ROCKIN' ROAD TRIPS

Ah, Memorial Day weekend -- the unofficial start of summer. And for those who regularly travel the Garden State Parkway, the increase in traffic along the southbound lanes this morning was obvious.

Looking for summer road trip ideas? Try one with a music theme and use Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America (Santa Monica Press) as your guide.

In his new book, Chris Epting has gathered landmarks both obvious (famous recording studios and concert sites) and obscure (the Washington state hair salon where Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic rehearsed, the San Francisco restaurant where Metallica offered Jason Newsted the bassist job).

The "Don't Fear the Reaper" chapter lists the death sites of such legends as Duane Allman, Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway and Johnny Thunders, among others. Fans who still like to leave the house when they buy music will find a bunch of respected stores in the "B-Sides" chapter.

Led Zeppelin Crashed Here is a fun read -- and intuitively organized, too. The appendix lists landmarks by state, so like a band planning to go on tour, you can get your itinerary in order long before you hit the road.

For more information, visit www.santamonicapress.com or www.chrisepting.com.