Many of us who have made trips to the US, have done so on a shoestring, finding the cheapest flights on offer and flying at silly o'clock in order to have more money to spend once we get across the pond. Then we've slept on a friend's sofa, taking them for dinner or drinks to say thanks because it was so much cheaper than a hotel, amirite? (Thanks again guys, you know who you are).
The thing is, travelling to America on the cheap so you've got more money to party with is great – so great you might end up with a tattoo to prove it – but spending a bit of money on yourself and your holiday, especially in a place like Southern California is a different experience altogether.
It means having a hotel room to yourself and being able to sleep when you feel like it, splashing out on a high-end restaurant instead of eating tacos from beach shacks everyday, and travelling to do a little wine tasting rather than drinking out of red paper cups at night.
When you're not sleeping off a hangover during the day there's more time to take a long hike through one of the canyons and appreciate the expansive green landscape where you'll barely see another soul. Or you can join in with the surf culture, which, for the uninitiated, is best explored on calm water instead of the sea, and you can try out paddle-boarding.
Think less the teen angst and the California party culture we lived for while watching The OC(long live Sandy's eyebrows), and more the laid-back, well-deserved self-indulgence that comes with holidaying like a grown up. Ahead are five tips on how to travel around the Golden State in style...
Travel the right way
First off, the flight to LA from London is around 11 hours long, so if you're going to bookend your trip with any kind of experience, you want it to be a good flight with a bit of leg room and the opportunity to sleep. Air New Zealand flies from Heathrow to LAX and paying a bit more for premium economy seats (or business premier, if you're feeling particularly flush) is worth the money, gives you more privacy if you want it and, crucially, is designed so that the person in front of you can recline their seat without you getting angry.
When you get to California you'll need a car to get beyond LA (unless you opt for the train). It's advisable to book your car rental when you book your flights if you want the best rates, but what you really want to decide is whether you're going to get a sensible car or go all out and upgrade to a Mustang or a Cadillac, because... when else will you get to drive one?
Take in a bit of history
It's easy to think of California as being made up of nothing more than yoga bunnies, Hollywood A-listers and sexy surfers, but it's not. It's a place with a beautiful history. There are areas that play home to highly unexpected marks on the cultural landscape beyond the rich residents' super-yachts and 'McMansions', and they're definitely worth checking out.
Some of the more traditional-looking marks are the 21 missions that run along the coast from San Diego in the south all the way up to just north of San Fransisco, in Sonoma. These grand, old buildings were constructed during the Spanish Colonial period, spaced along the El Camino Real road each at a distance of a day's horseback ride and designed to ease communication between the communities. Many are still used as Catholic parishes that run scheduled services and it's usually possible to take a look around.
And then, as if there couldn't be a bigger contrast, there is a Danish town nestled within the Santa Ynez valley, complete with windmills. Yes, the west-coast has its own little slice of Scandinavia and it goes by the name of Solvang. Danish settlers arrived in the area in 1911 looking for arable land and built what now resembles a Danish village. It even has a dedicated Aebleskiver (traditional, spherical shaped pancakes) restaurant and its own version of the Little Mermaid statue, just like the one in Copenhagen. Who knew?
Splash out on a chic hotel
Choosing to stay in a chic hotel rather than a hostel will be one of the best decisions you make. Firstly, it gets pretty hot in summer so make the most of the pool access. Secondly, a luxury hotel with a comfy bed is essential for relaxing into your time off properly.
Each area of southern California has its own distinct character and the new hotels opening up are a good reflection of their surroundings. In The OC, a new hotel and golf club called The Ranch at Laguna Beach lets you chill out in the quietness of the Alisa and Wood canyons, surrounded by hills and trees despite being stones' throw from the beach.
For more of a party vibe, zip up the Pacific Coast Highway to Huntington Beach and stay at the newly opened Pasea Hotel, where both the pool and your room look straight onto the sandy beach. Before going for dinner, get a cocktail at the hotel's trendy Treehouse Lounge at Tanner's, an open-topped bar centred around a huge, twisting tree trunk, with a canopy of hanging lights.
Up in the Santa Ynez Valley is a completely different style of hotel, the newly renovated Landsby in Solvang, which has stayed true to the area's heritage by sporting modern Scandinavian design.
Away from the beach and up into the Santa Barbara hills is the truly special El Encanto hotel. It may not be new but it is timeless, with rooms set across the grounds in luxurious bungalows that feel more like mini Spanish villas, surrounded by palms and lemon trees. Just remember to lie cross legged by the pool, order a fancy cocktail, and never take off your sunglasses.
Get some food with a view
There are certain foodie treats instantly synonymous with southern Californian culture, from having fresh avocado (grown in abundance and 10 times as flavoursome as the ones we get in the UK) to a trip to In-N-Out Burger (order Animal Style fries from the secret menu). But if there's one dining experience to treat yourself to in the Golden State, it's having food with a view.
Downtown in Laguna Beach is the newly-opened Driftwood Kitchen, a beachfront restaurant serving classic Californian surf and turf where it feels like there's very little between yourself and the ocean – literally like the waves could roll straight up to the windows. Unsurprisingly, the best time to get a table is when the sun is setting, and while the restaurant may have a laid back vibe to it, the food is far from casual – it is beautifully presented. The best dish I tried on the menu was the yellowfin tuna tartare served in a crunchy miso and sesame taco. The whole thing is so fresh it just melts on your tongue.
But while eating just steps from the beach in the summer heat is a joy in itself to the average Brit, it's not the only kind of mesmerising restaurant view on offer. Geoffrey's in Malibu is a place where every seat has a panoramic view of the ocean, framed by lush greenery and palm trees that seem to stretch straight out to the sea. It has served the great and glamorous, from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe, and still has an air of bygone Hollywood glamour about it today.
Wine tasting
California is known for its wine country, most notably for the Sonoma and Napa valleys up in the north of the state, but there is a valley in southern California that has a killer wine region. Remember the film Sideways? Where a failing author who's obsessed with Pinot Noir and his horny best friend who's obsessed with getting laid before his wedding go wine tasting and all manner of hilarity ensues? It was set – and filmed in – Solvang, the small Danish village-style town in the Santa Ynez Valley, which is celebrated for its Chardonnay, Syrah, and of course, its Pinot Noir.
There are two ways to do wine tasting in Solvang. The first is to go to one (or three) of the 20 bars and tasting rooms downtown and sip your way through what's on offer. The Wandering Dog has been voted one of the best places to do this and has a selection of wines from local boutique producers to try alongside bottles from across the globe.
The second option is to go straight to a vineyard and try its wines while looking out at the crops that produced your glass. There are plenty of boutique vineyards in Solvang and visiting one like Rusack, which is a short drive up a winding road into the Ballard Canyon, gives you a chance to taste your way around the wines made on the estate. You can take a picnic up there and make a day of it, too. Cheers to that.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
A Wellness Trip Abroad Made Me Realise How Badly I Treat Myself At Home
Solo Travel Changed My Life: Why Every Woman Must Do It At Least Once