout dates apply.

I expect that Westjet will follow suit tomorrow, if not immediately, with a similar or matching offer.

Any round-trip flight in Canada, under $400 (including taxes & fees) is a good deal.

Summer Savings on St. Lucia

These bargains sure have my eye!  Thanks to Air Canada for opening up my eyes to new tropical destinations. Martinique also looks fabulous!  If I get the chance to go, I'll surely report back!

Fun Special From Air Canada

This is what the Internet & social media should be used for.... real time specials.  Great job Air Canada!

I'd love to see more of these current event tie ins.

Go Habs Go! 

Fast Five: Tips for planning a family vacation

When planning a vacation for my kids, I make sure to include these 5 things.

1. Something familiar
2. Something from a book or TV or hobby that they can connect to
3. Something to learn
4. Something amazing to remember
5. Something they can share

Something familiar can be as easy as a chain restaurant. There are occasions when a taste of "normal" can be the thing that saves the day.

When we went to Disneyland California, it was like their favourite movie "Cars" came to life. But the connection here can be as easy as showing them a travel guide to Alberta and pointing out the dinosaur museum for them and then taking them there. Let them participate in the research and bring books to life. 

Something to learn can be a few minutes in an art gallery or speaking with a tour guide about the museum. Learn something about where you are, don't be a passive guest.

Something amazing, isn't always easy to plan. Sometimes it just spontaneously happens, like running into a movie star at the airport or having Mickey Mouse pull you up on stage to dance. But you CAN plan to put yourself in the right spot for amazing to happen. Get the good seats to the sporting event!

Something to share is the easiest on the list! Make sure you have a few dollars for postcards or a book for your class. We brought back a book from the NASA space centre that tied in beautifully with a class lesson on space.

And take pictures! Lots of candid pictures!  My favourite shots are not the ones that are posed at the museum, but the side profile pics of the kids grossly engaged in the subject.

Need a week in paradise?

Westjetvacations.com has two Hawaiian destinations on sale right now. Hawaii is on nearly everyone's travel bucket list, and with good reason. It's gorgeous! And it has a laid back feel that once you give yourself over to Hawaiian time, you truly feel like you've had a vacation from the typical north american hustle and bustle. It's an amazing feeling.  A vacation like no other. Paradise!

To start your Hawaiian getaway research, start here. www.gohawaii.com

These are great prices!

Turks N' Caicos on a budget

If you can fly June 7th to 14th, you can nab a bargain with either Westjet or Air Canada. Both have this destination on sale.

It is not an all-inclusive destination, but it is surely one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world. It is constantly on the Top 10 lists of the popular travel magazines. I went to the Turks N' Caicos in 2012 and would highly recommend it. It is a very "Canadian" destination in that you will be recognize many Canadian banks and brands there.

The people of Turks N' Caicos are very welcoming and will make you feel at ease.

It is typically a very expensive destination, but every now and again, you can grab a bargain like this.

www.tripcentral.ca or www.westjetvacations.com