California is a place I have discovered to be extremely diverse and offers something for everyone.

The first night of my trip to this destination was spent at the beautiful resort of Northstar. Northstar is a ski resort with a small village area boasting condos and apartments, and there are restaurants, shops, bars and cafes all within walking distance. We had a huge bedroom each - with the normal queensize bed, two bathrooms, a lounge, a full size kitchen, another smaller kitchenette and a lounge with a dining area and open fire - great to come home to after a day on the slopes. This accommodation was really luxurious with a rustic feel and would accommodate 6 adults easily. We had a superb meal in the sushi restaurant followed by chocolate martinis in the chocolate bar! The resort has loads to offer at any time of the year.

The next day we visited the new Ritz Carlton which will be opening later this year. This will be a 5 star resort with fantastic views of the valleys and its own ski lift. We then travelled onto South Lake Tahoe stopping on the way at Emerald Bay. We had lunch beside the lake followed by a cruise on the lake on a luxurious catamaran - we had drinks all the way!

From South Lake Tahoe we travelled to Heavenly, another ski resort. We took the gondola up to about 9700 feet above sea level which means that, because these ski areas are so high, the ski season can last from end of October until mid April and there's always lots of fresh snow. They've been know to have 14 feet in 24 hours!!!

Amazingly though from here about 30 minute away we were having a picnic lunch on the beach at a resort called Zephr Cove. The lake is fresh water and so clean and clear I believe it’s got over 80% clarity, you can apparently drink the water - I didn't. That night we stayed in Nevada - one side of the street you're in California and the other Nevada - we went to a cabaret show that evening - guys dressed up as famous singing divas (Marylin Monroe, Cher and Celine Dione).

The next day we visited Bodie. This was a gold mining town at the beginning of the 20th Century, but as it never really produced great quantities of gold in the 1940's it was abandoned. At one time there were 10,000 folks living there, many buildings remain and artifacts of everyday life - just left, it’s a real ghost town. It was poignant walking around the cemetery - the life here was hard and cruel.

Our next stop on the adventure was another ski resort called Mammoth, which is again a fantastic location for ski/snow board enthusiasts. Mammoth has some fantastic hotels and restaurants, and that night we dined on good old American hearty food.

The National Park of Yosemite was next with is mountains, waterfalls and trees, it really is a beautiful area. There are lots of outdoor activities here for all ages and all abilities - however we took the easy option of a valley tour with a ranger.

Later that night we arrived into San Francisco, staying at the Handlery Union square - a great hotel ideally placed for shops, bars and restaurants. Next morning we were so lucky to have a private tour of Alcatraz. Most visitors choose an audio tour which I would recommend as it brought the place to life. Interestingly we were told that during the summer they turn between 10 and 15 thousand people away each day - TOP TIP make sure you pre book Alcatraz. After lunch we hired bikes and toured part of the city, ending up cycling over the Golden Gate bridge in fog!! It did finally lift and the sun came out! You have to be quite fit to do this tour, we did about 10 miles and we had about 3 huge hills to climb – it is worth it in the end.

Finally we stayed at Palm Springs were the temperature was 108, so had time to top up the tan!

California is a great destination - it has so many regions and so much to see and do. The scenery is spectacular from its mountains and lakes to its cities, coastal resorts and winelands.

I will be going again. After all I left my heart in San Francisco!!