What do you do when your passport is lost and you are cruising to Alaska in two weeks? You take any appointment that’s available at any US Passport Office, and get in your car and go.
If the closest office is in Portsmouth, NH, though, you’re in luck. Think of it as a road trip to a quaint and peaceful New England town, where the passport office is small and uncrowded, and the staff really does try to be helpful. Who cares if it is 280 miles from home, and your appointment is the day before you sail?
My adventure began 14 days before my Lindblad/National Geographic expedition cruise to Alaska, when I went to get my passport to fill out a questionnaire they sent and realized it wasn’t where it should have been. We combed the house, stuck our hands in the couch cushions, searched every drawer. No passport.
I called the State Department emergency number; the only appointment available before my trip was in downtown Boston at 9:30 am the day before my flight. Envisioning a traffic nightmare, I took it anyway.
I called again the next day, and the next, then multiple times each day. Sometimes there were no appointments at all. Once they offered me one in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I reached out to my senators and congressmen for help, following the steps outlined on their websites. The only one to reply was Senator Schumer, whose office emailed me to say they had reached out to the State Department on my behalf. But nothing came of it.
I got more strategic. I figured the only way I would get an appointment was if someone canceled, so perhaps the best times to call would be at the end of the day or first thing in the morning. I called at 8 am and 8 pm—and amazingly, I got an appointment in Portsmouth, NH, at 8 am on Friday, the day before my flight to Seattle.
Though Portsmouth is about 50 miles farther from my home in New York than downtown Boston is, I figured it would be an easier trip, especially on the way home in Friday afternoon traffic.
So off to Portsmouth we went, a couple of days earlier than necessary. I went by the passport office on Thursday and pleaded for early admission, but they said no way, you must have an appointment to enter the building. I returned on Friday at 7:40 for my 8:00 appointment. I had my DS11 Form, filled out online and printed but not signed. I had DS 64 Form, filled out in black ink as required. I had an original birth certificate, a photo ID from a government agency, two passport photos of requisite size and shape, a photocopy of my lost passport, and, of course, a credit card.
There were three people ahead of me and three counters when I entered; by 7:55 my application was approved. But printed passports are available, only for those who require them the same day, at 1:30 pm, they told me; if mine was ready earlier they would call. They handed me a sheet of things to do in Portsmouth and said they’d see me later.
A Day in Portsmouth
So off we went to see the joint a little more. And while it might have been more fun in the summertime, we still felt our couple of days in Portsmouth were just what the doctor ordered for those looking for a change of pace in a relaxed and chill little town.
We were happy with our corner room at the Residence Inn Portsmouth Waterfront/Downtown, where wrap-around windows let in the sunlight and a view of the cobblestone streets and the harbor on the far horizon. Even nicer was the AC HOTEL Portsmouth, just across the parking lot and managed by the same management company, where art adorns the lobby and couples cuddle up to watch the sunset from the “Fire + Ice” igloos at the rooftop restaurant (hold six, $100 for two hours, not including food).
In what many travel advisors call a “foodie town,” the AC’s Rooftop at the Envio did not disappoint. We started with the Mushroom Toast (Exotic Mushrooms with Porcini Cream, and Truffle Oil) and Limoncello Shrimp on Sourdough Toast—and seriously considered just ordering more of those as our main dish. The bar and restaurant feature hand-crafted cocktails, craft beers, and a seasonal menu of locally-sourced ingredients. (Insider tip: Skip the $18 “European style” breakfast buffet and eat at the Friendly Toast downtown instead.)
The big draws of this upscale portside town are the river and the sea—and even in early spring they drew us in. There were none of the activities and cruises that fill the summer days, but we had fun shopping the picturesque streets, sampling the brews and walking the dunes at Hampton Beach. We took a self-guided tour of the USS Albacore, a World War II submarine that was built here, and crossed the bridge to tax-free Maine to shop the outlets. We walked past Strawbery Banke, an outdoor museum that covers 10 acres and in season offers a glimpse into life in the 18th century.
Back in the passport office, meanwhile, I went for broke, with an extra-large passport that allows for many stamps, as well as a passport card that is good for travel to Canada and Mexico.
I’m going to take extra-good care of my passport, too. The first time you lose your passport they just replace it and charge you again, the agent told me. But if you lose a second one, they will only issue a passport that’s good for one year.
And while I may just drive back up here to Portsmouth again, I sure hope my next visit doesn’t include a stop at the passport office.
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.