If you’re planning your annual road trip for this season, of course, everything depends on where you start, time allowed, budget, companions, physical limitations, time of year and many other factors. And location, location, location. Here are just a few of our favorite locations.

Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Las Vegas: Everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. Spend at least a couple of days at the Canyon, do some rim and trail hiking, watch the sun go down, get some sleep, then see the sun come up. The ever-changing colors and lighting on the magnificent rock formations prove that Mother Nature is the best artist ever.

If you believe asking for extra towels for your room will bother housekeeping staff, consider what some famous people have done to make their hotel stay more comfy.

On at least one occasion, famed artist Salvador demanded a horse, wildcat and a flock of sheep be brought to his hotel room to pose for a combination photo shoot and oil painting.

As usual, there will be all kinds of rock concerts and contemporary music festivals throughout the world this season. Fortunately for we older and more moderate music lovers, there will also be events featuring our kinds of classical, opera, ballet and jazz. Here are just a few of the upcoming events scheduled in Europe:

White Nights Festival, May 19-July 12, 2009, is an annual extravaganza of classical music, military bands, opera, and ballet, held annually in St. Petersburg, Russia. White nights are the summertime days in Northern Russia that never seem to end, even after midnight. www.wnfa.org/festivalstars.htm.

You’ve gotta be kidding. Do Paris on the cheap? Probably the only Paris you could do on the cheap lives in Hollywood. However, you don’t want to check out of this world until you’ve seen and earned the traditional bragging rights of visiting Paris at least once. You'll tell everyone back home you've found romance, adventure, great food, springtime and glamor in Paris. Well, at least a little of each.

Here are just a few suggestions on how you can knock down those outrageous Paris prices to merely grossly high.