Celebrate the May long weekend by attending a children's festival or a Little Britches rodeo, all within easy driving range.

The Canmore Children's Festival is an opportunity to set the kids free and to unleash your inner child for a day of fun, laughter and merriment. Storytellers, theatre, comedy, magic, puppets, crafts and games await discovery. Programs at the festival run all day Saturday, May 21st. Check their webpage for details on programs and tickets.

The Cochrane Children's Festival has games and activities for the entire family from 12 - 4 pm on May 21st and includes a one hour show by International Children's Entertainer, Flying Bob! Tickets are $6.

High River is holding its annual Little Britches Rodeo preceeded by the Little Britches Parade. The parade starts a 10:00 am on Monday May 23rd. The rodeo begins at 2 PM. Admission is free, so load up the car and head on down. Participants are aged 3-14 and they put on a really good show.

The library has a great children's book, Little Britches and the Rattlers, about the adventures Little Britches has on her way to the rodeo.

Last week one of our staff shared her secrets for travelling with her son and some of the activities that they enjoyed when visiting Edmonton. This week we'll talk about fun activities for the kids in our fair city.

Calgary Public Library has some great programs on Saturday, May 21. There is a Drop-in Storytime at Country Hills Library at 11:30 and one at Crowfoot at 10:30. Bring the little ones for a half hour of stories, songs, and fingerplays the whole family can enjoy. Ages 2 to 5 with a parent/caregiver. No registration required.

Shaganappi Library is offering an exciting program, Tales from the CYPT, on Saturday, May 21, 3:30 - 4:30. Join us as the troupe of young performers from Calgary Young People's Theatre weave their tales for folks of all ages in this special preview of their upcoming show. You can register online, by phone at 403-260-2620 or in person at any branch.

Heritage Park opens for the summer on Saturday, May 21 with all the usual fun activities. My kids loved a day at the park with the horse-drawn hay-rides, the antique midway and, of course, riding the steam train. No day was complete without a visit to the candy store and the ice cream parlour.

Special events for May 23: The first 500 guests to arrive between 9:30 -10:30am will be treated to Heritage Park’s complimentary pancake breakfast served hot off the grill in Gunn’s Dairy Barn, with regular paid admission. A special Mother Daughter treat might be the traditional Afternoon Tea served at the Wainwright Hotel Tea Room.

The Calgary Zoo is a great place to visit any day of the year. "Giraffes: Behind the Scenes" is a special program which will run on Saturday, May 21st. To make the most of your visit, you can check for times and locations for free Daily Visitor Activities that run every day.

The Telus World of Science has the wonderful exhibit of Titanic artifacts which we went to see on Mother's Day and which was totally fascinating. We each received a boarding pass and became an individual who sailed on the boat. At the end, we found out who survived and who didn't. A sobering experience!

We watched the James Cameron movie, Titanic, the night before. I couldn't believe how accurate the movie was for historic details and the stories of many of the passengers. If you would like even more of the background, the library has Secrets of the Titanic, which is the story of the first undersea explorers to locate, photograph, and explore the wreckage of the ill-fated Titanic.

I wouldn't recommend the exhibit itself for younger kids, but there are related activities for children. The Creative Kids Museum has some special Titanic programs plus there is a new Imagination Playground. I would recommend buying your tickets for the Titanic exhibit in advance. It was busy!!

Summer hours started on May 15 at Royal Tyrrell Museum. Allow yourself 2 - 3 hours for a good visit to see all the dinosaurs in the museum. Some special programs will start on May 21, such as Dinosite, Fossil Casting and the Badlands tour. Visit their website for details on the programs and costs. The museum is open from 9:00 am - 9:00 pm, seven days a week this time of year. And don't forget to stop for a look at Horseshoe Canyon just before you start the long drop down into Drumheller.

And, of course, don't forget Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump for an interesting day trip.

One of my favorite drives is down the scenic Cowboy Trail, and then on to the Crowsnest Pass and the Frank Slide.

Check out this great book, Day Trips from Calgary, for more ideas on places to go and things to see!

When and if spring ever arrives, with summer not far behind, think about touring Canada by bicycle! What a great way to see the country! Check out these great books from Calgary Public Library!!

Ride across Canada with the Metal Cowboy, his wife and three young sons.

Crossing Canada by bicycle means 7,000 km of pedalling over a constantly changing terrain, from the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the flat farming fields of the prairies and through isolated fishing villages in the Maritime provinces. Canada by Bicycle traces the bike tour that Steve did from west to east across Canada in the summer of 2009 and includes lots of good solid tips.

For a shorter trip why not try the Kettle Valley Railroad route in British Columbia?

Closer to home, check out the fantastic bicycle trails in Calgary!

In Calgary's Best Bike Rides and Trails, Lori offers Calgarians the opportunity to explore the city on their bikes, on brand new routes that include smooth pathway pedalling with dips and climbs on hilly side streets, and more adventuresome rides on bumpy dirt paths through wilderness parks. (Syndetics)

Slow travel is all about getting to know a place and connecting with the people. What better way to see a country than to walk the highways and biways?

The library has some great books that you can check out on walking vacations for locations both near and far.

One of our newest is by Countryfile, Great British Walks. This book features 100 unique walks through the British countryside and has clear, easy-to-follow routes and ordnance survey mapping. It includes notes on what you will see and some lovely colour photographs. It has everything from gentle strolls through the countryside to challenging hikes into the wilderness.

"With its strong binding, attractive photographs, and variety of walks, this guide will make a wonderful companion for enthusiastic country walkers. (Library Journal Review)

You can walk through Provence or Paris:

Or perhaps you would like to walk Down Under.

Or you can stay close to home:

Whether you are a meanderer or a serious hiker, there is something here for you. Happy trails!!

Calgary Public Library has some great programs coming up for all ages at the various branches.

Ages 3 - 5 Pre-school Storytime at Fish Creek on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Ages 5 - 9 Readers' Theatre at various libraries on various dates

Ages 6 - 9 Bottle Caps and Booby Traps at Fish Creek on Saturday, March 26

Ages 6 - 9 Treasure Hunt at Fish Creek on Wednesday, March 30

Ages 6 and up Drop-in French Storytime at Memorial Park on Saturdays, March 26 and April 2

Ages 8 - 12 Gaming for Kids at Louise Riley on Thursday, March 31

Any age It's Magic at Bowness on Tuesday, March 29

These are just some of the great programs available. Check them all out on our Program page.

Heritage Park is hosting "Spring Rally in the Alley", from March 26 - April 3, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Take your family on a journey back to the 1930s where you’ll explore, learn and have a blast!

The Telus World of Science is featuring the wonderful display, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which includes special activities for the younger crowd. The Creative Kids' Museum has a new Imagination Playground for the younger folk.

The Calgary Zoo offers "Storytime at the Zoo". Listen to all your favorite zoo / animal stories at The Calgary Zoo! Every Thursday from 11:00 am to 11:30 am. Free with admission. Suitable for 3 - 5 year olds.

The Zoo is also offering "Northern Nights Sleepover" for children ages five and older accompanied by an adult. Experience the mystery and magic of sleeping in the Cequel Energy Lodge in the revamped Northern Nights sleepover program! Enjoy a starlight tour of the Canadian Wilds, games and activities, a late night snack and a special edu-tainment program! Awake to the playful antics of the river otters; enjoy a hot pancake breakfast and a day pass for admission to the zoo.

Saturday, April 2, 7:00 pm - 8:30 am, $60 per person.

Of course, don't forget Head-Smash-in Buffalo Jump, the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Frank Slide Interpretive Centrefor fun, educational daytrips.