A "day at the office" for Patric Douglas, CEO of Absolute Adventures - Shark Diver, and his seasoned staff consists of providing thrills for adventure-seeking clients who want to meet the world's top ocean predator, the Great White Shark. Douglas hosts 5-day great white expeditions off the coast of California, utilising huge shark cages that enable divers to come nose-to-nose with one-ton Great White Sharks underwater at a site at Isla Guadalupe.

California Parlor Car Tours is a San Francisco based tour operator that has been operating motor coach tours since 1924. They offer pre-planned trips of one to four days with meal stops, sightseeing, accommodation and admission tickets inclusive, destinations including Yosemite National Park, Monterey, Big Sur coast, Hearst Castle and the wine country. The company will also create a customised vacation, for instance combining day trips in San Francisco or Los Angeles with a few nights on the California coast.

California Wine Tours is a specialist Californian travel agent offering tours for US and international travellers. Not only does California Wine Tours provide excellent organised trips with interesting itineraries through the Sonoma and Napa Valley region, but the company will also personalise a trip for your specific needs. California Wine Tours can accommodate groups of any size using its range of transport from New Lincoln Town Cars through stretch Limousines, mini-buses and full size coaches. Theme tours include historic tours, champagne tours and wine education tours. Corporate events are also arranged.

Extranomical Adventures is a San Francisco based tour operator. They take small groups of people and are aimed at the more independent traveller who wants a more personal service. Their tours include a one-day tour of Yosemite from San Francisco, Wine Country tours (visiting small family vineyards for tastings), San Francisco city tours, and tours of Muir Woods and Monterey and Carmel. Daily departures, complementary

hotel pick up. See website for details of the tours organised by Extranomical Adventures.

Billed as 'the ultimate power trip' Windmill Tours takes visitors to explore the forest of turbine windmills at Palm Springs, California, the fascinating feature that has been the setting for many a movie scene and is a source of technological wonder. Tour guides explain the history of wind energy, utilisation of wind power and give a glimpse into the future of electricity as part of the narration on this tour that includes mountain vistas and a close look at desert fauna and flora.