This week we're taking a culinary tour through Southern California. Along the way, we'll sample some of the best ethnic cuisine the Left Coast has to offer, beginning with Danish meatballs in Solvang and ending with taste-bud-popping genuine Italian gelato in San Diego.

Southern California is perhaps the world's greatest culinary melting pot. Whether your passion is burrowing into burritos or scarfing Pad Thai to Elvis music, So-Cal's all that and a bag of chips – here's just a sampler platter. Loosen that seat belt. SoCal is known for foods from Latin America and Asia, but we begin our journey with old-world comfort food in Solvang, which bills itself as the Danish capital of America. No trip to this quaint red-painted timber-built town is complete without æbelskiver (apple fritters) at Solvang Restaurant; they're so popular that there's a special takeout window. Bit o' Denmark serves a classic smorgasbord (Danish buffet) of over two dozen items in Solvang's oldest building (1911); don't miss the frikadeller (Danish meatballs).

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Road trips are as popular as ever, and we've partnered with world-renowned travel publisher Lonely Planet to bring you some of the best driving trips in the United States. Each trip focuses around a specific theme, locale or passion.

This week's trip complements our podcast, "Trips in Your Own Backyard," which discusses horseback riding in Phoenix. We wanted to highlight some of the other things the greater Phoenix area has to offer for the perfect weekend in Phoenix — whether you're a local looking for fun suggestions or an out-of-towner looking for a sunny weekend getaway.

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By Becca Blond

Southwestern Colorado is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the state — purple mountains crowned with caps of snow, towering rock walls, aspen glades. To really get a feel for it, take a drive — particularly on U.S. 550, also known as the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray to Silverton. Fall is a particularly brilliant time to travel this route, when the aspen trees turn the mountainsides into yellow seas. If you're into winter sports, however, visiting in the snowy season can be equally appealing.

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By Matthew D. Firestone

Few landscapes captivate our imaginations quite like the desert.

At first glance, deserts sweep across the bleak horizon, offering little shelter or shade from inhospitable elements. Upon closer inspection however, the true beauty and mystery of these complex ecosystems slowly comes into focus.

One of the most visible elements of life in the desert is the occasional but dramatic blooming cycles of desert wildflowers. Typically appearing in the spring after the winter rains have subsided, wildflowers blanket the desert sands in a rich multi-colored palette.

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By Tom Downs

L.A. is a lady. Palm Springs is a coo-coo oasis. And Vegas swings, baby. Why? Because Frank Sinatra said so, Toots. Frank and pals Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — collectively known as the Rat Pack — offered a stylish escape from Cold War tensions with their brassy songs, saucy humor and snazzy suits. You can still swing through their old stomping grounds in the California and Nevada deserts. Even the places that have changed beckon the latter-day swinger to take a spin — preferably with your CD changer stacked with up-tempo Nelson Riddle arrangements.

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