While reading an article on travel horror stories, I started to think of my own bad experiences. Since this is Throwback Thursday, I throw it back to 2002, when my friends and I had a memorable trip.
For our second annual baseball trip, Chuck, Jim, Jason and I planned a trip to Detroit and Toronto. Leaving Friday morning, we arrived in Detroit by late afternoon. Everything was great until I realized I did not have my driver’s license. Ordinarily, this would only be an inconvenience, but it was a necessity to get into Canada. This set off a wild chain of events.
The first thing I did was contact my friend Louie, who then broke into my house through an unlocked window in search of my driver’s license. He found it and faxed a copy to me. That was better than nothing, but we didn’t feel comfortable trying to enter Canada with just that.
Next, I found a place in downtown Detroit where I could get an identification card made quickly. We were a bit apprehensive, but it had a lot of excellent reviews and seemed legit. A nice older gentleman handled everything smoothly, and we went on our way with a new identification card in hand.
We enjoyed a Detroit Tigers game Friday night and left for Toronto Saturday morning. At the border, we handed three driver’s licenses and my ID card to the guard, hoping for the best. The guard approved them and then asked for a passport, which none of us had.
We pulled out every bit of possible identifying information we had among us, but nothing was working with the guard, who wanted something government-issued. Just when it looked hopeless, Jim saved the day by finding his library card. The guard happily accepted that and welcomed us into Canada. Who would have thought a library card would save our trip?
One funny side note occurred at the Toronto Blue Jays game. When Chuck and I bought beers, the vendor asked for our IDs. The vendor quickly passed my freshly printed ID card back to me without an issue, but scoured Chuck’s driver’s license.
A second funny side note happened several years later when I tried locating the Detroit ID shop just for fun. The helpful gentleman had gotten into loads of trouble, and the business was shut down.
Of course, now we laugh about the whole experience, but at the time it would have been disappointing if our mistakes cost us the Toronto leg of our trip. In the 19 trips we’ve taken, this was the closest we came to a major problem. I guess we are pretty lucky, and we have definitely been better prepared on all following trips.
— John Wroblewski, online writer
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Nov 5, 2024AlUla Designated as Gulf Cooperation Council’s First-Ever Dark Sky Park
AlUla, Saudi Arabia, is officially the first destination in Gulf Cooperation Council’s to be designated a Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International. This destination continues to commit to minimizing light pollution, preserving and protecting the nighttime environment, and ensuring its skies remain crystal clear for stargazers.
Sponsored Content
Royal Air Maroc Relaunches Direct Casablanca–Beijing Route, Debuts Toronto Flight
As part of its international network expansion, Royal Air Maroc will reinstate the direct Casablanca–Beijing route initially launched in January 2020 and suspended just a few weeks later due to the health crisis.
Daily
Nov 4, 2024Have an Autumn Wine Soiree The SLO Way in San Luis Obispo
Yes, it’s harvest time — and that means great fall wine festivals, including the third annual Autumn Soirée The SLO Way Nov. 9 on California’s Central Coast. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Garden Courtyard at luxury boutique Hotel San Luis Obispo, recognized as a MICHELIN Guide One Key property.
Daily
Nov 4, 20247 Hotel Restaurants Worth the Travel
Book a reservation at one of these hotel restaurants around the country, providing excellent dining experiences you won’t soon forget.
Sponsored Content
Extraordinary Egypt
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME JOURNEY INTO THE ANCIENT WORLD OF THE PHARAOHS
Slideshow
Nov 4, 20247 Reasons to Put Strasbourg, France, on Your Travel List
It’s time to start dreaming of your next trip. Here’s some destination inspiration for you. Take a visual journey through Strasbourg, France, with us.
8 Must-Have (and Must-Pack) Perfumes for 2025
Daily
Nov 4, 2024Embark on Chile’s Lakes & Volcanoes Route
Daily
Nov 1, 2024Extraordinary Egypt
Sponsored Content
Daily
Oct 31, 2024Make The Londoner Hotel Your West End Base
In London’s arts-central West End district, The Londoner Hotel is an ideal spot to unpack for an active, experience-focused stay. Part of the Edwardian Hotels luxury collection, this swish property offers 350 guestrooms and suites, along with private screening rooms, a ballroom, meeting spaces, and six concept dining and bar selections. There’s also The Retreat, where guests can immerse themselves in a wellness journey featuring a pool; sauna; hydropool; steam room; tranquil cabanas; and a curated selection of holistic body therapies, massages and facials.
Sponsored Content
Remarkable Medellín
Visiting Medellín in Colombia: The Country of Beauty is like stepping into a fantastic story — literally, as the city in the Western Colombian Andes region inspired Disney’s Encanto. Here, valleys, the world’s tallest palms, vibrant communities, colorful houses, garden-like balconies and more prove reality is more picturesque than anything on film. And it’s especially more tempting following Medellín’s remarkable transformation, shedding its troubled past and reawakening as a city of innovation, art, cultural richness, modern infrastructure, thriving tourism and resiliency.
Daily
Oct 31, 2024Ananda in the Himalayas Unveils New Deluxe Suites, Renovations
The Ananda in the Himalayas, a wellness retreat, recently debuted new additions to its luxury accommodations and a series of stylish renovations to its premier suites.
ShareThis