The sun has been warming up this side of the world and the snow has already melted and so it is time for the hiking and biking season. Many have brought out their bikes and their hiking shoes to scour the trails around town and in the nearby cities. And because of these, many of bike stores and sports shops around town have on-going specials and sales on bike and sports accessories like bike accessories, hiking shoes, even plus size sport bras for women who would also go biking and hiking.

As much as we would love to explore the other parts of this town, we could not do so because we don’t have bikes. Hubby and I do plan to buy a bike and a carrier so that we can bring the little boys with us and have a bike ride around town. As for hiking, I still have to check on the trails here because I know there are so many trails for hiking here. Hopefully, one of these days, before Spring ends, we can buy bikes for us.

Victoria Day is celebrated in Canada on the last Monday before May 25 in honor of Queen Victoria. It is also (sometimes) considered as the beginning of Summer in Canada. Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday so that means banks, malls, federal agencies, schools and other establishments are closed. However, some tourist attractions are open on Victoria Day like the Toronto Zoo, Eaton Centre, Royal Ontario Museum and other attractions. The birthday of Queen Victoria is celebrated with fireworks and parades and is a long weekend. It is also termed as Firecracker Day in Ontario.

This is my family’s first time to celebrate Victoria Day here in Canada since we arrived last year. So we are all excited to see what’s going to happen and where we will be heading.

We all know that summer is just a few weeks away. Students, families, individuals, groups and even companies are all excited to pack their bags and head to the beaches in the Caribbean, or to explore the wildlife in Africa, or to see the ruins of the Inca temples in Mexico, or experience a different culture in Asia. And now is the best time to prepare for that much-awaited and well-deserve vacation. But with the times getting hard and with budget and financial constraints, everyone wants to save even with their flights, accommodations, even car rental and souvenirs.

That is also my concern, as a family, we love to travel and explore places and being new here in Canada, I have to make sure that I am able to stay within budget. Thankfully there are online travel agencies such Flightnetwork.com where I can find cheap flights to many destinations around the globe.

Although we have already planned for our summer travel in Niagara, I still want to spend a few days in British Columbia and visit my cousin and aunt there and let the little boys see their relatives for the first time. Yes, I know that it means shelving out extra money for that, but the fun, memories and the joys of reunion is priceless.

As for travel outside Canada, I still have a lot of time to prepare for that, I can book ahead for cheap flights and save more. I will definitely take my family to a place where we will have good memories! Can’t wait… and with online travel agencies like Flightnetwork.com, summer travel plans are made easier.

Buying souvenirs is what most of us do when we travel. Aside from the hundreds of photos taken during the vacation, souvenirs are keepsakes of that beach paradise or that plush hotel or that amusement park that you and your family had been to. Souvenirs can come in any different form, size, shape and price of course.

I like to buy travel souvenirs, I particularly like fridge magnets or mugs with the name of the place that I have been too. Sometimes, I buy tees and small items that bears the name of our destination. That way, every time I see that souvenir, I am reminded of our travel and the fun times we had. One time, hubby wanted to buy the honduran cigars that were in a cigar store (as a souvenir and gift to a friend) because he knew that it would be a unique way to remember our visit to that place.

I have already collected several souvenirs from our travels and from friends and relatives from other places who bring them. This time, in a new country, I hope to be able to buy at least one souvenir to every place we go here. I will make sure that I have a budget for that since most of the souvenirs here are expensive, so there must be something for that.

How about you, do you collect or buy travel souvenirs?