5 years out from 9/11 and one month from the foiled air-terror plot in the UK, the harsh new realities of air travel were, understandably, tops in the headlines this weekend. Yet travelers seem to be taking the inconvenience and worry in stride: the rest of the weekend’s features were full of highly aspirational trips, some to not necessarily “safe” destinations, including Jordan, Uzbekistan’s silk road, and Rwanda and Uganda’s nature preserves.

Air Travel
- What We’ve Learned (Washington Post)

- Fewer bags overhead! But more staring at the carousel (LA Times)

- El Al’s security a model for airlines (Chicago Tribune)

- What to Do When Bumped From a Flight (Chicago Tribune)

Jordan
- In Historic Petra, Dazzling Sights for a Small Audience (NYT)

Northeast U.S.
- The Magnificent Obsession of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NYT)

Rajasthan, India
- Adventure With a Mission (Washington Post)

Rwanda
- Gorillas in our midst (SF Gate)

Uganda
- Gorillas in our midst (SF Gate)

Utah
- Close enough to touch Utah’s sky (LA Times)

Uzbekistan
- Spin your own tales of the Silk Road (Houston Chronicle)

Venice
- How to do Venice like a Venetian (Guardian)

The papers were buzzing over the weekend with sometimes conflicting reports about the snarls of new regulations at US and UK airports. Fittingly, all other coverage in the travel sections played it quite safe, with lots of pieces on tried and true summer destinations like Italy, France and New England, and one story on how to avoid flying from the UK, by driving to, yep, Italy and France.

New Security Measures:
- ‘No fly zone – ways to avoid planes’ (Times of London)
- ‘Air passengers still face delays’ (Guardian)
- ‘Fewer delays as fliers adjust to new rules’ (USA Today)
- ‘UK hand bag restrictions eased’ (CNN)

Italy:
Abruzzi: ‘In Abruzzi, Italy Shows a Rougher Edge’ (NYT)
Sardinia: ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ (LA Times)
San Gimignano: ‘For a Tourist, Too Much of a Good Thing in San Gimignano’ (NYT)

France:
Aquitaine: ‘An Adventure in 37 Courses’ (LA Times)
Normandy: ‘La France Profonde’ (Times of London)

New England:
Rhode Island: ‘Clamming Up in Rhode Island’ (Washington Post)
Maine: ‘The End of America: Way, way Down East in Maine’ (Chicago Tribune)