With another timezone jolt safely negotiated thanks to a good night's rest, days six and seven are all about sun, sea, sand and surf.

Oceanside is one of the major surfing hotspots in Southern California, and as such is also the home of the California Surfing Museum.

We thought it only right to pay a visit, and although the museum would have to be described as 'cosy', that is not to say it doesn't have it's charm.

With the major exhibition documenting the history of women and surfing, from the beaches of Hawaii to the California shores and beyond, it was the perfect time for Rhian to take in a bit of old-school girl power, while for me the history of the bikini sub-section was fairly pleasing on the eye!

After that it was time to hit the beach – miles of golden sand, the glorious Pacific Ocean and clear blue skies.

Setting up camp for the afternoon it was time to kick back, relax, soak up some rays and grab the i-pod.

Sitting there, in perfect temperatures with the waves crashing in the background, it certainly made you mull the benefits of the California lifestyle, as opposed to our office-obsessed workaholic lives back home.

Finally hauling ourselves off the golden sand as day moved to night, we enjoyed a stroll around the Oceanside Sunset Market, which had countless food and craft stalls to enjoy, as well as more little dogs scurrying around than you could possibly imagine.

To round off the day we opted for something only the West Coast could provide – a drive-thru Mexican restaurant.

A feast of tacos, burritos, beans and rice awaited us, the perfect send-off before we headed a few miles south to downtown San Diego for the next leg of our trip.