At the start of 2017 we took a month-long trip to the United States: part business, part (lots of) fun. I've been meaning to share some of the things we saw and did and finally I'm getting onto it. We went to some great places: Southern California, Memphis and New Orleans among them.

One of the first places we stopped for adventure and a healthy dose of inspiration was the truly wonderful Palm Springs in California. We absolutely loved the place and I felt a bit like I'd died and gone to kitsch heaven!

Here are just some of the things we saw and did (including a photo of me almost getting blown away on a freezing cold mountain and having a great time anyway). Read on below for more details of our trip.

We spent several days exploring the perfect mid-century modern architecture, extensively sampling the local tiki bars, exploring the nearby desert (including Joshua Tree National Park) and we even took a trip up to visit the fairly huge amount of snow sitting on the mountains surrounding us.

The landscape surrounding the city is amazing and beautiful - and very different to what we're used to in Australia. Plus the things to do and see in Palm Springs itself were so much fun.

It's a highly recommended destination and I can't wait to get back there again.