Cutting-edge California

If you’re going to do one road trip in your entire life, you could do worse than taking the exhilarating Highway 1 from San Francisco along the California coast. Then why not do it in style? It’s almost obligatory to hire a Mustang convertible. En route you’ll stop at Napa Valley for wine tastings in smart estates and seek thrills on a hot-air-balloon ride over the vine-strewn hills. Wind along Big Sur’s coastal cliffs and lap up its ocean panoramas. When you get to Los Angeles, do as the Californians do and take on the luxurious shops with a private stylist.