be the one that got away winter markets: vienna, berlin, copenhagen shopping breaks: london, new york, dubai weekend escapes: paris, barcelona, rome Tuesday, November 24, 2009 metrolifeextra 19 Christmaswith D4 39.09 from per room per night With a luxury room rate like this in the heart of Dublin, make D4hotels.ie your Christmas destination Book online now at www.d4hotels.ie or call +353 1 6684468 Offer valid for November and December. Subject to availability metro lifeextra YouBride Groom Source: TGI ROI 2009 / Urban Life - Wave 12 23% (52,000) of Metro readers are engaged or planning to get engaged soon. On average they intend to spend 16,000 on their wedding & honeymoon. So, if your company wants to be part of their honeymoon experience by advertising in one of 4 special honeymoon features, call Metro Life Extra today on 01 637 5979 1k get away for Colman Mac Sealaigh, presenter of TG4s Ponc, tells us why he would go to California if he had a grand to spare This week: California Where would you go? If I had 1,000 to spend I would have to grab that backpack of mine and hit the sunny state of California. A long flight but well worth it. I would arrive into San Francisco and make my way down the coast to sunny San Diego. Why would you go there? What do you like about it? I spent a few weeks travelling there before and really enjoyed it and I would love to go back. There is just so much to see and do. From tackling a cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, to trekking in Yosemite National Park, to chilling on the beaches of San Diego, it cant be beaten. A visit to LA is a must as well, especially for all those interested in movies and television. Whats there to do/see? San Francisco has a lot to offer as a city. It has many different cultures and a vibrancy that is hard to come by. There is the infamous Alcatraz prison to visit, a dragon- draped arched way announces the start of Chinatown and, of course Lombard Street, the most crooked street in the world. Heading south to LA for a walk on the Hollywood walk of fame, then a chill on Venice Beach. I would recommend a day tour around the city. Not only will you see many famous sights and places but the city is so big that it would be very difficult to fit them all in on your own. Having your own tour guide will go a long way. Is it a tourist trap? There are a lot of tourist attractions in this state, which can be a bit annoying in peak season but if you cant beat them, join them. If you decide to stay away from big attractions there is plenty to see and do instead. I am a big fan of finding smaller, more intimate places to visit. From restaurants to music venues you are spoiled for choice and there is something to cater for every taste. For anyone heading to San Diego, the Shout House is brilliant. Two musicians and two grand pianos are battling it out for the audiences attention. Who would the holiday suit (age group, families etc)? I spent my time backpacking here and met many people doing the same. A lot of third level students from Ireland visit here as well over the summer as part of their J1 Visa. For the family it would be great. San Diego would be great for the family with a great zoo and Sea World of course. But a long flight is never easy with young children! How to get there? Flights to the west coast can vary but I have found return flights for less than 600. I would recommend shopping around because great deals seem to be popping up at the moment. If you are willing to have a stop-over or two along the way the price can drop as well. What made your visit memorable? The people I met made my visit memorable. I made some great friends while on the road through California. I found people to be very helpful and open to a complete stranger. I suppose it helps to be Irish they seem to love us over there. A big bonus for this part of the world was the weather. I didnt see a drop of rain for eight whole weeks. Thats worth the trip already. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html