Read this and  leave your flying fears on the ground

Recent problems with a Southwest Airlines plane have some people asking yet again, "Is  flying safe ... really?" The answer is, yes, flying is extremely safe.  Brian Clegg, writing in London's Daily Mail, puts it this way: "The statistics are remarkably reassuring. The risk of being killed in a plane crash in any particular year is one in 125 million passenger journeys. That’s three times safer than travelling by train — when did you last worry about that? — and 12 times safer than travelling by car. In fact, you’re more likely to have a fatal accident during six hours at work than you are during six hours on a plane." So stop clenching those armrests and relax as aviation expert Clegg clues you in to other things that worry some fliers:

* Wobbling wings are  normal. The upward and downward movements of the plane’s aluminium alloy body are rippling out along the wings. The tips of a large airliner wing  can move up and down as much as 3 meters (almost 10 feet) during flight.

* It's not dangerous for your ears to pop while flying. Ears pop because as the plane climbs and the atmosphere outside thins, the cabin is artificially pressurized to a level that is different from the atmospheric pressure we’re accustomed to on the ground. The popping can be painful, though.

*  What about turbulence or (shudder) a lightning strike? Clegg notes that "no modern aircraft has ever been brought down by turbulence, although passengers have been injured or even killed, either because they weren’t wearing seat belts and hit their heads on the ceiling or because heavy luggage fell out of the overhead lockers." As for lightning, pilots are able to fly around or above most storms. "But if you do find yourself flying through one, don’t worry. The safest place to be in an electrical storm is inside a metal cage — such as an aircraft."

* Suppose some clown tries to open a door during flight? He won't succeed. As the plane climbs, the cabin air pressure pushes the door outwards, sealing it into place.  But, adds Clegg, please, don’t try.

* And then there's the most worrisome fear of all --  getting stuck on a toilet seat. There's even a tale about a woman who pushed the flush button before getting up and was sealed to the seat. Well, it didn't happen.  Lavatories do use vacuum flushes but  the flush button is normally placed behind the toilet lid, making it impossible to flush without standing up.

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Trivial question

Which Central American country uses English Creole as its principal language? (Answer somewhere below.)

Kids, they're speaking your language

To introduce its new Kid Spoken Here offering this summer, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is rolling out lower child and teen rates, new kids’ meals, and a broader variety of family-friendly outdoor activities at each of its lodges and huts in New Hampshire and Maine. The greatest changes are coming to AMC’s Highland Lodge, where a new “big mountain” outdoor playscape and child-only Kids Club activities are planned. AMC has also lowered everyday lodging rates for children by up to 25 percent and added a new teen rate. The AMC's outdoor experiences for families and young explorers range from free walk-on programs such as beginner family hikes to more adventurous overnight hut adventures and other backcountry outings. For full details on AMC’s new Kid Spoken Here offerings, visit www.outdoors.org/kidsguide.  New, all-inclusive nightly rates at Highland Lodge, including lodging, dinner, breakfast, and guided activities, start at $356 for a family of four ($296 for AMC members) in private room with private bath accommodations. For reservations, call 603-466-2727 or book online at www.outdoors.org/lodging.

Fascinating fact

The Mediterranean sea gets its name from the Latin phrase meaning "sea in the middle of land."

Marriott hotel stays in the Carolinas start at $69

At selected Marriott and Renaissance properties in North Carolina and South Carolina, weekend rates begin at  $69 per night for Friday and Saturday stays, and weekday rates from $99 per night for Sunday through Thursday stays. Travelers must book by midnight April 15 to get the special rates, which are valid for travel through July 25. Those rates are non-refundable, exclusive of tax, and subject to availability.To book, call -800-228-9290 or visit www.marriott.com or www.renaissancehotels.com.; refer to Promotional Code ADP.

Worth quoting

"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lost sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way."  -- Gloria Gaither

Everything you always wanted to know about lobsters in Maine

In Maine, Historic Inns of Rockland is featuring a Lobster 101: Lobsters, Lighthouses & Luxury package offered June 1-30. 

The package offers a two- or three-day itinerary including accommodations at a choice of four inns: LimeRock Inn, Berry Manor Inn, Granite Inn, and Captain Lindsey House, each representing the luxury component of the package.  In addition, the package includes:

• Two tickets to the Maine Lighthouse Museum for a self-guided tour or a special guided tour with a docent of the museum on Thursday mornings throughout June.
• A  guided tour of Rockland’s Historic Breakwater Lighthouse  every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (weather permitting) and  a copy of  the book “The Lighthouse at Rockland Breakwater Then and Now.”
• An official Lighthouse Map to all of Maine’s lighthouses and a driving map to six  local area lighthouses.
• The  Book of Maine Lighthouses filled with history and fun facts.
• Two tickets to Captain Jack’s Lobster Adventure Cruise where guests work  with a real Maine lobsterman (and a true salty character too!) and learn lobster lore.
• Two “Got Lobster” T-shirts.
• An afternoon tour of a working lobster pound followed by guided instruction in the best way to ea.t a lobster, complete with a freshly caught lobster dinner for each person (offered Monday-Saturday.)
• A Chocolate Seascape handmade by a local chocolatier.
• Two whimsical Lobster Hats.

 Two-night packages are $395-$745 (plus tax, double occupancy).  Book early in the month to take advantage of low season rates (high season rates begin June 15). Book a third night and get 25 percent off rack rates.

Trivial answer

Belize is the Central American country where Creole English is principally spoken. The other nations speak Spanish.