#WPGWhiteout  #GoJetsGo

 

The excitement and energy at the MTS Centre for the 3rd game of  round one of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs  had fans showing their true colors!  It is precisely this pride that is putting Winnipeg on the map as a city to visit!

 

Most of my professional time is spent sending clients to other destinations outside of this wonderful province of Manitoba but this most recent #JetsFever has me realizing just how much we have to offer, not only within Winnipeg but throughout the province.  Everywhere you look right now, the province is displaying their belief in their team.  We even took part here at Travel Quest, as did the town of Gimli!  Perfect strangers have united to rally behind this hockey club and in my opinion, what could be better than bringing people together to celebrate!

 

From the great arctic safari's of Churchill to the diverse culture of Folklorama, the historic Forks or the sand dunes of Spruce Woods, this province has incredible offerings for everyone! Visit the Human Rights Museum, a world class and an architectural marvel, or experience the fall migration at Oak Hammock Marsh. Try golfing, fishing, Portage Potato Festival, camping, Blue Bomber game, Morden Corn and Apple Festival, dragon boating, Assiniboine Park, a picnic, Folkfest or maybe the Prairie Ripples Art tour!   It's all right here...in Manitoba...a province packed with pride!  And to think, it all started with a #GoJetsGo!!

Destination Weddings

Congratulations!  You've chosen each other and will be tying the knot! 

Live an unforgettable day in an absolutely magic setting surrounded by those who mean the most to you.  If that sounds wonderful but you're beginning to feel overwhelmed by the endless array of destinations, documentation, flower choices and so on, that's were you need the help of an expert! 

A Destination Wedding Specialist will be able to sit down and speak with you about the many options available to couples these days.  Together, we will be able to focus in on a few key destinations that have the vibe and feel you're after for your dream day and weigh the pros and cons of each. A DWS has planned and worked with resorts and venues literally around the world so the ability to remain impartial and realistic is paramount. You are able to benefit from their knowledge, expertise and relationships that have been built throughout the industry.

A Destination Wedding Specialist does differ somewhat from a Travel Consultant in that every aspect of your wedding from airfare, accommodation, documents, the wedding ceremony, decorations and often even right down to the menu.  Specialists do charge an additional fee to arrange and manage all of these details but it's certainly worth it to ensure all is seamlessly cared for.  In our opinion, it's well worth it!


And speaking of budgets and money matters, let's do some math.  Couples are often spending thousands and thousands of dollars creating their magical day and find themselves exhausted with the process. 


Cost
Home - Average cost: $25,000
Destination - Average cost: $5,000

Venue
Home - Ceremony, photos and celebration typically at different locations
Destination - Everything typically takes place at one location

Duration
Home - One day celebration
Destination - Week- long celebration

Planning
Home - Stressful and time consuming especially as it leads up to the big day
Destination - Wedding coordinators, destination wedding specialists and consultants manage all of the details

Honeymoon
Home - Additional savings and planning required
Destination - Begins upon your arrival

Ultimately, if you decide a destination wedding is right for you, it's important to work with a professional you feel comfortable with.  The options are only limited by imagination but your travel professional is there to make everything you dream about, come true!  


       
   

Desert Oasis of Palm Springs

"Think warm and sunny thoughts" is what I kept telling myself as I sat in the Calgary airport.  I was awaiting a connecting flight back to Winnipeg where reports from earlier in the week had snowflakes swirling around back on the prairies. I was returning from a 5 day travel conference in sunny Palm Springs. 

This was not my first visit to Palm Springs but it was great to see how some things had changed and some had remained very much the same over the years!  P.S. is a desert oasis and really took off back in the era of the “Rat Pack”.  In the 50’s it was the playground of the rich and famous.  Today, it’s golf courses, excellent restaurants, incredible shopping, luxury resorts and even the second home to many Canadian Snowbirds.

 

From the airport I hopped a shuttle to take me to the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells where my conference would overtake the resort as well as the neighboring Renaissance Esmeralda.  The transfer, about 25 minutes long, allowed me to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the views out the window.  One view in particular was of El Paseo which is affectionately referred to as the Rodeo Drive of Palm Springs.  The street is lined with high end stores and designer brand names plus plenty of restaurants to encourage taking a rest from shopping.

 

Palm Springs is fairly spread out and although the driving is generally quite easy, you don’t realize as you leave one city and enter another.  There are 7 cities that make up the area.  On the most western side is Palm Springs where the airport is located and the original mecca centre in the 1950s. As you move east you find Cathedral City which was booming in the 80s with new condo builds at the time, then Rancho Mirage came along in the 90s with their country club atmosphere, Palm Desert, a golfer’s paradise, La Quinta, Indio and finally Indian Wells. 

Although this trip did not allow any free time to shop  <insert disappointment here>, I highly recommend going just a bit further west of the airport to the premium outlet mall of Cabazon.  Here you will find a mid to high end range of stores with every brand you can imagine!  It’s a shopper’s dream for sure! 

The summers are extremely hot...it is after all a desert area!  As winter approaches the day time temperatures become much more mild and moderate.  Throughout my time spent in Palm Springs this October, each day was 29 to 32 degrees and evenings only dipped enough to maybe require a light sweater.  It was the perfect recipe for a morning of golf, afternoon by the pool and a fantastic dinner out in the evening. 

Palms Springs is also a great place to use a launching point to visit other places like Los Angeles (2 hour drive), San Diego (2.5 hour drive), Joshua Tree National Park (30 minute drive) or even to take in some skiing or snowboarding in the near by Summit and Bear mountains (1.5 hour drive). 

It had been many years since I had visited the Palm Springs area but it certainly will not be my last!  Until then....

To Book Now or To Wait...that is the question

So often we as travel agents are asked "when is the best time to book my sunny beach vacation?"  The truth of the matter is that there is no one answer to this as so much depends on the travelers expectations and flexibility. 


If you have to request your holiday schedule well in advance, maybe even looking a whole year ahead as some do, then you're best to book as early as possible.  Take advantage of the early booking discounts that are typically offered through the summer months and into the fall.  It may require full payment several months before you even intend to travel but the savings is worth it!


If you have several options as to when you can go (ie: say a 5 or 6 day window to departure) and you're not set on any one destination or resort then you're a prime candidate to wait it out for the last minute sell offs.  Deep discounts are often available when tour operators have not been able to sell all the air seats or fill the hotel rooms.  With this option you need to be ever mindful that there is never any guarantee that your "first holiday choice" will still be available or that it will be the perfect resort for you.  It's a gamble but if you're so inclined, then why not save!


Now, that said, here is my own personal prediction for how the 2013/14 winter season is going to play out.  The tour operators have secured their contracts with the hoteliers nearly a year in advance and have negotiated prices based on the US dollar.  This is very advantageous with our current strong Canadian dollar.  All of the banking experts have been long suggesting that our Canadian dollar will weaken and if that happens the tour operators will be forced to add a currency surcharge to recoup their costs.  Add to that the ever increasing price of fuel and it's the perfect storm!  I anticipate seeing prices taking a sharp turn upward to cover the increased fuel costs and the stronger US dollar. 


So, what does all this mean?  Simply put, the sooner you book, the more likely you are to get a better price.  If there is an early booking discount, take it!  If you have the option to secure your vacation well in advance, seize the opportunity because my best guess is that prices will continue to soar once we hit the peak of the winter selling season.

SXM

This past winter I travelled to St Maarten/Saint Martin and without a doubt one of the highlights was the amazing cuisine!  With it's deeply routed French and Dutch tradition, every meal was presented with a true European flare making it a feast for the eyes before even having a single bite.

Our home base was the Beach Plaza in Marigot,  on a very swimmable beach, a short stroll to the Marina or the downtown area.  Having a car rental for our entire vacation certainly made getting out to try the many incredible restaurants around the island easy!  Following you'll find a few of our favorites based on the various locations:


Marigot:

Tropicana - located along the inner marina it was just a 4 minute walk from the hotel.  Reservations are a must and well worth any effort to find an opening!  The Tropicana came highly recommended to us by several long time vacationers to the island and it did not disappoint.  The proprietor is quite the character!

For a quick lunch or to pick up items to take to the beach for a picnic, there is Sarafina's directly across from the fresh foods market. 

Nettle Baie:

Unless you're very ambitious, you'll want to hope in the car and drive to Nettle Baie, home of the Dreams Beach Club.  Opened in the winter of 2012/13, this club offers beach chair rentals, double loungers and an extensive lunch menu including sushi.  The whole setting of the Dreams Beach Club is a Miami sort of vibe - very modern and sleek!  The beach and waves were great so plan to enjoy the day in this location rather than just stopping in for lunch or dinner.












Grand Case:

Here you'll find everything and anything for food!  From the five star, seaside restaurants to the local BBQ pits, it's a sure bet for a fantastic and authentic island experience! Once per week the entire main street area is closed off to traffic and becomes a pedestrian only street fair corridor.  Both sides of the street a lined with small boutiques, local arts, crafts and restaurants by the dozen!  Again, reservations on the street fair night are recommended but as you continue to walk I have no doubt you'll find something amazing and with a table just for you!

Unfortunately, poor forethought on my part meant we were not able to be seated at L'Estament at a reasonable hour but we did try 3 other incredible options that week.  Spiga, Le Tastevin and Ocean 82 - each are highly rated and offer their own style and charm.

Grand Case also offers a unique gathering place for locals and tourists alike sitting at covered picnic tables enjoying a casual and inexpensive option.

Simpson Bay:

Being the Winnipeg Jets fans that we are, we HAD to find a place that would be airing the game!  SPN Sports Bar in Simpson Bay was exactly what we had in mind!  Owned and operated by a fellow from Montreal, it was warm, welcoming, and so much fun!  Catering mainly to American travelers, usually the big screens are of NFL but they were more than happy to accommodate hockey crowd and switch it over. 

On almost any beach you visit regardless of the French or Dutch side, you're sure to find a BBQ shack offering up tasty delights sure to keep your tank topped up until the next food adventure begins!

Waves and Cycles

Like everything, cruising seems to come in waves (no pun intended!)  The cycle changes from year to year and what is new and fresh one season is old news the next. Popular cruise destinations are no exception.

 It wasn’t more than a year ago when we were seeing cruise lines introduce new ships to their fleets and an added capacity (more than ever before) deployed for European sailings.  It was gamble on part of the cruiselines but one that paid off.  Part of the success may have been contributed to the strong Canadian dollar and the weakening Euro making it an advantageous time for European travel by land and sea.

Here we are in the middle of summer 2012 and the story that unfolds this cruising this season is drastically different.    For Europe, what seems to be the emerging trend this year is that cruise prices are being slashed, cabin upgrades are being offered to repeat and first time cruisers alike and bonus credits toward the airfare are being applied.  What does all this mean?  Well, it’s simple….INCREDIBLE savings on European cruises including the Mediterranean for 2012! 

 Alaska seems to be the cruise vacation of choice this summer and from the increased interest I’ve noticed in my own agency I would agree that Alaska is much in demand.  Cruiselines follow the trends and will move their ships to compete in high demand markets from one season to the next.  Oceania for example, has already indicated that they will reduce the number of sailings in Europe and concentrate more on Alaskan itineraries for the 2013 season.  Fast forward 12 months from now and no one can say for sure if it was a risk worth taking but one thing is guaranteed;  a constant ebb and flow, or waves if you will of popularity.  Sometimes the cruiselines get it right but sometimes not.  When they don’t, it is leaving excellent opportunity for a cruise destination that is offering fantastic deals!  So, make a list of the places you’d like to visit and then speak with a qualified travel consultant.  That agent can see emerging trends, sales and bonus offers and is there to help you plan an unforgettable cruise experience!

Lexi's Adventure

If you've ever walked through the doors of the Travel Quest office you will, without a doubt, have met the friendly mascot, Lexi!  Yes, Lexi is a dog! She's a loveable 7 year old cast away whom we adopted about 5 years ago and she is now in the habit of accompanying me to work every day. 

We had been talking about just doing a quick getaway for a change of scenery and while we debated the pros and cons of flying to a destination, based on the amount of time we had, we decided we'd head to the Fargo, ND for a couple of nights.  Exotic?  Well, not exactly but really all we wanted was change so it seemed like a good choice.  Another pro was that I found a hotel in Fargo...and they accepted pets! 

Having never taken a pet across the border, I did my due diligence and researched exactly what paperwork etc would be required to take her.  Fortunately there wasn't much required other than her most current record of inoculations to prove all was up to date and that the rabies vaccine has been administered.  Wouldn't you know it - US customs didn't even ask to see any paperwork on the dog at all when we crossed over. 

We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites on 13th in Fargo and I have to give a shout out to the hotel staff!  Everyone was fantastic, helpful, friendly, professional and thrilled to see Lexi upon arrival!  The rooms were spacious, very clean and aside from restricting us to the main floor because we had a dog, there wasn't really anything more we could have asked for at that price!  The rooms had a mini fridge, in-room coffee as well as microwave and not only did they include a hot and cold complimentary breakfast that offered everything from cereal to waffles, fruit and bagels to eggs and sausage but they also had 24 hour coffee, tea and cookies in the lobby.  Best of all was happy hour in the breakfast room turned lounge!  Every night featured a different drink special and complimentary snacks from 5 - 7pm.  Was it 5 star dining?  No, but  the breakfast and snacks were tasty enough and was all included in the cost of the hotel room.

The pool on the Sunday morning was well used by plenty of kids swimming before the mall and box stores opened at noon but the rest of the time there was maybe 2 or 4 kids or maybe even none at all.  The hot tub was more like a hot bathwater but even that was ok by us...after all, they accepted pets!  Apparently the hotel also offered a complimentary shuttle to the West Acres Mall as well but we did not utilize that service. 

So, while taking your pet on vacation isn't always an option, nor is it always sensible, our first experience with pets and hotels was very favourable and for short getaways I would consider doing this again.  Wouldn't you know as we crossed back into our country, even Canadian customs did not ask for any paperwork for Lexi!  Murphy's Law I suppose: had we not brought the papers, they would have wanted to see everything and turned us away without a doubt! 

If/when our plans take us to Fargo again, we'll be sure to stay at the Country Inn and Suites because they made a great impression on us with their service levels...and they accept pets!