Several months ago I lost my passport.
Fortunately, I found it two weeks ago, buried beneath a pile of papers in a desk drawer.
If you haven't heard, the deadline for passports for folks traveling by air in the Western Hemisphere is today, January 23, 2007.
There has been plenty of controversy surrounding it, as is reflected in this article from MSMBC.
Trust me, it's a hassle living without a passport.
On three occasions when my passport was "lost," I went to Canada.
Not only did I have to obtain a copy of my birth certificate to accompany my driver's license, I felt like I was being scrutinized more intensely than when I carried my passport.
And then there's the high security at the Amtrak station in Vancouver, BC.
Several weeks ago, while returning from Vancouver to Everett aboard the 6 PM train, I was given the thrice over during the pre-boarding screening process.
The big problem? I couldn't turn on my laptop as requested -- the battery had died. And of course I didn't bring my charger with me.
"Why would you bring your laptop with you without your battery?" asked an official.
"Well, because I had several hours of work to do, and it was still charged," I replied.
He wasn't letting me off easy, saying I would somehow have to plug it in and show him what was on there.
Note: My last hassle with my laptop was also at Amtrak in Vancouver, when one of the agents questioned my "lack of icons" on my screen.
"I have a Mac, it's not PC friendly," I said.
After mumbling and grumbling, he sent me over to a table and told me to open it up.
"I really don't think it's an issue," I said.
That really got to him and after chatting with his colleagues, he let me pass to board the train.
So always travel with your passport. Always take your laptop charger. And make sure you have plenty of icons.
And if you are traveling to Canada, read more about the air and land requirements on about.com.
If making your own facial products isn't working anymore, try one of the newest advanced facials available.
The Guinot Hydradermie Facial is perfect for those whose skin needs a "lift."
The treatment is designed to target the deepest levels of dehydration in the skin by using an advanced facial machine to gently massage and penetrate the specialized gels into the inner layers of the skin.
It's now being offered at Le Petit Spa in Vancouver, BC. For an introductory price of $105 CDN (regular $120 CDN), you may see the following benefits to your skin:
Increased moisture content
Diminished fine lines and wrinkles
Reduction of toxins and excess fluids
Plumper and revitalized skin
Le Petit Spa is open seven days a week and located on the corner of Broadway and Alma in the Kitsilano/Point Grey area of Vancouver.
For more information, call 604.224.4314.
If you're a fan of Tojo's Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, get ready for a new venue.
Chef Hidekazu Tojo of Tojo's Restaurant has moved from his current locale at 777 West Broadway and will reopen at 1133 West Broadway.
The new restaurant, designed by sculptor and architect Colin Kwok of Azurean Architecture, reopens for dinner on Jan. 15, 2007.
The design blends spatial zen dynamics, crisp modern forms and an underlying Japanese sensibility in its subtle colours and custom designed chairs.
You'll find real plants, natural wood and stone and no MSG.
The 6,500 sq. ft. restaurant features an open kitchen located behind the sushi bar. The ceiling has 35 acoustic baffles, each one symbolizing a year that Tojo has been in Canada.
The restaurant includes a sake lounge and bar, four private tatami booths, three small private rooms and a large private room seating up to 30 guests (complete with its own rock fireplace and outdoor garden area).
For reservations, call 604.872.8050.
Two of the Pacific Northwest's most popular parks were affected by recent storms.
Stanley Park, located in Vancouver, BC, had more than 3,000 of its trees destroyed during the Dec. 15, 2006 windstorm.
Pictured above is one of the park's Western Red Cedars.
The cost of rehabbing the urban park is estimated to be $2 million CAD.
To read more about the efforts to raise money for the park's recovery, read the Jan. 3, 2007 article in The Vancouver Sun.
In Washington State, Mount Rainier National Park is officially closed due to a November 2006 storm. There is limited access on weekends.
The current damage estimate is $36 million, as reported in a Jan. 10, 2007 article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Washington Trails Association and the Student Conservation Association are organizing trail rebuilding in the park. Washington's National Park Fund is accepting donations.
Mount Rainier climbing ranger Mike Gauthier will be making two slide show presentations to the public and answering questions about damage to the park:
Friday, Jan. 19, 7:30 PM at the Tacoma Mountaineers (2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma)
Friday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 PM at The Mountaineers (300 Third Ave. W., Seattle)
As it does every year, Washington State Ferries' Anacortes to Sidney, BC route shuts down for the winter season. Its last run was Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007.
Travel from Anacortes to Vancouver Island will be suspended Jan. 7 through March 31, 2007. Service will resume on Sunday, April 1, 2007.
For travel to Vancouver Island, BC Ferries departs from the Tsawwassen ferry south of Vancouver, BC. Sailings are approximately every two hours. Check their website for details.
Other options are Black Ball Transport, where the M.V. Coho departs from Port Angeles to downtown Victoria. Sailings are once a day in January and twice daily in February and March.
And there's always the Clipper from downtown Seattle to Victoria, which is for passengers only.
Citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda will have to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere on Jan. 23, 2007.
This is the first phase of a two-pronged plan of the Departments of State and Homeland Security, as the result of 9/11 Commission recommendations which the US Congress passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
The full regulations may be viewed at www.regulations.gov.
A separate proposed rule regarding travel by land and sea will be published at a later date. As early as Jan. 1, 2008, US citizens traveling between the US and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda by land or sea could be required to present a valid US passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2006, the Department of State issued a record 12.1 million passports to US citizens, and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in 2007.
For more information about how to apply for a passport, go to travel.state.gov or call 877.487.2778.
If you're planning to travel this year, don't go without Rick!
Rick Steves will be speaking at two of his all all-day European Travel Festivals in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, March 10, 2007. February 3, 2007
European Travel Skills with Rick Steves
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
European Rail Skills Seminar
Time: 9-10:15 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Croatia & Slovenia with Cameron Hewitt
Time: 10-11:45 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Italy with Rick Steves
Time: 12-2 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
France with Steve Smith
Time: 12-1:15 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Packing Light & Right With Ann Neel
Time: 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Simple French for Travel with Josette Hendrix
Time: 1:45-3:15 p.m.
Location: Travel Center Classroom
Great Britain with Rick Steves
Time: 3-4:15 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Ireland with Pat O'Connor
Time: 4:30-6 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theatre
MARCH 10, 2007
European Travel Skills with Rick Steves
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
Ireland with Pat O'Connor
Time: 9-10:15 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
European Rail Skills Seminar
Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Packing Light & Right with Joan Robinson
Time: 12-1:30 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
Eastern Europe with Cameron Hewitt
Time: 12-1:15 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Great Britain with Paul Orcutt
Time: 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Italy with Rick Steves
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
Italy's Art Treasures with Gene Openshaw
Time: 3-4:15 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Simple Italian for Travel with Josette Hendrix
Time: 4:30-6 p.m.
Location: Rick Steves' Travel Center
France with Steve Smith
Time: 4:30-6 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
Germany, Austria & Switzerland with Rick Steves
Time: 4:30-6 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Theater
Europe's Back Doors: A Tour of Rick's Favorite Places
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
All classes are free but you must register in advance. Click on Rick Steves Travel Festivals for more details.
Vancouver has a variety of dining choices. Photo by Sue Frause.
Dine Out Vancouver 2007 offers consumers a record number of restaurants at three great price points for 17 delicious days.
From January 19 to February 4, food lovers will have the opportunity to sample an impressive assortment of menu choices from the 156 participating restaurants.
The $15, $25 or $35 CAD three-course prix fixe menus (exclusive of taxes, gratuity and alcohol) and their suggested BC VQA wine pairings are now available at Tourism Vancouver's website.
Because the annual event has become so popular, diners are encouraged to book reservations early to avoid disappointment.
New this year is a partnership with OpenTable. Consumers can now make reservations for Dine Out Vancouver online at a third of the participating restaurants via www.tourismvancouver.com, making it easier to secure that coveted reservation in real time.
Diners wanting to extend the fun can spend the night at a selection of hotels offering packages that include one night’s accommodation (double occupancy), a Dine Out Vancouver dinner for two in the hotel’s dining room, and other value-added amenities such as welcome gifts, breakfast, a complimentary bottle of wine and parking.
Packages are available from $129 CAD (approximately $111 USD) per night. Participating hotels include the Pacific Palisades Hotel, The Westin Grand Vancouver, The Georgian Court Hotel, Delta Vancouver Suites, Fairmont Waterfront, Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, Comfort Inn Downtown and the Plaza 500 Hotel Vancouver.
Packages are available at www.tourismvancouver.com
