My holidays

PATRICK COMBS,author and performer

What was your best holiday?We rented an RV and did a remarkable drive on Highway 1 from California along the coast to Oregon. We stopped all along the way at places like Pismo Beach. Here, there is a pier extending out over the Pacific Ocean with a 40ft drop. We jumped from the end of the pier and it was exhilarating. We also stopped at Big Sur and stayed at this incredible forest – it was so dense and the air smelled and tasted different. Highway 1 has to be one of the best roads in the world.

What was your worst holiday?Once we went camping in Oregon and we were dropped off at the camping spot (we had no car with us). The driver was to pick us up after four days. But an unexpected rain storm blew in and it rained for four days straight. The entire time there, there were two 10-minute breaks a day from the downpour, so we literally had to lie in six inches of rain, trying to sleep and pass the time. It was miserable, like being on Survivor.

If budget or work were no restriction what would be your dream holiday?My dream vacation is to take my family across the magnificent Yellowstone National Park on horseback for an entire month. We'd light a campfire every night and sleep in tents, and during the day ride slowly across the wilderness. For me, being on a horse completely changes the way time moves. I will do this trip before I die.

Who would you bring on holiday with you if you had your pick?Always my family, which is my wife and two children. We also have one set of friends that we can travel with. We tested it in a Winnebago for two weeks. The children play really well together and at night we play board games for triple the fun.

What's your favourite place in Ireland?It's more my favourite thing about Ireland rather than place. It is if someone is lucky enough to be invited to dinner with Irish people in their home and they decide to make a night of it. There is nothing like that in the US. My friends in Ireland have all grown up together. When they get together at the table, they laugh, sing and sit around until 4am. I've had the best social nights of my life when a family lets you in on their craic.

Your recommended holiday reading? I'm a magazine guy, so on vacation I always have a stack of Esquiremagazines in my bag – it has it all for me. One must-read book for an insight into being a stage performer is T he War of Artby Steven Pressfield.

Where will you go to next?I'm coming to Ireland and will travel around seeing new restaurants, pubs and, in the evening, I will do my favourite thing in the world and laugh in a theatre.

Author and performer Patrick Combs is performing his show, Man 1 Bank 0, at 10 venues including the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, man1bank0.com