We all watched The OC, then we all watched Laguna Beach to see how real The OC actually was, but places are never like they are on TV right? Well, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are actually pretty similar to how I’d thought they would be.

Almost everyone drives an expensive car. It seems that black Range Rovers and white BWM X5s are the in cars for the kids and their parents must have spent time shopping in the Ferrari, Maserati or Bentley garages that are in Newport Beach.

It does feel like everyone here is really pretty. You’re constantly walking past Marissa Cooper or LC lookalikes. Maybe the normal looking people are hiding behind those bug eyed sunglasses? I suppose a year round tan helps, but people definitely make an effort on their appearance. People jog in fully coordinated outfits and it’s probably the first place I’ve been where everyone gets dressed up to go to the beach. Oh, and if you have one of those weird little dogs. It’s lead/carry bag has to match your outfit.

Laguna Beach is much more friendly than I’d expected. Everyone says hello as they walk past and if you’re near someone for more than a second they’ll immediately start up a conversation, it’s a long time since I’ve seen that happen anywhere. There are some spoilt rich kids too which balances this up, but I think more so in Newport than Laguna. Just like on the TV show, people do organise fashion shows, charity balls and rock concerts. They hand flyers out on the beach all the time for them.

I’d say the language is pretty similar too, but that’s probably just standard Southern Californian. It’s going to be strange going home and not hearing everyone say, “dude”, “amped”, “gnarly”, “totally”, “whatever” every other word. It seemed really funny to hear mums calling their little two year olds “dude”. I’d expected the kids to talk like that, but not their parents!

It does seem like things happen here that would be completely bizarre anywhere else in the world. For example, a women’s Yoga class took place by the beach, in front of everyone doing their shopping. Nobody seemed to think this was at all unusual. Also, there was a man dressed as a carrot being chased by three rabbits across the beach. Again nobody even seemed to notice.

One thing that is identical to both TV shows is the scenery. It’s spectacular, gorgeous and seems to be Summer time all the time.

Being my last proper day in California (I fly home tomorrow) I wanted to have a quick look around some of the shops, so I headed to Newport Beach’s, Fashion Island (great name huh?). It’s kind of like an upmarket shopping mall, but the thing that sets it apart from most places like this, apart from valet parking, is that it has a view. Yes that is the pacific.

On CNN, their Iraq correspondent is an Australian called, Michael Ware. He’s clearly a brave and intelligent reporter, but as soon as I hear that accent and see his slightly manic expressions, I can’t help but smile. There’s a clip of him on YouTube. I love the way he ends every sentence with the name of the guy interviewing him, “Wolf”.

Have you ever thought about the different service mechanisms restaurants use? How do they decide the way you should order and receive your food. They’re either symmetrical where you order, pay and take delivery of the food all at the same place, or asymmetrical where things happen at different places.

• Traditional Restaurant - order at table, food delivered to table, pay at table.
• Fast Food Restaurant - order at counter, pay at counter, food delivered at counter.
• Take A Number Restaurant - order at counter, pay at counter, take a number to table, food delivered to table.
• Take A Table Restaurant - find a table (and its number), order and pay at counter, food delivered to table.
• Take A Bill Restaurant - order at table, food delivered to table, bill delivered to table, pay at counter.

I prefer the first two symmetrical mechanisms, as at least it’s always obvious what you are meant to do. The problem with the asymmetrical ones is that can get a little confusing as to how you’re meant to order and pay.

The worst ones are the Take A Table restaurants, I really hate those. They always seem to have them at busy UK airports (I’m thinking of O’Neill’s at Heathrow T3). They work, unless you are trying to get breakfast and you’re on your own, which lots of people are at airports. You find a table, read the menu, go to the counter, queue and then order, by which time someone else has taken the table that your food is assigned to. You’re in an airport so you can’t even leave any belongings on the table as they’re likely to get destroyed in the interests of security.

It can’t just be me that has this problem every time can it?

When the local radio station debate is about 7 year old kids getting bullied for having Luis Vuitton school bags worth several thousand dollars. Oh for the poor tinkers to spend a day in St Bede’s High School, Blackburn.

I drove to through the desert to the Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs today. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a desert. I guess it doesn’t have quite the same impact when you’re on a motorway with the air con turned up, but the car said it was over 90F outside (and this is Winter) and the scenery was spectacular. It looked like pretty much like the set of a Western. There are loads of warnings about taking lots of water and not getting lost or leaving your car, which seemed to make it even more exciting. Also the roads are really straight. Completely straight with no corners for miles and miles, which actually makes it harder to concentrate.

After driving around the park I went into Palm Springs and on its Aerial Tramway which is a cable car that takes you to the top of Mount San Jacinto. The base (in Palm Springs) was hot by midday, but there was still ice on the paths at the top of San Jacinto. At 10,000ft it also made you slightly breathless on the hiking trail, but it was worth it for the views of the desert and Palm Springs below.

I left LA today and started travelling through Orange County, stopping off at Huntington, Newport and Laguna Beaches. I liked LA, but Orange County is something different.

Huntington Beach is known as Surf City and apparently the world championships are held there every year. It was full of surfers and volleyball players who clearly take their sports seriously.

Newport Beach is clearly where the money is. I think I may have been in the only person in town travelling in a car worth less than �100,000. No that’s not true, some people travel around town in their yacht. It’s definitely where the beautiful people come to play. Suddenly, The OC doesn’t seem quite so far fetched.

Laguna beach is different again. A little more relaxed than Newport, but it’s ridiculously pretty. How can the people in the Laguna Beach TV show ever worry about who’s dating who, who’s invited to which party, or who their prom date is when they’re living in somewhere that looks like this.

Stitched (badly) panoramic view of the Getty Center buildings.

The problem with the Getty Center, like many similar places, is that the building and location overshadows the museum’s content. It’s worth going for the building (and the train ride up the mountain) alone.

Santa Monica has a really nice pedestrian area called 3rd Street Promenade. It’s several blocks long and lined with trees. It’s nice during the day, but fantastic at night when the trees are lit up. With all the pavement side restaurants and live music, it feels like an expensive Mediterranean sea side town. The fact that its warm enough to sit outside in February also helps. I’d definitely recommend Santa Monica for anyone staying in LA.

I spent this afternoon in Beverly Hills. Posh would be an understatement. I think it’s probably the orderly, spotless streets, or maybe the palm trees, but it feels like Knightsbridge, only a little more upmarket. There didn’t seem to be many tourists there, just very glamorous locals. It’s a long way from Blackburn, Lancashire, but I tried my best to blend in.

Normally places don’t actually look like you imagine them to, but Beverley Hills was pretty much identical to how I’d thought it would be. A sort of cross between a Mediterranean sea side village and Sloane Street. I think I could learn to live in town full of palm trees, fancy cars and Mischa Bartons.