Sitting on Sunset Boulevard, just down from The Comedy Store and opposite the Oppenheimer Group (of Selling Sunset fame) is another American icon – Mel’s Drive-In.

There can be few more iconic road trips than a run down through California on the Pacific Coast Highway. The PCH or Highway One is one of the best ocean drives in the world and one to be savoured.

Sometimes you need to take a step back to appreciate things. Or, in this case, up. Viewed from above there is a wonderful geometric beauty to the world’s complex road networks.

It’s 21 years since Maximillion Cooper organised the first Gumball 3000. One epic drive over three continents remains the standout.

This is a voyage of discovery, a voyage that’s been immortalised in many a road movie. A journey of hope, of anticipation. A journey that millions undertake every year, hoping to get rich quick.

Locals call it The Snake, and, if all the crash videos on YouTube are anything to go by, then this road certainly can bite.

It’s the darker, grimier underbelly of the Petersen – The Vault – that will make your visit most memorable.