Passport Fair In North Carolina To Speed Up Process For 1st Timers

Summer travel season is coming, along with fun, excitement and stumbling blocks like trying to get that passport. However, this recently announced Passport Fair in North Carolina promises to speed up the process for 1st timers.

According to Travel+Leisure, Special Passport Acceptance Fairs are planned for locations from New Jersey to Florida on various dates through July 6. You'll find them at post offices, rec centers and libraries.

And, Passport Fair in North Carolina this month is planned for the Carrboro Post Office in Carrboro, North Carolina on June 15. The post office is located at 1500 W. Main Street. And, the fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with no appointment needed.

These special passport fairs are for first time customers only, and not those merely renewing. According to the State Department website, these facilities offer routine and expedited service.

And, they do not actually issue passports. The facility mails your application to the State Department. Travelers needing passports in less than 2 weeks should make appointments at a passport agency or center.

Typically, getting a passport isn't difficult. It just requires planning ahead and, unfortunately, waiting sometimes. This has especially been the case since travel increased rapidly following Covid.

I remember a couple of years ago a work trip opportunity presented itself for us. And, we didn't have passports. The trip was a bit last minute and expediting was necessary. Appointments were hard to come by with the rush of post Covid travel demand.

But, we found a little out of the way post office in South Carolina not many people knew about. The workers were delightful and helped us with everything we needed. Our documents arrived in plenty of time for our trip!

So, if you are in need of that first time passport, check out the Passport Fair in North Carolina or one near you. Otherwise, seek out those off-the-beaten-path spots for quicker service!

I recommend broadening that search range instead of relying on the spot closest to home to get your passport. See here for all the planned Passport Fairs this summer. And, Happy Travels!

What do you look for when planning a vacation? Ease of access? A plethora of things to do? I love a place that has plenty of unique restaurants and bars. But one thing that, especially domestically, you may not have at the top of your mind- is safety. Now I do consider it when choosing a hotel, it can be easy to find something where the price almost seems too good to be true. And that often can be due to a not-so-great location. I've definitely stayed in one or two of those before. But what about the overall safest vacation destinations? There are actually some high-quality places on the list. Ones you may be planning to visit anyway. Would you believe two North Carolina cities were named as some of the safest vacation destinations? It's not the safety that surprises me, more than people use vacation days to visit.

Nothing against either of these cities, they are actually the two places I've lived in my lifetime so both hold a special place in my heart. And maybe it's because I've spent so much time in both that I wonder why people would travel long distances to visit. But both made this list, which was compiled by The Boutique Adventurer. They used FBI Crime Data including the cost of crime, the opportunity cost of crime, incarceration, crime prevention, and more. Only cities that have a population of 100,000 or more that they considered to be "vacation spots" or "tourist hubs"  were included on the initial list by The Boutique Adventurer. The total list included 19 destinations across the US.

Two NC cities were included among the safest vacation destinations. You'll find those below as well as the top 3 and one other notable place that I bet a lot of you have traveled to or are planning to travel to. Curious about the entire list? You can find that here.

It's good to know that the island paradise of Hawaii, more specifically Honolulu is the safest vacation destination. While I've never been lucky enough to visit, I hope to one day.

The second safest destination- a beach not too far from the Carolinas. Virginia Beach is a touristy destination complete with a three-mile boardwalk full of whatever attractions you can imagine.

Third on the list is one of my favorite cities in the US- San Diego, CA. Though this southern California city isn't quite as warm as you may expect there is no shortage of fun things to do in the area.

While not in the top 3, I had to recognize NYC for making this list. A lot of people may not have thought this popular destination is one of the safest as well. And for such a bustling busy city that's great news. Also great news as I'm planning a trip in the coming months.

While I personally wouldn't rank Charlotte near the top for tourist destinations it's nice to see the city recognized for safety. I guess there is a lot to see and do if you aren't from the Queen City, but for the rare unicorn who was born here, I can't see using vacation days to come here.

Lastly, Raleigh came in at number 12 on this list. And yes, Raleigh is basically my second home. I visit often for sports and friends. So I'm very glad to see if recognized for safety as well.