Andrew Molera State Park, California

A wild, windswept beach in the heart of fabulously scenic Big Sur country. It's quite a hike from the parking lot to the beach, and be prepared to wade knee deep across the Big Sur river. The combination of pebbly river bed, soft city feet, and icy waters is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.

When you get to the beach you'll realise the walk was well worth it - the beach is absolutely beautiful. Sit down and enjoy the scenery for a while, then get to work on your driftwood construction project. Yes, there's amazing piles of strange-shaped, storm-battered driftwood all around. A wigwam-like structure is always popular, or you could try a slightly more challenging camping-tent style layout.

After messing around at the beach, go for a walk along the clifftop on a well worn trail for some spectacular views of the Big Sur coastline.