Average setlist for tour: Get Up! Tour            

Our quest for winter family fun took us to The Forks, Winnipeg just recently. It was the first warm winter day in January and the place was packed! It was really great to see so many people enjoying the free activities with their kids. If you've never been to The Forks, (officially the Red River Mutual Trail) to skate I can offer you a few tips. 1) Go early. At 10AM on weekends you will still find free parking but know that the parkade fills up quickly. After that you might find convenient meter parking, but that's $4 per two hours on your credit card or by coins. By 1pm on weekends, you'll be walking from parking lots as far as the baseball stadium. Free family programming/organized events are held Sundays 1:30-3:30pm. And the better the weather, the more people that are in attendance. 2) Bring your own equipment if you have it. (Skate rentals are $3 for children, or $5 for adults, subject to availability.) Also, bring a backpack to tote your boots in. Some people leave their boots in the warming huts or under benches where you put your skates on, but this seems high risk. Since we forgot a backpack that day, we opted to bury the boots (upside down) in the snowbank behind the warming hut. It was a creative and effective solution, masterminded by my son. Our boots were still there 2 hours later when we were done skating for the day. 3) Bring a stick and puck if you like. There are specific hockey areas and nets. 4) The ice is groomed, but it is also river ice (not indoor rink ice) and used by thousands of people. This means you should bring a helmet even if you think you are an accomplished skater.  You are at risk of catching a skate in chips, cracks, soft spots and random debris. Risk of falling is high. You can check out the reported ice conditions at The Forks website. (www.theforks.com) I have found the ice under the bridges to be particularly rough and hazardous.     5) There is more than just the river to skate on. There are iced sidewalk trails which lead you several kilometres around the park site, over bridges and down to the Esplanade Riel Bridge as well. In fact, I'll let you in on a secret. The ice in front of the Scotiabank Stage, or in the 'festival park' area is hardly used. It was in excellent condition and even had music for our skating enjoyment.  We were there nearly an hour and maybe a dozen people or so were in sight, as opposed to the thousands just on the other side of the buildings on the river. 6) The coffee shop in the Johnson Terminal, first floor has fantastic cappuccinos. I like mine with a shot of coconut syrup. And if you're lucky enough to get a seat in their sunny window, you will have an ideal view of the skating oval and main plaza. A perfect place to people watch and soak in the perfection that is in my opinion, one of the greatest public spaces in our province. 7) Making a weekend of it? Or why not make your own overnight stay-cation and book a room at the Inn at The Forks during the week? Rates are as low as $169 per night. The location and convenience gets 5 stars for sure. I'm a big fan.  You are also a hop and a skip out the front door to the Children's Museum. www.childrensmuseum.com Admission is $11 per person, regardless of age. And now, until January 31st admission to the neighbouring Canadian Museum for Human Rights (www.humanrights.ca) is just $5.  See for yourself why everyone is calling Winnipeg, one of the hottest destinations and calling The Forks a must-see attraction in 2017.  Check out these video clips of action from in, and around the forks.       View of the main skating area. Red River Mutual Trail       Best kept secret, crowd free skating location at The Forks.         (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});  

Holy moly, Bryan Adams blew the roof off the Keystone Centre tonight with his “Get Up” 2016 tour. The sold out crowd had incredible energy throughout the entire show. Even Adams himself couldn't remember the last time he played in Brandon, so he called this his first show here! This great Canadian artist has had phenomenal success in the music industry with Juno Awards, Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, just to name a few. Adams has also been nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards. Bryan said that “we had a lot of catchin’' up to do!” And he did just that. Bryan Adams played hit after hit and took the crowd for a ride by his career accomplishments through his music spanning from 1980’s to current album “Get Up’”, which was released October 2015. Bryan Adams performed various songs off his 13 studio albums. Bryan Adams voiced his appreciation of the crowd by saying “I love it when you sing....it brings people together!”” Songs included You Belong to Me, Go Down Rockin, Run to You, Heaven, Kids Wanna Rock, Summer of ’69, (Everything I do) I Do It For You, Somebody, Please Forgive Me, Cuts Like a Knife, 18 till I Die, Straight from the Heart and All for Love. He also performed an Elvis Presley rendition of “All Shook Up”. It really was an epic concert for Brandon!   Photo: Crystal Jensen   Photo: Crystal Jensen   Abbey Sellars, of Brandon, was lucky enough to get the set list given to her by one of Bryan Adam's crew members and eventually got it autographed by him.

The 1st ever Ladies Road Trip, a bus trip leaving Brandon for a day filled of fun and Christmas shopping is set to take place on Saturday, December the 3rd. The day begins with a 9:30 am departure from the Tim Hortons South parking lot, and will travel to neighboring communities in Souris, Killarney and Boissevain. Six businesses are included in the days activities: Lagasse Studio, Timeless Treasures, Jaime Lynne's, Metamorphosis Salon and Spa, Community Florists and Gifts, The Station and The Sawmill Coffee and Tea Company. These businesses have sponsored the trip to make it affordable and have included some great exclusive offers for the Swag Bags that each lady will receive. The event is being organized by Jaime Lukacin, owner of Jaime Lynnes, a clothing store in Souris, MB. Jaime tells bdnmb.ca that she came up with the concept shortly after opening her clothing store. She kept thinking what a gem Souris was, and that more people needed to come out to the small communities and experience what they have to offer. One weekend a mother and daughter were shopping in her store and talking about a trip they take each year to the towns surrounding Brandon checking out the local shops. She thought to herself, what a great idea, why can't we do that on a bigger scale with a bus tour. Her goal is that the ladies will have the opportunity to visit some shops that they might not have been to before, and want to come back in the future. “This is a great opportunity to either start of finish your Christmas Shopping or just come and enjoy the day with friends and family” said Jaime. They have have 55 seats to fill and would love for the first trip to sell out. A deluxe motor coach, swag bags, water, exclusive draws, specials and lunch is all included for $25. Tickets are starting to sell quick, cutoff date to get tickets is Wednesday Nov 30th. Contact ladiesroadtrip@gmail.com or Jaime Lynne's for your tickets today!!!!    

Here are 10 tips for capitalizing on Black Friday travel deals. 1) Dust off your credit card and be prepared to book. Deals are snapped up quickly. Wait a day or two and you'll miss out. 2) Know your travel dates and think into the future. Consider booking your Spring Break vacation now. 3) Take time to research. At the very minimum, read recent Trip Advisor reviews before committing your hard earned money. It's no bargain, if the hotel's a dump. 4) When booking hotel reservations, book through their official site. If your plans change, the chain will generally modify the reservation without hassle. 3rd party sites can be nothing but grief when trying to modify a bargain booking. 5) Don't be discouraged if you don't find a Black Friday deal you love. On-line travel deals continue on through Cyber Monday. 6) Follow your favourite brands on Twitter. Like Marriott Hotels? Holiday Inns? Then follow them and be among the first to know about their offers. 7) Read the fine print. Some hotel bargains require full pre-payment. 8) Look back at last year's offers. This will help you predict the deals and give you time to research in advance. For example, Hyatt Hotels offered 25% off bookings, up to a year in advance. 9) Book a repeat visit. Take the stress out of a picking a new destination on short notice, or gambling on a bargain. Instead choose a tried and true favourite. You already know you love it, so if you see a price you can live with, then it's an easy winner. 10. Find a hot deal, but you have to pass? Well, pass it on too! Share your finds with your friends. Maybe it's the right deal for someone else. You're always invited to stop by SheTalksTravel.com. The latest travel deals are posted there, including a bargain to Varadero, Cuba at just $655! (Hotel, flights, taxes and tropical drinks included.)