TSA ‘Trusted Travelers’ . . . maybe yes, . . .maybe no

It seemed appropriate to board a plane displaying Disney’s Goofy and Mickey Mouse after our first experience with TSA’s PreCheck ‘Trusted Travelers’ program at SeaTac Airport.

Weeks ago I told you about our application, fee payment and screening (both on paper and in person) and our ultimate acceptance into the United State’s international travelers’ Global Entry program. Global Entry participants automatically qualify for TSA’s Precheck, and its ‘trusted travelers’ faster security lanes (which had just opened at SeaTac when I wrote about the programs).

In fact, our recent introduction to ‘fast track’ on our Alaska Airlines flight to Arizona was so “Goofy"  that I wasn’t even going to tell you about it.  I figured somehow we – or Alaska – had goofed up.
  
Welcome to “Trusted Traveler”


I was the only passenger using the  fast track lane being manned by three TSA agents (who watched me closely) as I sailed through – wearing jacket and shoes, with computer and the quart-sized plastic bag of liquids tucked in the carryon. It went through the x-ray machine, I walked through the metal detector.  One minute max.

Joel, on the other hand, was sent to the slow – take-off-shoes-coats-belt-empty-pockets line – because the TSA agent said his ‘trusted traveler’ number didn’t appear in the boarding pass bar code.  He couldn’t ‘fast track’.  Twenty minutes later after his lane snaked its way through the screening we were off to the gate.

"We must have done something wrong. . ."


Agreeing that we’d done something wrong, Joel talked with Alaska mileage plan representatives who offered some possible reasons that the number which shows clearly on his computer profile didn’t print. Seemed odd, since mine did.

 Mystery solved


It was recent media articles that cleared up the mystery for us.  It wasn’t us.  Others in the program are having the same experiences and what’s more. . .

It is supposed to work that way!


You see a  ‘trusted traveler’ really isn’t trusted – not all the time, anyway.

We’d been told there’s always a chance of ‘random and unpredictable security measures’.  And what that means is that a certain number of ‘trusted’ travelers don’t know until their boarding pass is scanned whether they will be allowed to use the ‘fast track’ line or not. 

Good for security but bad for streamlining that process when one of a traveling duo is ‘trusted’ and the other one is not.

Now we read in  the Seattle Times that the TSA is expanding its ‘trusted traveler’ program at SeaTac to allow participation by passengers of other airlines (those who’ve passed the additional background and security screens, that is).

We’ll keep you posted on our future ‘trusted traveler’experiences, but for now taking a road trip in our car, riding an Amtrak train or sailing across Puget Sound on a ferry sounds mighty inviting!

Note:  The TSA PreCheck is a pilot program being tested among a small number of airports and travelers.  By the end of the year it is scheduled to be operating at 35 U.S. airports and involve passengers of six airlines. If you want more information about eligibility and participation visit: www.tsa.gov and for Global Entry www.globalentry.gov.

TPThursday: Wallowa Lake Magic–The End of the Road

The place, quite simply, is magical. 




Wallowa Lake is a magical place somewhat off the beaten path.  Oregon’s Highway 82 literally dead ends here in the midst of the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the northeastern tip of the state.  It took us about five hours on our meandering-the-back-roads journey south to get there from Spokane, Washington.

Our destination was the near century-old wood-frame lodge nestled in the Wallowa Mountains at the head of the five-mile long, 283-foot deep lake.

The charms of the lodge, its lakeside setting, and the nearby tiny town of Joseph conspired to cast a spell over us three years ago when we celebrated our anniversary there and drew us back to celebrate again this year. 

At the time it was built in 1923 to serve as an exclusive hunting lodge, the present-day hotel  was accessible only by boat.  Today a two-lane paved road follows one side of the lake shore. It leads to the lodge and other vacation rentals, a state park  and campground.




The lodge has undergone extensive restoration (bathrooms are quite modern in each of the rooms) but the old-world charm remains in the décor and furnishings. Floors creak when walked on and windows squeak when opened.



We’d didn’t pull the roller blind at night so that the morning sun would act as Mother Nature’s gentle alarm clock as it climbed over the mountain and peeked through our lace and floral chintz curtains.



Old frames displayed similarly aged art; the furnishings were mid-century antiques. There were no telephones or televisions in the rooms. A large stone fireplace, not a Wii Room, was the attraction in the lobby. (Okay, so it was Wi-Fi equipped).

Guests and deer co-mingled on the expansive eight-acre grounds on which the lodge and its more recently constructed eight freestanding cabins stand.  Deer were so tame they’d let you photograph them as they rested. A fellow guest hand fed carrots to the deer.



At the edge of the grounds the Wallowa River flows into the lake. It is the place of afternoon strolls.



Or perhaps simply relaxing tucked among the trees at river’s edge.



Had there been more hours in the day I might have been tempted to sit at the desk in the corner of the lobby and write inspired prose in my journal. . .



Even with a leisurely pace, our days went quickly.  Before we knew it the day had slipped away. The sun was easing itself down over the lake, turning the trees to silhouettes; the only sounds the cicadas, an occasional bird and the rustle of the pine needles in the breeze.



Yes, Wallowa Lake is a magical place. The kind of place where anniversaries are best celebrated.

It’s Travel Photo Thursday so be sure to visit Budget Travelers Sandbox.

Click the link for additional information on Wallowa Lake Lodge.  For information on Joseph, Oregon  and the recreational activities nearby:  http://www.josephoregon.com


Walking distance from the lodge: The Wallowa Lake Tramway, with gondolas that whisk you 3,700 feet up the side of   Mount Howard; (the highest ascent in North America).  At the top there’s a restaurant, hiking trails .

WAWednesday: An American Soul Trip

Sometimes even the shortest of trips can replenish the soul and renew the spirit. Our road trip last week through America’s Pacific Northwestern states,Washington and Oregon, did just that.
  
Because we live in the fast-paced, high-rise, high-tech corridor of Washington’s Puget Sound area (3.5+ million people; more than half the state’s population) it is easy to forget there really are places where life’s focus isn’t the newest computer application or transit route.
 
Today, in honor of the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day, I want to share some scenes from our journey:

Grain elevators in the background and the gazebo at

Rosalia, Washington. Population 627. Founded 1872.

The county courthouse and gazebo at

Enterprise, Oregon. Population 1,895.

Incorporated 1887.

Wallowa, Oregon. Population 869. Incorporated 1899.

A private home in Walla Walla, Washington. Population 31,731. Incorporated 1862.

Flag on Main Street in front of the town’s century-old, (still operating) meat store in Cle Elum, Washington. Population 1,872.  Incorporated 1902.

 

To those of you celebrating the Fourth of July, where ever you may be, we send our wishes for a day filled with family, friends, and patriotism.  Please join us  tomorrow on Travel Photo Thursday when we’ll take you to Wallowa Lake and its historic Lodge.

Travel: A Sweet, ‘Suite’ Life

Traveling Pacific Northwest back roads last week was the anniversary gift we gave ourselves. A tradition that began with a road trip three years ago, it is a perfect present for a couple of travelers.
 
We love following a new route into another year. 




Our favorite road trips are over those roads less traveled.  When I think about it, such trips are a reflection of the direction our life together has taken. . . on a road less traveled.

During the six-month courtship of this attorney and journalist in the early months of 1980, we agreed we’d work hard until the time was right and then we would leave that life behind to pursue our passion: travel.

It's been more than a dozen years ago, we did just that  - out with the old, in with the new - without a backward glance in the rear view mirror. 

It can be done. We’re living proof that the sweet,‘suite’ life can be lived. It is an adventure. It was a risk.

While we were winding our way through Washington and Oregon, my friend, Ann Oxrieder, author of StillaLife blog, wrote about an article in AARP Magazine by Ken Budd, titled, “New Adventures, New Risks, New You.”

His article, as the title indicates, encourages stretching your comfort zone just a wee bit to discover new things out in the world and within yourself. It's what we advocate in this blog about travel.

Ann noted,

“(Budd) says we’ll all be happier if we invest in experiences, and cites a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which showed that ‘57 percent of participants were happier after spending money on experience instead of on stuff, compared with 34 percent who chose material goods…As experiences turn into memories, we tend to appreciate them more, even the lousy ones.’ ”

I suspect he would like the message I saw on sign on one of our road trip stops:




Tales of our road trip continue this week on TravelnWrite when we’ll head out through Washington’s Inland Empire and follow the Nez Perce Indian trail into Northern Oregon, with a stop at one of the most beautiful locations on earth (to our way of thinking).  If this is your first time visiting, thanks for stopping by! We hope you’ll click the link to our homepage and become a regular follower of our travel tales and tips.

TPThursday: A one-day island get-away

One of the best things about living in Washington State’s Puget Sound area is the ability to escape to an island, if even for a day. 

On Sunday two friends and I did just that. We drove aboard a Washington State ferry at 9:30 a.m. and 15 minutes later arrived at Vashon-Maury Island, in south Puget Sound.
  

Encompassing 37 square miles (an area bigger than Manhattan) but with about 10,000 residents, the island is made up of small acreages, stunning beach front mansions, farms, fields and forests. It also boasts more than 20 Bed and Breakfast accommodations and some wonderful restaurants.  It is accessed only by boat.

Geographically the island is made up of what once was two islands: Vashon and Maury.  An isthmus built in the early 20th Century by the Army Corp of Engineers connected the two.

We  took a wrong turn en route to a garden tour and found ourselves heading  to the Point Robinson Lighthouse on the eastern side of Maury Island.









The lighthouse  began as a fog signal in 1885 and a light was added two years later. It is built on 90 pilings, with walls a foot thick. The Fresnel lens traveled from Paris to Vashon in 1915.  Lighthouse tours take place from noon to 4 p.m. every Sunday from mid-May to mid-September.


Two Keepers’ Quarters, built in 1911 have been beautifully restored and are now vacation rentals.



The sound of the water, the driftwood lined beach, the salt-sea smell in the air, water birds and the views over the Puget Sound shipping lane made us think perhaps a longer stay on the island was in the future.



On the west side of Maury Island we made a stop at Dockton Park (we knew we’d get to that garden tour eventually).   This 23-acre park with dock and boat launch was once the island’s industrial center; home to sawmills, ship yards, brick yards and processing plants.  We didn’t have time to follow the Dockton Historic Interpretive Trail and walk through the area’s history – but we will certainly do so next time.


This summer the island’s favorite festival, the Vashon Strawberry Festival (now in its 103rd year) gets underway July 20, 21, 22nd.  It is funny because Vashon no longer has commercial strawberry fields but back in 1909 records show they shipped 120,000 crates of berries from here.



The festival includes a parade and street festival, music and art. But some places like Snapdragon, a wonderful bakery and café on the Vashon Highway (the main north south road) was celebrating strawberries on Sunday morning.  (Yes, we also stopped here en route to that garden tour.)

And just in case you were wondering, we did make it to the garden tour and it was spectacular! A fabulous island getaway and I had left at 8 a.m. and was back home at 5 p.m.

For information on accommodations, eateries, Strawberry festival, garden tours, events and other reasons to visit Vashon visit the Vashon Chamber website. For information on renting the Keepers’ Quarters, write lodging@vashonparkdistrict.org or phone 206-463-9602.

It’s Travel Photo Thursday so be sure to stop by Budget Travelers Sandbox. And for those following our road trip, I have lots to tell you so check back this weekend. Our travels today were spectacular. And if you haven't been following, click back through this week's post to see where we've been and where we are headed.  (The map is copyright free, and taken from Wikipedia.)

WAWednesday: Off the Beaten Path

With that paper map in my lap -- and being referred to quite often ---- we left the Interstate Highway at George, Washington (no joke, there is a town named George with a Martha's Inn in it, as a matter of fact!)

The first leg of our summer road trip took us east across the state of Washington. We crossed from our western side of the state into the east on Snoqualmie Pass and then over the Columbia River at Vantage.


Each time I see that magnificent river, the song we sang with gusto in elementary school comes to mind:

“Roll on Columbia, roll on.

Roll on Columbia, roll on.

Your power is turning our darkness to dawn,

roll on Columbia roll on.”

From the river we began a journey through miles of cultivated lands, often driving the ribbon of roadway without passing any other vehicles. With the sun roof open we took in the smells as well as the sights: fresh cut grain, pungent mint, all the fresh, earthy smells that fill these miles of agricultural land.



The  two-lane roadway held promise of new adventures just waiting to be discovered as we cast off the confines of the big city where we live.

We drove through charming – non-tourist towns – among them, Creston, Wilber, Reardon. . .each with a wonderful sense of community communicated through highway signs advertising civic events and celebrating youth. 

And each with its own distinct grain elevator and storage facility prominently towering over the town.



During our pre-trip research I’d found a motel in Davenport, the county seat of Lincoln County, just 33 miles west of Spokane that prompted at least a stop for lunch in its wonderful cafe.  We ate at the  Black Bear Cafe, a part of the Black Bear Motel.



The restaurant was a trip back into history – our meals were served in aluminum pans – reminiscent of the tin pans of olden days.

I’ve got to tell you this town was charming. It's courthouse belongs in a Norman Rockwell painting.

   
Our trusty maps hadn’t let us down – we were off the beaten track in the midst of Washington's agricultural heartland -- and we were having a blast..

On the Road Again – With a map in my lap

We will soon be on the road again.  The Sun-Seeking Smiths are heading east and south across Washington State, looping down into northeastern Oregon and back again. Joel's the driver and I read the maps.

We’ve been studying our trusty maps -- those wonderful paper fold-up types that allow the voices in our heads -- and not a mechanical one -- to determine our routes. We don't leave home without them.

Yes, before you tell us. . . we realize a GPS could do the thinking for us and get us there by the quickest and most direct route (and we know many of you love them). But on our road trips the journey is as important as the destination. So determining the route is half the fun of the trip for us.

We’ll head east and spend a night or two in the state’s second largest city, Spokane, the metropolitan hub of an area long known as ‘The Inland Empire’. We’ll head south on a portion of the old Inland Empire Highway as it meanders through agricultural land and the small towns like Spangle and Rosalia scattered among the fields. 

Our Oregon destination is the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

We will stay at one of our favorite Northwest places: Wallowa Lake Lodge. We celebrated our anniversary there three years ago. We’ll do the same this year.

Our return trip may include a stop in Pendleton, Oregon, where we will go underground on a history tour or to its famed woolen factory. . .or maybe to Walla Walla for a night in the heart of Central Washington’s wine country. 

We’ve got little structure to this trip –  we are leaving ourselves open to some new discoveries along the way.  I’m sure those old paper maps have some in store for us.

TPThursday: The Wickedest Town in the West

Wickedest? So they say.
Ghosts among its residents? So they claim.
A ‘Must See’ for Arizona travelers? Without a doubt!


Just 100 miles from Phoenix, Arizona we hit the mother lode of tourist stops: Jerome, the old copper mining town on the slope of Cleopatra Hill. 

Remnants of those good old mining days are visible along the twisty, turning drive that leads to the tiny town - like the slag heap below:



In its heyday – 15,000 residents in the 1920’s – Jerome was Arizona’s fourth largest city.  Today’s population is 445 (not sure if that includes the ghosts) and its pay load is tourism.  It’s a paranormal paradise for those of that persuasion.

And this welcoming little place, according to their tourism folks, was once, ‘the wickedest town in the west’.



Souvenir shops, restaurants, art galleries, B and B’s and hotels are housed in restored buildings. And some buildings like the old theatre simply offer an open door to imagination: What was it like in its heyday?

Other buildings simply gave way to the passing of time.

Jerome began as a frontier tent city in the late 1880’s.  The copper mine that gave it life was the largest in Arizona, at one time producing three million tons a month.

The last mine shut down in  1953.







We’d considered staying at -- and perhaps ghost hunting -- at the Jerome Grand Hotel.  It’s prominent profile towers above the town and can be seen for miles. It’s address – no joke - Hill Street. Guests can join in “Ghost Hunting” tours ($20 per person)  on selected week day evenings.  Participants are taken into ‘off limits areas’ of the hotel and are provided ghost hunting equipment as part of the hotel’s efforts to document its paranormal activities.

The hotel is housed in a 5-story Spanish Mission style building that when built in 1926 was the United Verde Hospital. It was considered the most modern hospital of its time, serving all of Northern Arizona. The hospital closed in the 1950’s and remained vacant (well, aside from the ghosts, I guess) until 1996 when renovation began. It opened as a hotel in 1996.  It’s restaurant, The Asylum, has the sign above posted at its entry.



We’d also considered staying at another place on Hill Street, near the old hospital, The Surgeon’s House Bed and Breakfast. It was built for the hospital’s Chief Surgeon and has been on the National Historic Register since 1966.

One reason we didn’t stay in this gem of a town (and are kicking ourselves for not doing so now) was our concern that it might be a bit dead – no pun intended – when the day trippers left and stores closed. 

We shouldn’t have worried. The number of restaurants and watering holes alone would have kept us busy hiking up and down the steep streets bar hopping.

Or we could have taken in a movie at the 1918 Liberty Theatre, the oldest operating silent movie theatre in Arizona.  They now show silent  films and ‘talkies’  for $3 a person.




The road to Jerome is a paved highway, Arizona 89A, that turns and twists up over the 7,000 foot summit of Mingus Mountain before looping through Jerome on its way to the valley floor.  If you don’t like road trips or heights this isn’t for you, but if you want to take a trip back into America’s Wild West, this place shouldn’t be missed.

For more information: www.jeromechamber.com or www.azjerome.com

This is TravelnWrite’s contribution to Travel Photo Thursday. To take a few more photographic journey’s click on Budget Travelers Sandbox.  If this is your first visit here, thanks for stopping by. Come back again – soon!