Glaciers, waterfalls, beaches, deserts ... Argentina has such a wide variety of options for tourists that thousands of Americans already have succumbed to its charms. In fact, the demand for flights to that country has grown so much that the recently inaugurated direct air route between Chicago and Buenos Aires is only the tip of the iceberg.

RUTA 40, in Argentina's rural northwest, doesn't have the same ring as Route 66. Nor does it have many paved roads, much traffic, rest stops, road signs or populist mystique. Yet, it is one of the few routes that will take those who use it through a land of extremes -- from lush valleys with century-old vineyards to deserts with blinding dust storms, active volcanoes and the Andes mountains, which pierce the clouds and promise those who test their perilous shelf roads a glimpse of one of the harshest climates on Earth.

Mendoza, two hours by plane from Buenos Aires, is the heart and soul of Argentina's wine country, where European settlers introduced the ancient craft of winemaking in the 19th century. It's also the adventure tourism center of Argentina's Cuyo region, offering world-class hiking, biking, fishing, rafting, horseback riding and skiing,Mendoza, two hours by plane from Buenos Aires, is the heart and soul of Argentina's wine country, where European settlers introduced the ancient craft of winemaking in the 19th century.