So it seems as though we are having what I refer to as a travelers funk; by that I mean it seems impossible to get away either because of finances, work or family obligations. 

In order to get over the slump, instead of planning an elaborate get away that costs a lot and requires a couple of weeks vacation, we have begun taking mini vacations instead.

Normally our mini vacations include 2-3 days of either camping or attending different events & activites. There have been times when we have taken the motorcycle out for a day trip or driven the distance to attend an event in a different area. All these things have the 'getaway feel', are less expensive and make you feel like you have done something exciting and worthwhile with your time away from work. 

So don't be to upset if you can't take that 2 week vacation right away...stay positive, whether spontaneously or by planning ahead; you can feel fresh and relaxed even with the simple pleasures of a Mini Vacation.

 

How many of our readers out there like to ski &/or snowboard? If so; you should definitely think about coming to the Canadian Rockies. Jasper, Banff, etc.

This past weekend we decided to pack up the truck and head out ourselves for a little mini vacation. Because of the shifts we work, we were able to leave on the Thursday, ski both Friday and Saturday and return on the Sunday. It was great!

We didn't get in Jasper until late Thursday night but everything was prearranged for us as we decided to try the You Drive, You Save package from Downhill Riders in Edmonton. Check out www.downhillriders.com .The hotel rooms were booked and paid for, lift tickets were organized as well as all the info and details received before leaving.

We decided not to rush the weekend but instead really enjoy it and relax. We slept until 8am both days and had a nice breakfast before hitting the slopes. It was a beautiful weekend with temps from -1 to -4 and the skiing/ boarding was awesome. The Apres Ski hot tub and champagne was just what the body needed after the day on the hill and there were also a number of activities taking place in Jasper as it was the "Jasper in Januray" event.

There is a fantastic pizza place, great for woodfired pizza which we always hit while in Jasper, there were some bands playing, numerous buffets as well as a wine, alcohol and appetizer tasting event.

Overall, the weekend was fabulous. It was relaxing, the skiiing was invigorating and the events very gratifying. We have decided to try and incorporate more of these events into our lifestyle and why  not? everyone needs a mini vacation once in awhile.
 

So it's 2010- another New Year full of vacation dreams for all you travelers out there. So where are you going? Have you thought about your vacation plans already or are you playing it spontaneously?

We had an awesome year of travel here at Complete Holiday Deals. Our first trip last March was to the little town of Reggio Emilia in Italy and although shorter than we would have liked it was great. Quiet, relaxing and not to busy. Just what we needed at the time.

We did miss out on a ski trip to Japan with Downhill Riders which we regretted but with the uncertainty of our jobs at that time it just wasn't logical. In the end, we had a very full and busy year work wise and didn't get much time off during the summer months, kind of sad considering we live in Canada and don't get to enjoy nearly as much warm weather as we would like, but alas the work paid off because in the months from September onward to December we took three vacations......well deserved I might add......yippee!

In September I flew back home for two weeks to Newfoundland which was a very rejuvenating experience. I relaxed at home, got babied by mom and dad and was well relaxed when I returned back to work. Another month passed and we boarded a plane for our next adventure with Go Ahead Tours to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and what an adventure it was! It was one of the most wonderful vacations I have ever been on, full of experiences, adventures and amazing scenery.

Last but not least is again another trip back home to Newfoundland  for Christmas and New Years. There is nothing quite like a newfie Christmas.... :-0. Time with Family is a must, having jiggs dinner for Christmas day another, drinks are plentiful, music and dancing galore and we even rocked it out on George Street for New Years 2010.

This along with a few of our very own miny vacations, such as weekends camping with the kids, driving through the Rockie mountains, a girls shopping weekend in Edmonton and much more led to a very exciting 2009. 

Since it's obvious we believe in the quote "To Travel is to Live" we have made traveling one of our resolutions yet again this year. Stay tuned to see which exciting place we visit next and let us know about your own travel plans- we'd love to hear about them.

Until next time,
Safe and Happy Travels

So we are back in Canada from our trip Down Under and completely satisfied with the experience. We did a 24 day tour of Australia including Cairns, Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Melbourne & Sydney continuing on to New Zealand which included Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Rotorua & Auckland as well as finishing up in Nadi, Fiji.
 

It was a truly exceptional experience. We took over 1000 pictures. Our tour guide was sensational and the scenery phenominal. We found the tour through www.goaheadtours.com; highly reccomended. Check them out for a more detailed itinerary.

There is really too much to talk about in one blog so this is just a general "been there, it was fabulous and you should go blog". There will be other blogs or possibly additional pages to the site based on what we did, where we ate, where we stayed, etc.

So be sure to stay posted!
Once again Happy Travels!