The Peninsula
Just over a dozen miles southeast of Pescadero State Beach, Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve is home base for one of the world's largest mainland breeding…
Must-see attractions in The Peninsula
The Peninsula
Definitely the most interesting tech visitor center in the area. You'll be met by an army of Geniuses in red shirts offering information from how to use…
San Jose
This ridiculous yet fascinating Victorian mansion is filled with 160 mostly non-utilitarian rooms with dead-end hallways and a staircase that runs up to a…
San Jose
Opposite Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose's excellent technology museum examines subjects from robotics to space exploration, and genetics to virtual…
San Jose
West of downtown, this educational Egyptian museum is one of San Jose’s more unusual attractions. Its extensive collection includes statues, household…
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The Peninsula
Nobel Prize–winning scientific discoveries have been made at this 2-mile-long linear accelerator – the world's longest – built in the mid-1960s…
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
The Peninsula
A half-dozen miles south of Pescadero along the coast, this 115ft-high light station is one of the tallest lighthouses on the West Coast. The 1872…
The Peninsula
Auguste Rodin’s Burghers of Calais bronze sculpture marks the entrance to Stanford University's Main Quad, an open plaza where the original 12 campus…
The Peninsula
Five miles south of Pescadero, bobcats and coyotes reside discreetly in this pretty park's 4600 acres of dense redwood canyon and uplands laced with…
The Peninsula
At this local-food treasure, the split-level farm shop sells creamy artisanal goat's cheeses festooned with fruit, nuts and a rainbow of edible flowers,…
The Peninsula
Though there are no official tours of the Googleplex, visitors can stroll the campus and gawk at the public art on the leafy grounds, where scads of…
San Jose
Historical buildings from all over San Jose have been brought together in this open-air history museum. The centerpiece is a scaled-down replica of the…
Swanton Berry Farm Stand & U-Pick
The Peninsula
Roll up your shirtsleeves and harvest fruit at this organic pick-your-own farm. It’s a union outfit (operated by Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers), with…
The Peninsula
Hit the brakes for this roadside farm stand in a wooden barn to pick up fresh produce, eggs and coffee, plus amazing fruit pies (which sell out fast). The…
The Peninsula
Pretty sand beaches speckle the coast, though one of the most interesting places to stop is Pebble Beach, a jewel less than 2 miles south of Pescadero…
The Peninsula
About 5 miles south of the town of Pacifica, this wide-open crescent is a local favorite for its pristine sand. Inland the park encompasses McNee Ranch,…
The Peninsula
Busy Half Moon Bay is bordered by this 4-mile-long, crescent-shaped beach. Stop by the park visitor center (open weekends only) at the parking lot to…
The Peninsula
A campus landmark at the east of the Main Quad, the 285ft-high Hoover Tower offers superb views. The tower houses a university library, offices and part…
The Peninsula
At Moss Beach, this marine reserve protects tide pools teeming with sea life. Walk out among the pools at low tide – wearing shoes that you can get wet –…
The Peninsula
With driftwood scattered on the sands near San Gregorio Creek, this mile-long beach where Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà camped in 1769 makes a pretty…
The Peninsula
The Cantor Center for Visual Arts is a beautiful large museum originally dating from 1894. Its collection spans works from ancient civilizations to…
The Peninsula
Touted as the largest computer-history exhibition in the world, this museum has rotating exhibits drawn from its 100,000-item collection. Artifacts range…
San Jose
A cutting-edge gallery highlighting themes by both established and emerging Latino artists, MACLA is one of the Bay Area's best community arts spaces,…
The Peninsula
At Intel's headquarters, this museum has displays on the birth and growth of the computer industry with special emphasis, not surprisingly, on microchips…
The Peninsula
Stretch your legs in the redwoods in this park, 2 miles south of La Honda. It has several forested hiking trails and a secluded hike-to cabin available…
Pescadero State Beach & Marsh Natural Preserve
The Peninsula
Fifteen miles south of Half Moon Bay, the beach and marshland preserve attract beachcombers and birders. Pull over and get out of the car to explore the…
The Peninsula
Getting a suntan or catching a wave are the main attractions at popular Pacifica State Beach, as well as at Rockaway Beach just north.
Bonnie Doon Vineyard Tasting Room
The Peninsula
In the sleepy village of Davenport, round out your palate with a wine flight in the friendly roadside tasting room of Randall Grahm's acclaimed winery,…
San Jose
This leafy square in the center of downtown was part of the original plaza of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, and is the city's oldest public space…
San Jose
With a permanent collection of 20th-century works and imaginative changing exhibits, the city’s central art museum is worth a quick look. The main…
The Peninsula
Right on the bay at the northern edge of San Mateo, 5 miles south of San Francisco International Airport, this is a popular park and windsurfing…
San Jose
This science and creativity museum has hands-on displays incorporating art, technology and the environment, with plenty of toys and cool play-and-learn…
The Peninsula
Located where a branch of the San Andreas Fault meets the ocean, this city park with landmark offshore rock formations is the closest spot to the…
Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph
San Jose
At the top of the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the pueblo’s first church was originally constructed of adobe brick in 1803. It was replaced three times due to…
The Peninsula
This is one of the coast’s popular clothing-optional beaches. Park across the road and cross Hwy 1 very carefully to the beach. It's located just south of…
San Jose
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is the centerpiece of this peaceful park, west of downtown San Jose. Meditate as you stroll the walking labyrinth and…
The Peninsula
Trails climb from Montara State Beach to access the undeveloped 4000-acre park of Rancho Corral de Tierra, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation…
The Peninsula
At Coyote Point Recreation Area, this innovative small museum has science and wildlife exhibits for kids and adults.
