Tourist Attractions near Silicon Valley

The following is a list of places I'd give to my friends who come to visit the Silicon Valley. Most of the list are hyperlinked, click on the item to see more. (my recommendations are marked by )

Silicon Valley:

The TECH Museum of Innovation (High Technology Museum)

• Children's Discovery Museum (Fun place for kids)
• Winchester Mystery House (tourist spot, but I don't like it)
• Raging Water (Water fun park, open only in summer)
• Almaden Vineyards (Calif's oldest Winery, wine tasting)

• Intel Museum (on how computer & chip are manufactured)
• Paramount's Great America (Amusement park, roller coasters)
• Valleyfair mall (Large shopping center)

• Stanford University (architecture, campus)
• Stanford linear accelerator Center. (guided tour by appt.)
• Stanford shopping center (shopping mall)

• NASA Ames Research Center (World's largest wind tunnel, free guided tour by appt., weekdays only)
• Space Camp California (astronaut training simulation for kids. enrollment req'd)

• Filoli Center (historical, architecture, garden)

North: (about one hour driving)

Golden Gate bridge (architecture)
Lombard Street at Hyde St. (crookest street, vantage point)
Cable Car (fun ride, transportation)
Exploratorium (science museum with hands-on exhibits)

• SONY Metreon (IMAX theater, SONY showroom, PlayStation store, plus many others)
• Golden Gate park (activities, leisure, museums)
• Alcatraz Island (historic landmark, prison tour, ferry ride)
• Cliff House (coastal scenery)
• Baker Beach (nude beach in Summer)
• Fisherman wharf (tourist shopping, activities, boat cruise)
• TransAmerica Pyramid (architecture)
• China Town (tourist shopping, ethnics)
• Japan Center (tourist shopping, ethnics, summer festival in Aug)
• Civic Center (architecture and cultural activities, opera house, concert hall etc)
• Coit Tower (architecture, vantage point)
• Twin Peaks (vantage point)
• Haight Ashbury District (home of the Hippies in the '70s)
• Gay neighborhood at Castro & Market (scene of interesting activities)

Berkeley

• U.C. Berkeley (campus)
• Lawrence Hall of Science (Science museum)
• Botanical Garden (garden, nature walk)
• Tilden Park (kid steam train ride, public park)

• Marine World Africa USA (theme park, killer whale, animal show, water ski show)

• Lindsey Wildlife Museum (510) 935-1978 (a cross between an animal shelter and a zoo)

Further North from S.F. (1-2 hour driving):

Muir Woods National Monument (Redwood Forest, park, short nature walk, hiking trail)

• Point Reyes & Stinson Beach (Scenery, seasonal gray whale watching from the light house, occasional great white attacks in the water)
• Napa Valley (wine tasting train ride, Hot Air Balloon ride)

Further South: (within two hours driving)

• Big Sur (Redwood Forest, campground, hiking trails)
• Big Basin State Park (Redwood Forest, campground, hiking trials)
• Roaring Camp & Henry Cowell Redwood Grove (Steam train ride into Redwood Forest, short hiking trials, Civil War re-enactment on Memorial Day)

• Garlic Festival (an annual event in July)
• Gilroy Premium Outlets (shopping)

• Boardwalk (amusement park on the beach)
• fisherman wharf (tourist shopping, fishing pier)
• Mystery Spot (optical illusion in a natural setting)

Monterey (alternate site)

Monterey Bay Aquarium (see the 50'x15' windows to the one million gallon tank of deep-sea fishes, see the jelly fish exhibit)

• fisherman wharf (tourist shopping, fishing pier)

17 miles drive and Pebble Beach (Coastal scenery and world famous golf course)

Further away (4-6 hours driving, accommodation needed):

Yosemite National Park (scenery, water fall, Campground, trails, rock climbing etc.)

• Lake Tahoe (Casino, water activities in summer, skiing in winter, scenery)
• California State Mining & Mineral Museum in Mariposa (see mineral & gem exhibit and a underground gold mine, south of Yosemite National Park)
• Sequoia & King's Canyon National Park (Campground, trails, caves, redwood forest etc.)
  

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