DEN: Passport Renewal

OK, I know this topic is not exciting, but it might be of interest to those of you needing to renew your passport. Passport renewal can be a tricky subject for international aircrews, because you need to be able to have it done quickly. Although I still had about 1 year of validity remaining on my passport, I needed to have it renewed because some of the visas I must have (French and Chinese) require more than 18 months remaining on any passport before they will issue a visa.

I started looking into getting my passport done at the Denver Passport services office since I've had a few trips to DEN lately. Here is their vitals from the US State Department website:

COLORADO Passport Agency
Cherry Creek III
3151 South Vaughn Way, Suite 600
Aurora, CO 80014
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding Federal holidays
Automated Appointment Number: 1-877-487-2778

Get an Appointment

Get an appointment using the number above. I'd recommend the earliest time. You can only make the appointment a maximum of 14 days in advance.

Bring Your Stuff

• 2 passport photos (print 'em at home using http://www.epassportphoto.com/ it's cool!)
• Passport application (online wizard, DS-82 Online Fill-in, or DS-82 Fill-in by hand)
• Letter from your airline authorizing you to have expedited service
• Your airline ID
• You current passport
• Credit card or Check. (It cost me $135. $55 for the book, $60 to expedite, $20 Security surcharge)
• Stuff to read/do, MP3 player etc.

Plan Your Transportation
I chose to travel via RTD bus. It was cheap and very efficient. The 83L is the line that you want from Downtown. Type in 83L in the Schedule Finder on the RTD website to get all the information you need about the route, including maps and schedules.

Any hotel in the Downtown Denver area will have easy access to the Denver Civic Center Station either by walking, or via the free Mall Ride on the 16th St Pedestrian Mall. From the Civic Center Station, you'll take the 83L to the Nine Mile Station Bus Terminal. You'll be riding the bus for the entire route, start to finish. It takes about 35-40 minutes, and costs $1.25 one way (RTD is considering a fare increase, so check their fares before you go or just bring a few extra quarters). You can just pay on the bus with your quarters or dollar bills, but exact change only.

Below is a map of the Nine Mile Station and the Passport office building. The Station is bounded by S. Peoria Street, S. Parker Rd, and I-225. Go under the I-225 and cross at the crosswalks to the Red Lion Hotel. The Passport office building is on the sixth floor of the office building right behind the Red Lion Hotel. I looked for an official US State Dept sign, but didn't see any. The building houses the University of Phoenix campus, and that name is prominently located on the top of the office building.

View Larger Map
Submit & Wait
It's cool if you're the first one in line. You know how that works. I'd try to be there about 10 minutes before they open the doors. There is a security scanner. A guard will preview your materials before he'll let you into the secure area. Once you're in the secure area, you'll procede to the information window where another person looks over your materials. You then get get your queue number just like at a typical DMV office. After you finally submit all your paperwork, it will probably take about 2-3 hours for you to get your passport. If you're hungry, the only place to eat nearby is the Red Lion Hotel. They have a pretty good breakfast buffet for about $8.

Return
Now you're an expert on the RTD bus service, so the return trip out to be a piece of cake. However, you now have a new Passport number, so if you have an international trip coming up, you need to notify your company of the new number, so that the Crew Manifest is correct on the General Declarations.

The Colorado Passport office was very good. They appear to be very understanding of Airline Crews and their need to get Passports done quickly.

It was a good deal to be able to get my passport renewed on a company layover, not on my free time at home. If you passport need renewing, give it a try!

Email me if you have any questions. If you use this info, please post your experiences so we can all benefit... Thanks!

Tim

DEN: Lucky Strike Lanes

If you're looking for something unusual to do on your next Denver layover, try bowling!

I bowled at Lucky Strike Lanes a few weeks ago and it's a really cool joint. It's located right on the 16th Street Mall on the third level of the Denver Pavilions shopping center.

It's not like any bowling alley you might remember from your youth. I'd describe it as a really hip sports bar that just happens to have 12 bowling lanes tucked off to the side. The bar/restaurant area has lots of sofa's and socializing nooks, a long bar and quite a few big screen TVs with various sports playing.

If you want to bowl, go over to the bowling counter and get your name on the list. If you need to wait for a lane, you'll be handed a beeper/vibrator to notify you when your lane is ready. If you don't have bowling shoes (who brings 'em on a layover?), you'll need to rent them for about $3, and after that it's about $6/game, if my memory serves. Now, these would not be the cheapest prices to bowl, but what you do get is a great fun-filled party atmosphere. It's also thankfully lacking that awful smoky smell typical of the lanes of yore.

The lanes are all decked out with neon lights and other neat hip extras. There is a flat screen TV above the ball return that shows the current scores. There are also big screen TVs just above the pin area at the end of the lane. The night I bowled, it was showing a slide show of artwork from a recent art show in the area.

Give it a try! You'll have the most fun if you go with a large group and bowl using 2 lanes. Maybe break into teams and have side wagers of duties for the next days work in the air. After a hard fought game or two, vent off some steam by dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly, same level, next door.

Have fun!

Tim