State offers free road trip guide

If gasoline prices are keeping you close to home, you may want to get a copy of a free new guide, "California Road Trips 2008," published by the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

The guide includes maps, itineraries and ideas for places to stop, including historic sites, wineries, parks, beaches and lakes. You can order one by calling (877) 867-3748. The guide also is online at www.visitcalifornia.com, but you'll have to take a bit of an electronic road trip to find it: Click on "travel tools" and then "maps" and then scroll to the bottom of the page to the road trips section. You can also order guides to be mailed to you.

In Southern California, the guide's highlights include romantic Los Angeles getaways, Orange County surf towns and the Temecula wine region.

Other featured attractions include waterfalls and rivers in the Shasta Cascade area, eco-friendly attractions along the North Coast, a family guide to San Francisco, splashing otters along the Central Coast, the natural beauty of the High Sierra and exploring the history of gold and mining in Gold Country.