Gettin’ Carried Away

It’s always a good idea to have a passport just in case, one day, you decide you want to take a trip to another country. The first time I left the U.S. and visited Canada, I didn’t need a passport. However, this was pre-September 11th, and laws have become a lot more strict since then. Wherever you plan to go outside the U.S., you’d better make sure you have your passport in hand.

How do I go about getting a U.S. passport?

• An easy way to apply for a passport is to visit any U.S. Post Office and ask for a form. You must apply for a passport in person at an Acceptance Facility or a Passport Agency.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

• Bring an official birth certificate with a raised seal. If you don’t have an official birth certificate, contact your state government to learn how to order one.
• Photo identification is needed (state ID or drivers license).
• Two official passport photos. These can be taken directly at the post office or at Walgreens.

Do I have to pay for a passport?

• YES. You do have to pay for a passport. Visit this site to see the specific fees.

How long does it take to get a passport?

• The time it takes to get a passport varies depending on the post office’s workload. For example, the summer is a very busy travel season. It is recommended to apply for a passport at least 10 weeks before your trip.

How long is my passport valid?

• If you are 16 or older when the passport is issued, then it is valid for 10 Years.
• If you are 15 or younger when the passport is issued, then it is valid for 5 Years.

When should I renew my passport?

• You should renew your passport about nine months before it expires. Some countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your trip. Therefore, some airlines will now allow you to board if certain requirements are not met.

Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite season. In Chicago, the warm summer breezes evolve into crisp autumn chills. The fresh green leaves on the trees begin to change into bright yellows, vibrant oranges and radiant reds. October happens to be my favorite month. And sometimes, you don’t have to travel far to discover new, exciting places.

I live near Chicago. The city and its surrounding suburbs boast hundreds of activities year-round. So when my favorite season arrives each year, I start planning day trips to the Loop, to suburban farmer’s markets and to family farm lands. My first Fall activities were apple picking and pumpkin patching (as I like to call it) at the Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park, IL.

I usually work on Sundays, but I was lucky enough to have the day off on one of the most beautiful days this October. Some of my co-workers and I originally planned to go to the Chicago Bears football game, but tickets were rather expensive. Instead, we chose to spend the day at Kuipers searching the orchard for juicy apples and scouring several patches for perfectly round pumpkins.

Kuipers Family Farm is nestled a little over an hour from the Loop on 230 sprawling acres of open land! The best features of the farm during September and October include the U-Pic Apple Orchard and the U-Pic Pumpkin Patch. A small store offers a host of goodies including spices, jams, syrups, holiday decorations and more! There’s also a bakery inside the store. Freshly baked doughnuts and pies are on the menu, as well as pasteurized apple cider.

A combo ticket for the orchard and the pumpkin patch costs $14. This pass entitles you to a short hay ride around the orchard, a 1/4 peck bag of U-Pic apples and entrance into the pumpkin patch. Because the apples had already ripened earlier in the month, staff members of the farm did most of the picking long before we entered the orchard. So instead of picking apples from the trees, we were searching through wooden crates. The experience was still great for me, though, and I loaded up my 1/4 peck bag with as many Honey Crisp apples as I could carry!

On to the pumpkin patch! One thing you should know before paying for the patch is that each pumpkin costs $.39 per pound. There are no signs posted at the entrance, and we didn’t figure this out until we exited the patch at a barn, complete with a weigh station and several checkout counters. My pumpkins were a great price, though! And I was able to wander around two separate patches to find them! I walked away with three 15-pound pumpkins and four baby pumpkins for about $26.

Finally, the best part of the farm, for me anyway, is the store! The bakery’s specialty is a locally famous apple cider doughnut topped with one of four coatings: cinnamon sugar, chocolate glazed, vanilla glazed and apple spice glazed. I ordered a chocolate and a vanilla, and boy was I satisfied! The doughnut just melts into your mouth upon the first bite. And if you are lucky enough to get to the farm in the morning, you can enjoy warm, gooey toppings on the fresh-out-of-the-oven doughnuts.

I also purchased a pound of decadent chocolate fudge, a trio of caramel apples and a glass bottle of Vidalia onion tomato salad dressing. I could spend hundreds of dollars in that store on baked goods and fresh spices, dressings, syrups and more!

After you have surprised yourself by finding a ridiculously cheap flight, you have to worry about where you are going to, as my mom used to jokingly say, “sh**, shower and shave.” If you didn’t book a total travel package, don’t panic! Sometimes it’s cheaper to book a flight and a hotel separately. And unless you plan on traveling far outside the city, I never recommend renting a car. Anyway - back to the hotel search!

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One of the best sites I ever stumbled upon was New York Habitat. I first discovered the company when I became a freelance writer for them. It’s a very interesting business! NYH offers you the chance to stay in more personal accommodations than those offered by hotels. These furnished vacation rentals can be rented for 3 days up to 3 months!

In New York, some of these rentals go for $170 - $200 a night! The rates at my favorite hotel in SoHo, the Holiday Inn, start around $300. And it is one of the cheaper hotels I’ve stayed in! The only down side of New York Habitat is that you can only utilize their services if you are traveling to New York, Paris, South of France, London or Rome. But it’s still a great site!

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I have also used Hostel World on many occasions. If you are traveling with a group of friends, this is an especially good service to use. If you don’t know the difference between a hostel and a hotel, I’ll tell you realy quick. A hotel room is private, while hostel rooms typically vary from semi-private to openly communal. By staying in a hostel, you are choosing to stay in a room with anywhere from 2 to 20 people, sharing a bathroom, a common area and either a dining hall or a kitchen.

You can book affordable hostel accommodations on Hostel World in virtually any city in the world! I just checked my hometown, Chicago, to see some current prices. I found a dorm room for as low as $22 per night and a private room for $25.66! Private rooms will always be more expensive, but sometimes you get lucky, and the price difference is only a few dollars, euros or pounds. And don’t forget - if you are student studying abroad, there will usually be deals. Your hostel will also most likely have coupons for nearby restaurants, bars and clubs.

Even if you’re not lucky enough to still be in school, just keep an eye out. There’s always a hidden deal somewhere!