Just a quick post to champion the west coast of the United States as a fabulous holiday destination.
We flew into Los Angeles around a year ago after staying in the city a few days in the sumptous surroundings of Rodeo Drive, Beverley Hills, we drove up the coast enjoying incredible views of the Pacific.
As we made our way north, we stayed in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Carmel before heading inland towards the vineries of the Napa Valley.
A highlight of our time there was travelling on the wine train, eating a four-course meal and sampling some of the excellent wines from the region.
Next it was off to San Francisco, entering the city on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
This really is a fantastic city with stunning views across the bay area. Some of the hills can be taxing but there are always the trolleybus trams and a host of attractions like the Fisherman's Wharf shopping area, Alcatraz and Union Square.
The final leg of our holiday took us north to Seattle via the splendour of an overnight ride on an Amtrak train. We can recommend taking a cabin which is small but more relaxing than a standard seat for the 24-hour journey.
You get some really great views of natural landscape as the trip takes you past lakes, ravines and mountains en route to Washington State.
Seattle has a European feel with moderate temperatures and regular rainfall but it has some fascinating places to visit. We took a trip up the Space Needle and ate in the revolving restaurant on the top floor, visited the first ever Starbucks coffee shop - and took a trip below the city to explore what it used to look like in centuries past.
We enjoyed our holiday in the region so much we are going back later this year - this time taking in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and San Diego.
Can't wait!
