The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been removing controversial “backscatter’’ body scanners from some of the nation’s largest airports, but it appears Sea-Tac will be stuck for a while with what looks like obsolete equipment.
The machines, purchased two years ago from Rapiscan Systems, use X-rays to detect explosives or other weapons hidden beneath clothes. Replacing them in many U.S. airports are millimeter-wave machines made by L-3 Communications that don’t emit X-rays and feature privacy software that produces a generic rather than real nude image of passengers’ bodies.
“At this time, there are no plans to swap out the backscatter scanners at Sea-Tac,” said TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers.
Read more about why in my Travel Wise column for The Seattle Times.
Seattle Port Commissioner John Creighton (@jwcreighton3) made a good point Monday in a tweet he posted urging the TSA to reconsider. "15M people/year go thru security @SeaTacAirport, its time we urge feds to replace scanners at SEA as well.''
Couldn't agree more. Meanwhile, there is a bit of good news for those concerned about the health effects of the backscatter body scanners that emit small doses of radiation. It appears that TSA is finally going to address the safety issue of body scans. The Transportation Security Administration has tapped the National Academy of Sciences to probe the health risks of body scanner radiation after years of pressure from civil liberties groups and Congress, reports Nextgov.The study is limited to radiation and safety testing, and will not examine the privacy implications of the X-ray machines, according to the report.
An academy committee will review the Homeland Security Department’s current procedures for measuring radiation doses people receive from the technology systems, along with previous studies, Nextgov reports. The website said that it's unclear whether the experts are expected to report on government tests or outside experiments. The Electronic Privacy Information Center has taken legal action to obtain DHS records on TSA safety analyses and third-party studies.
In meantime, if you’re concerned about either safety or privacy, don't hesitate to exercise your right to opt out of a body scan, and submit instead to a physical pat-down and walk through one of the old metal detectors still in place at Sea-Tac and other airports around the country.
Are you one of those travelers who can’t leave home without jam, Jell-O or Jergens skin cream?
Unless you’re taking 3.4 ounces or less — the limit for liquids/jells in carry-on bags — pack them in your checked bags this holiday season, or risk leaving them behind.
Jelly beans, jerky or jalapeños? No problem stowing those in your carry-on. Same goes for key lime pie, chocolate raisins and chopsticks.
This according to the Transportation Security Administration’s new, free “My TSA’’ mobile app that includes an alphabetized guide to what types of gifts, gear and goodies travelers can bring with them in carry-on and checked bags.
Whoever thought this one up must have had an appetite. More on this and other holiday travel advice in my Travel Wise column for The Seattle Times.
Can't make it to London this Christmas season? No worries. A slice of old England awaits in Victoria, B.C., ending its celebration of 150 years as a city this year with dozens of traditional holiday festivities.
"Victoria is kind of like Whoville at Christmas time," says Avril Matthews, manager of the Inn at Laurel Point, recalling the make-believe world of Dr. Seuss with its animal-like creatures known for their warm hearts and welcoming spirits.
"I tell my friends in Portland and Seattle to get off the crazy train (away from the malls and the holiday-shopping fray) and come on over" to Vancouver Island.
With package deals putting the price of many hotel rooms at under $100 per night and many free events taking place, a winter getaway can be budget-friendly.
My story in Sunday's Portland Oregonian includes a trip planner and some suggestions for getting in the holiday spirit.
Get the lay of the land aboard a horse-drawn trolley
Wrap your hands around a cup of coffee and join the locals in a chorus of "Jingle Bells" as you ride free on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23.
The Victoria Downtown Business Association has hired Vintage Carriage Tours to run two horse-drawn trolleys through Old Town, where the Hudson's Bay Company fur traders built Fort Victoria in 1843.
The 20-minute tours are a bargain considering that private horse-drawn carriage rides cost $50 for 15 minutes. No reservations necessary.
Go hotel-hopping for a cause
Start at the Fairmont Empress, facing the Inner Harbour, for a self-guided tour of its annual Festival of Trees. Brightening the hallways and lobbies are 78 evergreens decorated by local businesses and organizations to raise money for the BC Children's Hospital Fund.
Move on to the Hotel Grand Pacific for Bear Wear, a display of teddy bears dressed up for the holidays by local sponsors to benefit the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children.
Arrive between noon and 2 p.m. through Dec. 23, and sample roast turkey with apple dressing, Christmas pudding, mincemeat tarts and more at the hotel's $28 Christmas lunch buffet.
Walk it all off with a stroll along the waterfront to the Inn at Laurel Point, where there's a display of 27 edible gingerbread creations made by local chefs and others to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
All three displays are free, with $2 donations accepted in exchange for ballots to vote for your favorites.
Get outdoors
Bundle up for a garden walk, movies under the stars or a stroll through a farmers market.
Butchart Gardens celebrates 25 years of its Magic of Christmas display this year, with thousands of twinkling lights throughout the gardens, an outdoor skating rink and scenes depicting "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort brings back its outdoor Christmas Starlight Cinema on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Dec. 19. The hotel supplies heaters and the movies are free (donations accepted for the Santa Anonymous fund).
Stock up on homemade cider, pasta, teas and local crafts at the Victoria Downtown Winter Market on the first and third Saturdays of the month at Market Square on Johnson Street.
Shop wisely
With the exchange rate on the U.S. and Canadian dollars roughly the same, look for unique gift items rather than bargains.
Stop by Murchie's Tea & Coffee, 1110 Government St., for decorative tins of hot chocolate mix ($7.95) or 50-bag boxes of Christmas blend tea for $15.95.
Rogers' Chocolates, selling candy out of the same storefront location at 913 Government St. for more than 100 years, stocks a holiday line of its popular Victoria Creams in flavors such as eggnog and candy cane ($15.99 for six packaged in bright foil wrappers).
The volunteer-run Global Village store, 527 Pandora Ave., markets handmade crafts for worldwide fair trade cooperatives. Pick up small ornaments made by women in Vietnam ($4.50) and woolen shawls ($21) woven by villagers in India.
Soak up a bit of history
Join local historian John Adams and his crew at Discover the Past walking tours for a glimpse of how the holidays were celebrated years ago, or a ghost walk tour recalling stories of the supernatural at Christmas.
"People think of Victoria as this quiet little city," said Adams. "It is today, but it wasn't back in the day."
It wasn't until the gold rush of 1858 brought thousands of people to Victoria that religious Christmas celebrations really began. Until that time, workers for the Hudson's Bay Co. observed the holiday hunting, shooting, fishing and drinking rum.
Adams tells one of his favorites ghost stories inside Rogers' Chocolates next to a portrait of the original owners, Charles and Leah Rogers.
The couple devoted their lives to the business after their only child, Freddy, who blew the fingers off one hand while playing with dynamite, committed suicide.
"See that mirror above the doorway?" Adams said, pointing to a room in the back of the shop that was once the candy kitchen.
"A couple of years ago, on Christmas Eve, someone spotted a small handprint. It was a child's handprint and it was misshapen -- like it might have been if the fingers were blown off."
Not to worry. The only handprints to show up lately are on the glass cases, no doubt put there by children tempted by the sight of so many sweets.
"Anyone who lives in Victoria," said Adams, "wants Rogers' Chocolates at Christmas."
I'm always on the lookout for new places to have tea in Victoria. My new favorite is the Venus Sophia vegetarian cafe and tearoom tucked among the souvenir shops and seafood restaurants in Chinatown. The atmosphere is bright and cozy, with tables positioned around an electric fireplace and comfy overstuffed chairs.
The menu is thoroughly modern, nothing like you'd expect to find in Chinatown. We went back three times, once for the brie-mango quesadillas, another time for the vegetarian kebabs and the third time for a vegetarian lasagna - all paired with a pot of smokey Assam tea.
The traveler on your list may be off to Italy or Nepal next year, but you won’t have to go far to find a practical gift that will be appreciated, not just for what it is, but from where it came.
This week's Travel Wise column for The Seattle Times includes a few suggestions for ways to put your holiday shopping dollars to work supporting local businesses, charitable organizations and online retailers with a global mission:
•Shop for art and handicrafts online or at stores that support fair wages and decent working conditions in developing countries.
One of the best is Seattle’s Ten Thousand Villages (6417 Roosevelt Way N.E.). Part of a national chain run by volunteers from the Mennonite Church, the store helps people in 70 countries find a market for handcrafted products.
Spending an hour or so here is like traveling around the world in one afternoon. From the Philippines are “Good News” Christmas-star ornaments made from recycled newspaper ($6). Cinnamon bark boxes ($12) come from a program that helps Vietnamese women and children from neglected families. Crafted by artisans in Burkina Faso, West Africa, are “thumb pianos” ($14) made from scraps of tin cans.
The website, tenthousandvillages.com, includes videos showing how many of the products are made. It lists hundreds of inexpensive items for sale online, from $10 felt flower pins made by women in Nepal to $6 brass and bone bangles from India.
•Support an independent travel bookstore.
We’re lucky to have three in the Puget Sound area: Wide World Books & Maps in Wallingford, The Savvy Traveler in Edmonds and The Traveler on Bainbridge Island.
Wide World’s $2 plastic sink stoppers and $3.50 “sporks,” all-in-one plastic knives, make excellent stocking stuffers.
•Make a donation in a traveler’s name.
Passports with a Purpose, a fundraiser started in 2008 by four Seattle-based travel bloggers, aims to raise $100,000 this year to build wells in rural Haiti.
Those who donate are eligible for prizes, from travel gear to vacation packages, supplied by the bloggers and sponsoring travel companies. passportswithpurpose.org
Are your cabinets filled with hotel-sized soap and shampoos you never use? AAA Washington’s annual “Soap for Hope’‘ toiletries drive supports shelters and charities in Washington and Northern Idaho.
Bring donations to auto-club offices and get a coupon for 15 percent off an item at AAA travel stores. Practical gifts include “anti-bottles,” collapsible, reusable half-liter plastic water bottles made by California-based Vapur, Inc. ($12.95). Also 4-ounce, full-size nylon duffel bags stored in pocket-size pouches ($9.95) made by Richmond, B.C.-based Kiva Design.
•Give a gift subscription to a publication that promotes world understanding through responsible travel.
I like Afar Magazine (afar.com) for its emphasis on the cultural aspects of foreign travel. Another favorite is International Travel News (intltravelnews.com), filled with trip reports and advice from real travelers.
•Buy a $25 gift card fromKiva.org, and let the traveler on your list find and follow the progress of an entrepreneur in a Third World country.
The San Francisco nonprofit works with microlending groups in 66 countries to funnel small loans to budding small businessmen and women who use the money to buy a bicycle, a cow or cooking pots, sometimes all that’s needed to earn enough to support a family. You pick the country and the person you want to support, and Kiva supplies updates on their progress.
My portfolio includes more than 30 individuals and groups, including a dressmaker in Tajikistan, a group of Cambodian women who make and sell desserts and a tea seller in South Sudan. Their pictures appear on my corner of Kiva’s website along with notes such as “Success! The loan was 100 percent repaid,” reminders of the joy that comes with giving back.
