Now that the summer season is ending and the elections will soon be finalized, you may be thinking about a trip to another country. As the saying goes "Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport".

The Gulf Shores Post Office is having a Passport Fair this Saturday in case you have the urge to travel. The event will take place from 8am to noon at 2149 West 1st Avenue in Gulf Shores.

Before you go there are a few items to bring which should make the process go smoothly:

• Proof of American citizenship – Certified birth certificate, naturalization certificate, consular report of birth abroad, certificate of citizenship, or a previous U.S. passport.
• Clear, double-sided photocopy of proof of American citizenship
• Proof of identity – U.S. passport or passport card, certificate of citizenship with identifiable photo attached, valid driver’s license, official U.S. military or military dependent identification card, government employee identification card, or current valid foreign passport. Children’s applications will require a parent or guardian’s ID.
• $15 fee for a color passport photograph, taken by the Passport Fair photographer
• Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by both parents with their IDs or a notarized authorization from the absent parent.

Each passport for an adult must be accompanied by a check or money order for $130 made payable to the U.S. State Department and a $35 execution fee made payable to Postmaster. Fees for children under 16 are $100 and $35. A Passport card for an adult is $30, and for a child is $15, plus a $35 execution fee for each.

For those needing to leave soon you can consider expedited service. You'll pay an additional $60 fee and may also pay an extra $22.05 for 1-2 day shipping. Visit HERE for more information about expedited services.

If you really want to make the process easy at the post office, pre-fill the required paperwork (except for signature) at www.usps.com/passport before coming to the post office.

So make you escape plans now and be prepared to leave anytime with your new passport!