Great Sites To Check Out This Month

New Passport Site a Hub for Travelers
http://getapassportnow.com -  In an effort to enhance security and efficiency at U.S. borders, new passport requirements went into effect on January 23, 2007. All air travelers entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean (excluding Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) must now show a passport, even if they are U.S. citizens. The Travel Industry Association recently launched this "one-stop shopping" site to simplify the process for passport applicants. It features links to appropriate agencies for U.S., Canadian, and Mexican citizens and explains how and where to get a passport.

Hit the Slopes
http://skicentral.com -  If you want to go skiing but aren't sure where, this site is a great place to start. There's a mountain of information including links to nearly 8,000 sites offering ski resort details, snow sports news, and vacation-planning resources. You can get current conditions at virtually any ski resort in the world and view snow cams at locations from Aspen to Zermatt.

International Polar Bear Day
http://polarbearsinternational.org -  February 27th is International Polar Bear Day, a great time to learn more facts about our furry friends. For example, the five "polar bear nations" in which the bears are found include the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. Explore this site to check out common myths and misconceptions about polar bears, see the photo and video gallery, and find out how you can support polar bear conservation projects.

Hot Recipes for Cold Weather
http://busycooks.about.com/od/favoriterecipes/tp/top10winterreci.htm -  Gathered here are 10 favorite recipes for winter meals — hearty comfort foods guaranteed to warm up your spirits on even the coldest days. There's Mexican Pizza, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, Swiss Eggs, Herbed Oatmeal Bread, Monte Cristo Sandwiches, Crock-pot Beef Stroganoff, Indulgent Mac & Cheese, and more. If you're not hungry now, you will be after getting a taste of this site.

Iditarod: Get Ready for the Race
http://iditarod.com -  The Iditarod trail sled dog race is unlike any other event in the world. Each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover 1,150 miles across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra, and windswept coastline. The adventure begins on Saturday, March 3rd. To get ready for the action, check out the official site of the Iditarod now. You'll find an interactive trail map, information on this year's teams, a history of the event — even a glossary of mushing terminology. Become an Iditarod Insider and you'll also have access to daily video clips throughout the race and live streaming video events.