I RECKON the first things most people think of when they hear California are sun, sea and sandy beaches of LA, while Katy Perry’s California Girls plays in the background. And that is a key part of the US State. But if you have been to LA once, you know that getting out of the city is where the State really shines.
Recently, I teamed up with some UK and Irish journalists to leave LA in the rearview mirror and head to greater Palm Springs. First up, I was flying Aer Lingus , which does a direct 10-hour flight between Dublin and LAX. Direct is always better than a random stopover, but what was even better was when I checked in and they told me I had been bumped up to business class! Now, I’d say it was fairly obvious to everyone there that I had never been anywhere but economy, as I was tremendously excited over every little thing.
Then the real excitement came - turning left when I boarded the plane! The thrill of knowing that just a week before, Cillian Murphy had been in these seats on his way to collect his Oscar ! If anyone asks, he definitely sat in the same seat as me ok? I had a week in California and if I had to write about it all, I’d be here for weeks. Every day, we travelled to amazing parts of the state, some places planned and others we stumbled upon. For example, one day our travels brought us onto part of Route 66 .
A friend of mine has biked it once and is preparing to do it for a second time so of course I had to take photos to prove I’d been there! If.
