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)

While half of the country bakes in record temperatures and every media outlet offers up their “beat the heat” tips, Current TV vlogger soumyadeep shows us how to keep cool Rajasthani style, with turbans as the stylish man’s answer to the extreme heat of the Thar desert.