You will find lots of interesting scenery while driving along the California coast on state Highway 1 and U.S. 101, but there are even more interesting spots to discover a few miles off these heavily traveled roads.

This book by travel writer Karen Misuraca and photographer Gary Crabbe suggests 24 trips along the coast, from the rainforests and redwoods of Northern California to the sandy coves and sandstone cliffs at Torrey Pines near San Diego. The book includes 150 color photographs, maps and driving directions, along with detailed descriptions of what you will see on each trip.

The state’s rich variety is evident in the scenic getaways that range from tours of farmland and wine country to remote beaches, lighthouses and yacht harbors.

Backroads of the California Coast is published by Voyageur Press of Minneapolis, Minnesota, at $21.99 and is available at bookstores, online booksellers and at www.voyageurpress.com.

This book from Lonely Planet is billed as a complete resource for traveling with children, and it has advice on just about everything, whether your plans call for going to Disneyland, camping in a national park, sightseeing in London or lounging on a beach in Zanzibar.

This comprehensive volume includes travel games, advice on traveling with teenagers, suggestions for saving money, tips on trip preparations, and a chapter on factors to consider in deciding where to go. One suggestion from the authors is to consider a family camping trip, not just in the U.S. but also abroad by renting a camper van. “In most of Europe for example,” the authors write,  “camp areas are very popular with families and are a great way to meet locals with kids.” The book has extensive sections on travel in countries throughout the world.

Travels with Children, now in its fifth edition, was written for Lonely Planet by parent-authors and is available at $19.99.

If you like to understand the history of the places you visit, this book will provide a good guide for a journey through Colorado.  Author Claude Wiatrowski, who has written books on railroad history and has lived in Colorado since 1975, has selected 22 trips that can be driven in a day through areas that are rich in history.

The book has an extensive selection of photographs by Wiatrowski along with detailed maps and driving directions. The author describes what can be seen on each trip and the history behind all the landmarks you will encounter.  Places covered include Dinosaur Ranch, the ancient ruins at Mesa Verde, abandoned mining camps and Pikes Peak.

Historic Colorado is published by Voyageur Press and is available at bookstores and through www.voyageurpress.com. Cover price is $22.99.

If you are traveling through California, Nevada, Arizona or Utah, you are likely to encounter a lineup of vehicles edging toward the drive-up window at an In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out started with a single hamburger stand in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 and grew quite slowly in the beginning.  As the author of this entertaining account of the company and the family behind it explains, founders Harry and Esther Snyder didn’t want to create an empire, but expanded mainly to give advancement opportunities to their employees, who were uncommonly well-paid.

For 60 years, the company has stuck to a simple menu of freshly made fries, hamburgers, shakes and sodas, and along the way has attracted a devoted following, including celebrities ranging from Julia Child and Mario Batali to Bob Hope and Paris Hilton.

The company’s philosophy has never changed, but there have been big changes and much drama behind the scenes. A young heir took over the company at age 24 and undertook a hugely successful expansion before he was killed in a plane crash, and another heir died after a difficult life that included years of drug abuse. More recently a lawsuit revealed infighting over control of the company, which had been inherited by the founding couple’s 27-year-old granddaughter.  

Although the company and family members declined to participate with the book project, author Stacy Perman has created a penetrating portrait of a fascinating family and a tremendous business success. In-N-Out Burger is published by Collins Business, an imprint of HarperCollins.