Picking a holiday destination is always a nightmare, because it is impossible to satisfy everyone in the family, but somehow LA fit the bill. The kids were certainly excited about swapping the never-ending winter cold for a little fun in the sun. I was excited because LA has some of the best professional sports teams in the country while my wife simply wanted to take advantage of the celebrity-stalking opportunities.

Helen wanted to stay at the Mondrian Hotel Los Angeles in West Hollywood because she heard that George Clooney had once been spotted in the hotel lounge. My 13-year old daughter, Stacey, wanted to stay at this hotel because Lindsey Lohan said that it was ‘hot’. Unbelievably, my 16 year-old son Alex chose the hotel because Britney Spears was allegedly caught shaving her legs in the pool.

Even though each member of my family had an extremely logical, if not compelling, reason for wanting to stay at the Mondrian, budgetary restraints dictated that we stay at the more modestly-priced Wilshire Grand Hotel. While there were no signs of Lindsey, Britney or George, the hotel was located in the city centre and had a great Korean restaurant and a gorgeous swimming pool.

We began our vacation as anyone coming to LA from a wintry city would; we headed for the beach. In a desperate attempt to put a tinge of colour on our white/grey winter skin before being viewed and critiqued by the fabulously tan locals, we put down the top of our rented convertible and soaked up as much sun as we could.

By the time we arrived at the famous Santa Monica beach, my wife and I felt a little more at ease. Yes, the beach was filled with the fabulously tanned in the smallest of swimwear adorning the Pacific shores, but there were also a host of vacationing families that were as sun deprived as we were.

We decided to go to Venice Beach for lunch. Venice is just south of Santa Monica and is famous for its quirky, slightly offbeat culture. The Boardwalk was lined with trendy restaurants, local artists selling their most recent works, tattoo parlours, piercing places and every type of novelty shop imaginable. There is truly a little bit of everything offered.

My kids wandered over to "Muscle Beach", an outdoor gym next to the ocean where my lovely young daughter was gazing at the California "hunks" working out and flexing their muscles. My son found himself a spot on the shore sidewalk, drooling over the "California girls" rollerblading in bikinis. We ended the evening by watching the plethora of street performers who seemed to create a stage anywhere they could find a bare patch of sand, grass, or sidewalk!

The next day we set out on a two-day excursion to Universal Studios. After checking into the very posh Sheraton Universal Hotel, I honestly didn’t want to leave! They had a fantastic gym and a beautifully tropical swimming area. The room was so comfortable that I could have gladly stayed there for the duration of the trip. Since I was overwhelmingly outnumbered (again), I soldiered on.

For some reason that I still have yet to fathom, we promised the children that not only would we take them to Universal Studios, but we would actually accompany them on a ride of their choice. I was forced to ride on the Revenge of the Mummy with my son Alex. This wretched ride involves a minute or two of stomach-churning, vomit-inducing, brain-bruising and spine-twisting jerks, backward-and-forward moving rollercoaster fun, all to the accompaniment of scary music.

My wife faired much better as she and my daughter went on the Van Helsing Ride. She said that it was a little creepy visiting Count Dracula in the dark, but that she would much rather visit 19th century Transylvania than to ride on that 'crazy Mummy ride' any day. We took the Studio Tour on our second day at Universal. We were able to get a backstage look at how movies were actually made. We didn’t get to see any big movie stars, but we did get to see some amazing demonstrations and astounding special effects.

With the kids completely satisfied that they got the trip that they deserved, we were able to shift our attention to a night out on the town. With so many trendy, celebrity-packed dance clubs to choose from, my wife surprisingly opted for a more laid-back and soothing venue. We decided to visit the quintessential LA Blues bar, Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn. This legendary club has an intimate juke joint style and character reminiscent of the old South.

For me, the highlight of the night was listening to the house band play an amazingly soul-stirring set. Something far more important held my wife’s interest - she was convinced that she saw Denzel Washington leaving the club. Not only did she see him, but he definitely and deliberately smiled at her! (Disclosure: I never saw Denzel)

Our final day saw us in front of the famous Mann’s Chinese Theatre, gawking at the celebrity footprints and handprints by its main entrance. While the theatre appeared somewhat unassuming among the newer and more grandiose buildings nearby, it still captured the charm and the history of Hollywood.

Although we didn’t have a chance to see everything that LA had to offer, we had a splendid time filling our 4-day getaway with fun-filled memories. Even though I didn’t get a chance to see the Lakers and my wife didn’t meet George Clooney, LA gave us a family holiday that I am sure we will long remember.