Rock and Roll, a term coined by a skinny radio DJ with a big voice in the 1950s. It was controversial at the time, but Alan Freed of WJW 1590AM in Cleveland Ohio was the pioneer in bringing rhythm and blues, jazz, ragtime and the sounds of the south to his radio show. It was called the Moondoggy show, a midnight music show. Rock and Roll was his term.... music plus sex. Imagine the controversy at the time though? First Rock and Roll concert that he organized was met with great criticism, but even greater turn out. The Moondog Coronation Ball was held at the Cleveland Arena on March 21st, 1952. Over 20,000 tried to crowd in and be a part of the groundbreaking event, thus causing the Fire Commissioner to shut it down in the first act. But, Rock and Roll was here to stay! That's the story behind Cleveland Ohio being named the birth place of Rock and Roll. In 1983 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was established. An evolving collection of music artifacts, museum displays and special events, it is a MUST SEE when you visit Cleveland. Admission for an adult and child, was about $40. We stayed a mere three hours, but I could have stayed twice that long. By noon, on a weekday, the place was crowed with retirees and seniors reliving their youth through music. But honestly, whether you were alive in the 1950s or not, there was something that would grab your attention and make you say "wow! Cool!" Elvis, David Bowie, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Jimi Hendrix and so many others have had their stage presence immortalized with displays. The stage fashion was so garish and loud, just like the music. Today's costumes, in the 'modern music' section was equally outrageous. They had the steel ball corset that Lady Gaga wore. All of it, so fabulous to see! There were interactive displays, listening zones, mini-movies, a whole hall of autographs and an enormous gift shop. I thought that a couple of adults, who enjoyed each others company, would have an amazing date night at this place! There's even a cafe on the 3rd floor and indoor/outdoor patio where you can have a glass of wine and a view of the lake. It's situated right at the harbor and next to the Cleveland Browns stadium. So much to see in the area. Each year new members are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The event takes place in April and features a concert jam session. The 2016 class of inductees included the bands Chicago, Cheap Trick and Deep Purple. There is no bad time of the year to visit. Concerts and special events are ongoing. Visit www.rockhall.com for updates and more information. Rock on, Cleveland. Rock on!

Brandon Fire Fighters Charity Fund welcomes Magician - Illusionist Neil Croswell to Brandon for an exciting show on Nov. 4, 2016 at the WMCA. Neil Croswell is an International Illusionist who in 2010 became the youngest person to win gold at the “Canadian Championships of Magic". He has performed across Asia, Europe, and Africa and now he brings his stage illusion show to Brandon in support of a great cause, The Brandon Fire Fighters Charity Fund. Show time is 7:00 pm The Brandon Firefighters Charity Fund is a registered Charity whose sole purpose is to provide financial support to those organizations and individuals within Brandon and the surrounding area that require assistance. Since 1994, the Charity Fund has donated over $200,000 to various individuals, families, and organizations in southwestern Manitoba including: United Way Heart and Stroke Foundation Child and Family Breast Cancer Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Association Big brothers and Big Sisters YMCA Kids Programs Brandon General Hospital Foundation Helping Hands Individual families in need and More! Tickets available by calling 1 855 478 6309! Come enjoy the magical illusions and support your Brandon Fire Fighters Charity Fund.  

New Leaf Airlines is boasting about $59 one way flights to Edmonton, from Winnipeg. While they have a catchy headline, I'm reluctant to get on board with their low-cost, bare bones offerings. When things sound too good to be true, they often are. First of all, they charge for carry on luggage. So, haul that shaving kit and a change of clothes with you in a sports bag and it will cost you a minimum of an additional $31 per one way flight. Now that flight is up to $90 per one way. If you didn't understand that you pay for carry-on baggage when you booked on-line, they will ding you an extra $10 or so at the airport check-in desk. With this in mind, no doubt, Westjet has engaged in little price matching. They have done it silently and without big ads flashing $99 to Edmonton. But it's there. In fact, it's there every day in September. I looked. You can book the Westjet bargain directly on their website, or, you can book yourself a package and get an even better deal through Expedia.ca. When you bundle flight and hotel, there's additional savings. It's like paying regular price for the flight and getting your hotel stay FREE. I looked. So, in reality, you can take a weekend trip to Edmonton for $300 ($600 per couple) and that includes both flights and hotel, plus all that taxes. Kinda ridiculous, isn't it? And awesome! Why doesn't the same flight deal apply to Brandon departures? New Leaf doesn't have a Brandon route, so there is no need for Westjet to undercut the price on this route. Air Canada ignored New Leaf's entrance into the market, until just very recently. They had not previously acknowledged or discounted the matching routes....until now. I see today that Air Canada is also offering $99 one way YWG to YEG. Why would you book with Westjet, or Air Canada and not New Leaf? Well, and this isn't just my opinion, it's fact. New Leaf doesn't fly each route every day. In fact, they only fly this Winnipeg/Edmonton route on Thursdays and Sundays. And since the same plane (they have a very limited fleet) works other routes, it could get stuck in Hamilton or Abbotsford, for example. If your scheduled departure is delayed, it could be affected for several days. So, in this case (fleet) size really does matter. Westjet and Air Canada can typically get you out within a few hours, regardless of the issue. Secondly, I appreciate the opportunity to bundle hotel flight, for additional savings. Since New Leaf is only booking their own flights, and not using re-sellers like Expedia, there is no opportunity for package savings. Therefore I recommend the Westjet/AC/Expedia bargain like I have shown here in the photos. Expedia has all kinds of hotels at a variety of price points to choose from. I show a few in the screen-shot example.   Lastly, track record and customer service. I'm a low-risk traveler. I like the assurance of experienced pilots, mechanics and customer service agents. No problem should ever be 'uncharted territory' when I'm counting on people and equipment. I also appreciate the convenience of (multiple times) daily flights. I can't afford to get stuck in Edmonton (or anywhere else) because I got a 'great deal.'    

An all day music festival is set to wrap up the 2016 Summer Lights Concert Series in Brandon as more than a dozen musical acts are set to take the stage this Saturday, September the 10th. Located on the Keystone Centre grounds, the festival features headliners includes Said The Whale, Joel Plaskett, and Terra Lightfoot. Said the Whale is a Vancouver based indie rock band who won a Juno award for Best New Band in 2011. The festival will also feature many Manitoba and local artists including the Crooked Brothers, Sol James, Slow Leaves and Mitchell Mozden. A free grant-writing workshop for local musicians will be held prior to the festival’s start on the morning of Saturday, September 10th Music starts at noon and continues on throughout the day with the last show (Said The Whale) scheduled to hit the stage at 11:00 pm. This all day, family friendly event is licensed and FREE overnight camping is available on the Keystone grounds on the 10th. On-site food and refreshment vendors will also be available. Full festival lineup: summerlightsmusicfestival.com/the-lineup/.

Air Canada has surprised Winnipeggers with a one-day sale on flights.  And before you yawn and dismiss it as "just another sale" what would you say to these prices?  Seattle $324 Boston $296 Halifax $439 Victoria, BC $237   There are, I'm certain, many many more bargains to be had. Even out of the ordinary destinations like Yellowknife are on sale from Winnipeg. ($437).    Prices noted above are return flights, and INCLUDE taxes. See why it's a bargain worth dropping everything to write about?    These prices are for flights in October, some deals are also available in September and early November.    Westjet has jumped in and has offered a few gems too. The best deal I say there was from Winnipeg to Moncton, NB $332 tax in. Yes, can you even imagine flying to the Maritimes cheaper than it typically costs to fly to Edmonton? Bargain!  (Oct 24th-Nov 1st)    The booking window closes at midnight September 1st. Visit Aircanada.com for more details and specific routes.    To see these deals and more, you can also join the Facebook group She Talks Travel.