we were planning on coming into the Q this weekend,  one of the party has lost his passport and we still want to do a trip....thinking about coming in from the US side but last time we did that we were turned off by the"lack of wilderness" .........Too Civilized with fire grates and bathrooms!  We have a party of 5 with 2 canoes and some kids..any ideas as to where we can go on the american side and still experience a "wilderness" experience...without overworking the kids to much.....a tow or flight would be OK......help me out QJers...!!!!

Oh, and we are arriving this Saturday.....Thanks in advance all!!!

If you are close to a city that has a passport office, it is possible to get a replacement passport on a short cycle time

The fastest I have able to accomplish this was in less than 8 hours.  My daughter was supposed to leave for Ireland in two days when she discovered that her passport was not to be found (and neither was her birth certificate).  

I got on the horn the next morning and determined that the closest location that issued passports was Houston.  I then made the rounds of my US Congressional elected officials.  I hit pay dirt with my U.S. House of Representatives member (and it didn't hurt that he was House Majority Leader at the time).  His office expedited the paperwork (can you say "greased the skids").  

My wife and daughter grabbed a plane from Dallas to Houston about 10:00 a.m. and had a "hot off the press" passport by 4:30 that afternoon.  They were back home by 8:00 that evening to finish packing for the trip.  And, yes.  She boarded the plane to Ireland the next morning.

dd

wow DD...that had to produce an ulcer!

wally wrote on Jul 16^th, 2009 at 3:38am:

wow DD...that had to produce an ulcer!

It's just "working the problem."  Let's just say it was an "active" few hours.

dd

Getting into Canada won't be the problem so I say - go ahead with your Quetico plans.  No sense losing that $100 deposit at this point.  Just get your friends birth certificate and a valid DL and plan on being at US Customs for a bit.  If it were me I'd just leave him there and he can find his own way back into the US.

Thanks DD Ive already exausted the normal passport channels....heck, Ive even exausted the way past normal channels.....just no time left to get one..I guess Ive resigned myself to an alternate plan and the lakers in Ferguson have just gotten an incredible reprieve!!

Im not so concerned getting back Phantom...but its my understanding that you have to show passport to get into CA in the first place?  I would agree with taking my chances getting back...(I lost it)

Nope - you don't need it to get in.  Yes, it expedites the process and it is preferred but it's the US that has mandated the Passport or other acceptable proof of citizenship for entry.  My wife and I use a passport while my kids have NEXUS cards.  So, your real problem isn't getting into Canada - it's getting out.

Any ideas as to the best place to go on the US side?

PJ is correct...the passport is only required to get back.  I like his idea...go anyway...show your ID and Birth Cert. at the US border and tell them you lost it.  Worst case scenario....you're there for a few hrs while they check him out.

I predict they will let him cross in time.

anglerjohn wrote on Jul 16^th, 2009 at 12:56pm:

Any ideas as to the best place to go on the US side?

Well, since the BWCA is unable to provide a wilderness experience . . . I'm hard pressed to come up with a suitable alternative for you.  Just go to Quetico.

PJ is absoutly correct, Canada is a special case they do not require a US passport to go over.  They want your money...Lost passports are something that happens, the US border will probably be willing to allow your friend back to his home country, they are not there to keep you out...they need to make sure unauthorized people don't get in, and when US citizens return we do not bring any of the wrong things back.  Drugs, meat, insects, diseases (long list).  
If you have a valid unexpired US drivers license and a birth cert you will probably be OK.  It is your call sounds like you are a bit stuck.  
I travel internationally...a lot lately...and the last time the Scotland airline people were all in a huff because my passport is getting shabby and was starting to tear.  They denied me boarding, on one airline and I went to another and they allowed me.  When I got to US customs, they explained that the airline has no authority to stop me from leaving and it is up to the US customs to allow or not allow people into our country.  And they usually give US people the benifit of the doubt.  Remember they are citizens too.  I would have allt he docs, be polite and appoligetic and gracious...attitude goes a long way.