Tagging along with my hubby's IAI regional conference, we spent five days in San Jose and another whole day at Point Reyes National Seashore. It was a relaxing mini-vacation for me.
Steamers of Pismo
Anchored atop the bluffs of Pismo Beach we stopped by Steamers of Pismo for lunch. Enjoyed their famous award-winning clam chowder and their panoramic view of the Pacific coastline offers unforgettable scenes of the historic Pismo Beach Pier.
Gathering with college classmates
I took the liberty of meeting some of my dear friends living in the neighborhood and had a hearty meal at 清真東來順. It's always a pleasure to get together with old friends and keep on chatting.
Double Tree Hotel at San Jose
This hotel was easy access, on & off freeway. It's so easy to drive into the air port because it's adjacent to the terminals. I'm so thankful that my car is equipped with navigation. It's mainly for business stay though. Nothing much to do nearby.
Winchester Mystery House
I stopped by it once owned by wealthy widow Sarah Winchester, who kept construction going on the 160-room Victorian mansion for 38 years. It was a cool house and it was interesting to see how this woman spent her money constantly building and rebuilding her house. I did the Mansion tour and the Behind the Scenes tour combo, plus the gardens. Amazingly, she developed and practiced many eco-friendly ways of conserving water and heat. But, is it worth $31 to visit?
The Tech Museum
An innovative and thoroughly modern museum, "The Tech" is an exploration of technology and how it affects our lives. Four major theme galleries showcase everything from robotics to earthquakes and satellites to Silicon Valley. I watched one IMAX movie "Destiny in Space" which gets me an exciting glimpse into the future of space exploration. With never-before-seen giant-screen images of the space shuttle in orbit and thrilling fly-overs of Mars and Venus, the film focuses on the partnership of humans and robots working in space, e.g., Hubble. I also enjoyed a nice talk from NASA speaker explaining the supercomputer being utilized there. The whole place was very innovative, and noisy too, being filled with field-trip children.
Computer History Museum in Mountain View
I took both 'Tours of Visible Storage' and 'Babbage Demonstrations' tours. There is a "storage" room that has display after display of some of the original computer systems, portables, video games, calculators ever designed. For many of us who watched the computer revolution grow, most of the displays will bring back reminders from decades ago. IBM and Apple's first computers, even Google's first server as well as tons of other systems (military/civilian). The Museum's newest exhibit, Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2 provides a chance for me to experience one of history's most unique and historically significant mechanical computing engines. The Baggage Engine weighs 5 tons and consists of 8,000 moving parts.
Santana Row, San Jose
This place is pricey. The overall experience is completely artificial with architecture that resembles a Hollywood set. The chess sets, the lounges under the trees, the architecture, the excitement level...it is all lovely. We only shopped at Burberry.
Filoli House and Garden, Woodside
"Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life."
Filoli is the last of the grand California estates to be created during the Golden Age of the early 20th Century and the longest surviving one. Designed and built between 1915 and 1917, Filoli is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Opened to the public in 1976, this historic site features a 36,000 square-foot modified Georgian residence and a 16-acre English Renaissance style garden. I took both House and Garden tours. The rooms that did impress me were the ballroom and the foyer with the staircase. The main draw here is the expansive Gardens. I have to say I was originally expecting to enjoy the mansion itself more than the gardens but found myself less interested in the house. It was perfect for me who just wanted to get out and lose myself in a vast garden for a day.
Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County (Land and Sea)
The story of Point Reyes is a study in motion--slow, continental transformations and sudden, violent jots that shake the earth; the rhythmic play of sea-spray along the coast; wings of birds flashing in flight; drifting shrouds of mist and fog; browsing deer who occasionally follow our movements with soft eyes; and the ebb and flow of Pacific tides. Exceptionally, we did see group of elks. It's a home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Over 1,000 species of plants and animals can be discovered. A breathtaking place!
Embassy Suites Hotels, San Rafael
The good: Separate bedroom from living area, good breakfast as others have mentioned, nice wide doorways, elevators and auto doors at front. The bad: NOISY! - Sound echoes up from the atrium. Since we booked it through AAA/Travelocity and we were given a room way from the elevator. Lesson learned: next time you'd better off booking through hotel reservation.
Olde Port Inn, Port San Luis, Pier 3, Avila Beach
It offers a unique feel that stands out among Central Coast Restaurants. Great location, wonderful views of bay, neat inside, we sat at a glass bottom table that looks down through the pier into the water. But...the food was very very bad. Clam chowder was the worst I have ever had. A previous review said the food here was hit or miss, I guess we missed....
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