California was front and centre in Toronto this week
Monterey County’s Jessica Keener joined the “artistes”
Andrew Powell of The Gate and Lauren Lynch of Beverly Hills’ CVB show off their work
It’s a well-known fact that California is home to some of
the most fun, eccentric and colourful people on the planet. So how better to celebrate that than at a
painting session, fuelled by inspiration, lobster rolls and wine at a funky
downtown loft-space?
That’s what a group of us were treated to on Monday
night. Luckily the artwork came with
instruction and encouragement (and not just the liquid kind!) as we learned
from 13 Californian hosts what’s new, what’s different and what’s quirky about
California.
The state – with a population greater than all of Canada –
is so diverse that it’s divided into 12 distinct regions including LA, San
Francisco, San Diego, the North Coast and so on.
Asking for insights into what makes their corner of this
vast state special (or what they’d recommend for a truly eccentric “Left Coast”
way to see it), I gleaned the following:
In Hollywood, be sure to check out the new Walford Astoria
featuring panoramic views of downtown (and the odd celebrity spotting).
The best time to visit Hollywood? Spring or fall: summer is high season (read: highly
expensive, I was assured) and winter is award season and hotel rooms are gone,
gone, gone.
Clients love the beach? Send them to San Diego, home to over 100 kilometres of ‘em.
Into surfing? Send
them to Huntington Beach in Orange County: it’s Surf City USA.
It’s no secret that California is the perfect destination
for the foodie client. Our hosts
recommended a visit to North Park in San Francisco, full of hipster bars, restos
and micro breweries. Or in Palm Springs,
they can head to The Nest for dancing, a piano bar, and A-one
people watching.
