Ever wondered what’s behind the curtain at the end of the baggage claim conveyor belt? Or, what would happen if you just hopped on? So did Chris Jackson of Newbury, NH, who gave in to the impulse and rode the carousel through to the secured luggage area at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport last Tuesday. A panic alarm sounded when a baggage handler finally spotted him. According to a report in New Hampshire’s Union Leader: “Londonderry Police Capt. Bill Hart said Jackson apparently had nothing more up his sleeve than having fun. ‘It appears it was simply a prank,’ he said.” But because we’re in the age of the TSA and terror alerts, there must be consequences – Jackson was charged with criminal trespass, set $5,000 bail, and ordered to stay clear of the airport. (via World Hum)

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)