Radical, occasionally reclusive but always relaxed, Marin County in California is in every sense an alternative to San Francisco.

Where do the stars go to ski? Felix Milns is wowed by the Californian resort of Mammoth, a four-hour drive from Los Angeles.

OUTSIDE an old saloon bar and next door to a jailhouse, six cowboys are having a stand-off.

IT WAS late afternoon when I arrived in Los Angeles and the sun was dipping over the city, soaking the hills in a golden haze that made even the freeway look gorgeous.

The last time I went on a cruise I lost my favourite teddy bear.