Travel Ideas

by: William Manor

A valid passport is necessary for U.S. citizens to enter nearly 80% of the world?s countries and highly recommended in most of the others as definitive proof of one?s identity and citizenship.
If you answer yes to any one of the following, you should apply for a new passport.

Are you applying for a U.S. passport for the first time?
Was your previous U.S. passport lost, stolen, or damaged?
Has your previous U.S. passport expired and was it issued more than 15 years ago?
Has your previous passport expired and was it issued when you were under 16?
Has your name changed since your passport was issued and you don?t have a legal document formally changing your name?

To apply for a new passport, you need to provide the six items below.
1. Completed Form-DS11, Application for Passport.
The form can be downloaded at the U.S. Department of State web site or the sites of many travel agencies and travel document expediters.
When filling out the form, check everything twice. Don?t sign the application until you do so in the presence of an acceptance agent.
2. Proof of U.S. Citizenship.
The two most frequently used documents to prove citizenship are a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate. There are three things to look for on a certified birth certificate: a registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal; the registrar?s signature; and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office, which must be within 1 year of your birth.
If you don?t have either of the documents above, you can provide a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Naturalization Certificate or a Certificate of Citizenship.
Voter registration cards and army discharge papers are not acceptable proof of citizenship.
3. Proof of identity.
A previous U.S. passport can also serve to prove your identity. If you don?t have one, you can provide a Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, a current, valid Driver?s license, government ID or military ID.
4. Two passport photos.
The two photos must be 2 x 2 inches, identical, taken within the last 6 months, show a full face, front view and have a plain white or off-white background. You should dress in normal street attire. Hats, headgear, dark glasses and uniforms, except for religious retire that is worn daily, are not acceptable. Prescription glasses with clear lenses are.
5. Applicable fees.
Age 16 and older: The passport fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.
Under Age 16: The passport fee is $40. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $82.
When you apply at one of the thousands of designated application acceptance facilities in the U.S., you pay the passport fee and the security surcharge to the U.S. Department of State and the execution fee to the facility where you are applying. Acceptable forms of payment vary.
The fees are non-refundable.
6. Social security number.
Failure to provide your Social Security Number could result in a $500 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service.
If your passport was lost or stolen, you must also provide a completed Form DS-64: Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport.
Gather the documents. Appear at the acceptance facility. Pay the fees. If everything goes well, your new passport should be processed and returned to you in about 6 weeks.

About The Author

William Manor of U.S. Passport Service Guide ( http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/newpassportarticle) reviews private travel document expediters and provides comprehensive passport, visa and destination information for international travelers.

by: Genevieve Frederick

Motor homes usually have a driver, a passenger, maybe a few kids and at least one dog. It?s a prerequisite that to own a motor home you need at least one dog. Don?t be surprised when you see RV dealers matching a breed to a particular model in the future.
Taking a RV trip with your pooch should and will be pleasant if you:

Keep your dog safe; put his leash on before you open the door. Dogs are excited as soon as their home on the road stops and they want out! But not every place you stop will be safe; on coming traffic, glass on the side of the road, and other dogs near by could cause your dog to run on to the road.
Carry a health certificate issued by our veterinarian that clearly identifies the dog and certifies that the dog have been vaccinated against rabies during the preceding 36-month period. This is a must if you plan to travel from the United States to Canada. Different Canadian provinces may have different requirements. Be sure to contact the government of the provinces you plan to visit. It is rare to need the health certificate when traveling in the 48 states but if there is an incident both the certificate and the rabies vaccination certificate could help a bunch.
Respect all the rules of campsites and parks. That can mean a special Poop Park or a Dog Run Area and leash rules. You don?t want to be asked to move on if your dog misbehaves or is running amuck. Dogs in a new strange place will follow their nose so keep that leash on so he will not get lost. And be prepared to pay extra for your pooch. Some camps and parks have a ?dog fee.?
Always carry poop bags (zip lock sandwich plastic bags for smaller breeds and larger plastic bags for bigger breeds). The trick, using the zip lock bags, is to turn the bag inside out, pick up the poop, turning the bag right side again and zip the contents (and smell) closed. Always try to locate the nearest dumpster or trash can instead of bringing it back into your motor home.
D-rings are great! Hook it on his leash and then hook the D-ring to your belt loop. You?ll have both hands free. When in camp, tie a long rope to a boulder, picnic table, tree or the bumper of the motor home and tie the other end to the hand rail just outside the RV door. Next time your pooch needs to go out, get his leash, clamp on the D-ring and hook it on the rope and out he goes like a little paratrooper. D-rings make it easy to tie up the dog when you go into a store or shop. Just loop the leash around any post or tree and use the D-ring to secure the dog; this prevents those knots that seem to get tighter by the minute as your dog pulls on the leash.
When you go on a tour or shopping and have to leave your pooch in the RV make sure you leave the vents open, have fresh water out, and a few puddle pads on the floor just in case there is an accident. Open windows can become an escape route; right through the screen and a long way down to the ground, so only leave the windows open an inch.
The inside of a motor home is usually small and dogs do not get out as much as if they were at home. Brush your dog outside to remove dander, and loose fur, it?s much easier to let the wind take it away than to clog up your vacuum.
If you?re on the road for long periods check the local yellow pages for a dog groomer in the town you are visiting. Or ask at the campground or RV Park for a recommendation of a nearby groomer. A better solution than doggy day care, while you tour a museum or go to a ball game your dog will be pampered and clean when you pick him up.
Give your dog a special place, like a dog carrier or a dog pad or bed this provides him with a secure and comfortable place when he is feeling scared or tired.
If your dog gets nervous or anxious while traveling try Dramine? and St. John?s Worth. Ask your vet for the amounts to be given based on your pooch?s body weight.

Dogs enrich our lives in everyway and they deserve a road trip too. Besides, they?re a lot easier than kids and dogs don?t keep saying over and over ?Are we there yet?? or ?where?s McDonald?s?? The only draw back, dogs can?t use the bathroom so they compel us to ?stop and smell the roses? every so often.

About The Author

Frederick is the Publisher at Paw Publishing, Inc. The newest title ?Happy Tails ? Hilarious Helpful Hints for Dog Owners,? is a rib-tickling look at why we both love and are puzzled by our four-footed friends by Dr. Gary L. Ailes. Subscribe at http://www.pawpublishing.com and receive by email his free handy checklist ?Dog Poisons and Other Items to Avoid.? Contact Dr. Ailes at dogdoctor@pawpublishing.com.
publisher@pawpublishing.com

by: Monil Salisti

* Tips For Buying Gold
1. Buy from someone you know or with a solid reputation.
2. Look for a store with a quality-assurance program that tests its own pieces for purity. You don*t have to shop at Tiffany*s to go for the real gold. Many major stores have testing programs, too.
3. If the piece has a trademark, like Nike or a sports team logo, it must have a license stamp on the back. If the jewelry maker is willing to steal a trademark, experts say, they may be willing to short you on gold.
4. Look at the workmanship. If the edges are frayed, or it just looks cheap, it probably is under-karated.
5. And if you really want to make sure you*ve got legitimate gold, you can have your pieces X-rayed at a quality- assurance lab, like the one *20/20* used, for around $20.
* Under-Karating Now Rife Among Discount Jewelry Offers
In many countries (the US for example) anything less than 10 karats — or about 42 percent real gold — can*t legally be sold as gold.
Yet the reality is that with gold sales rising rapidly *under-karating* is a very common problem even though it*s not widely known.
The worst cheating occurs with the less expensive 10-karat and 14-karat pieces, and the problem isn*t easy to resolve because by simply looking at a piece of gold there is really no way to tell the difference between 10-karat and 8-karat.
Recently *20/20* bought several *discount* gold jewelry articles in New York and had them tested by the American Assay and Gemological Office - the lab that does quality assurance checks on jewelry from Tiffany*s.
The result: None of the 3 jewelry pieces they tested actually met the minimum 10-karat as advertised!
* Here*s A Quick Guide To Gold *Purity*
24K gold is pure gold.
18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold.
12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called *gold* in the United States.
European Markings European gold jewelry is marked with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold, such as:
18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
12K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%

About The Author

Monil Salisti is the owner of Full Jewelry, a great online jewelry resource. For more information, visit: http://www.fulljewelry.com/.