I bounce out of Los Angeles international airport as fresh as a daisy. My flight from Mumbai via Abu Dhabi had touched down barely 22 minutes ago, but thanks to US Customs and Immigration pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi I had simply waltzed out of my flight, collected my baggage and was now headed to the rental car centre.

A few weeks ago, I had found a good deal on a Dodge Charger with a massive 5.7-litre, V8 engine. I roar out of Sixt Car Rental’s garage itching to let this car loose but get mired in LA’s infamous Friday rush hour traffic.

My friend Anahita, with whom I am staying in Orange County, meets me at her door with a smirking ‘I told you so’ look. It has taken me two-and-a-half hours to drive a mere 56 miles.

But thankfully the worst traffic of my trip is behind me. The next morning we head out to explore two beaches — Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Both of them are known for the immensely swimmable waters and great surf breaks. And with the beginning of summer bikinis were out in full force. Most of them have less surface area than a handkerchief. But I manage to tear myself away from the beach and head to another of my favourite pursuits — good food.

The Beachcomber Café on Newport Beach lies within the Crystal Cove State Park that encompasses 12.3 acres along the coast. The café is right on the beach and is so popular that there is usually a one-and-a-half to two hour wait. But fortunately we score a seat at the bar and I call for a Bloody Mary that has often won the Best Cocktail award. It is gigantic, potent and deliciously spicy and includes a stalk of celery, a shrimp and a lobster tail.

My other memorable meal was at Laguna Beach’s Broadway By Amar Santana, a chef of Indian origin from the Dominican Republic.

The next morning I am at Huntington Beach, the grungier cousin of the airbrushed Newport and Laguna beaches. Here bikini babes are replaced by sunburnt and stubbled surfboarders. My first activity here is a Yoga session with Gareth, who is a chiropractic doctor and a certified Yoga teacher. It’s been a decade since I last did Yoga, but Gareth is good and starts off with simple breathing and awareness and progresses to asanas and stretches. Needless to say, I am feeling fresh and revitalised. In fact that Yoga class prepares me for my next activity.

At one of the calmer bays around Huntington Beach I meet up with Rocky McKinnon, a surfer who not only offers superb stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) lessons but also designs and manufactures surf and paddleboards.

He gives me the basics of balance and how to hold the oar. Honestly, I have never done this before so I am ready for a dunking in the water as I tentatively set off, but, surprisingly, SUP is easier than it looks. In just a few moments I have found my balance and I am merrily rowing across the water taking in the sights. Besides being a fun way to be out on the water it is also very good core exercise.

Rocky tells me that SUP is one of the easiest activities to master and that he has coached many persons and helped them overcome their fear about SUP including a 78-year-old grandma.

My southern California adventure now heads a wee eastward towards the Temecula Wine Region.

One of SoCal’s best kept secrets, this is a region of rolling hills covered with vineyards, expansive views reaching to 11,000ft high mountains, air swept by ocean breezes, and wineries that are fiercely local and family-owned make Temecula Valley a beautiful and fun area to visit. It is earthier here than Napa with a very casual and informal atmosphere behind the cellar doors, but that doesn’t means the wines are do-it-at-home hobbies. They are world class.

I visited the Robert Renzoni Vineyards and Winery with its main house done up in Tuscan style and the food deliciously Italian. Seriously good bread and pizza here.

The other two I had a chance to go around were Danza Del Sol and the Cougar Winery. 

The wineries are out in the country, about 10 miles out from old town Temecula that is quite the party place. In fact there is an Irish pub here amongst many fine restaurants to eat. The one I recommend is the Gambling Cowboy on 5th Street. The décor, the drinks and the delicious food come together to make eating here a highlight of a holiday.

By virtue of its geographic location Temecula is ideal for horseback riding and also for ballooning that is on offer every morning. I found it supremely calming to greet the sun as it rose in the east floating 2,000 feet above the ground in a wicker basket held up by something as rudimentary as hot air.

My final pit stop is the energetic and uber-cool San Diego, California’s sweet spot in the south known for its craft beer, great restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter and the USS Midway — an actual aircraft carrier which is now a museum.

In search of some more adrenaline, I sign up for jetpacking thinking that it is so very easy but get dunked in the water ever so often before I can fly up into the air like how they show on TV. The jets of water are like living pythons that seem to have a mind of their own and the directional adjustments have to be ever so minuscule. But the jets are powerful enough to lift me 15ft clear of the San Diego Bay.

It is headily exciting once you get the knack of it and a definite must-try.

And one last word of advice on San Diego — visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park rather than the zoo. It is 40 minutes north of the city, but absolutely worth it. And while there, amongst other things, what you shouldn’t miss at all is the Caravan Safari. It gets you up close and personal with giraffe, rhinos, wildebeest, deer and baboons.

READY RECKONER

♦ How to get there: Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways fly from Calcutta to Los Angeles with one stop. Consider Etihad for comfortable flights and US customs pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi.
♦ For more on the places go to www.visitcalifornia.com, VisitTemeculaValley.com and www.sandiego.org
♦For more information on SUP, hot air ballooning and jetpacking go to www.mckinnonsurfboards.com, www.hotairtours.com and www.jetpackamerica.com, respectively.