Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley refers to the area between the city of San Mateo and San Jose and is known for to be home to some of the largest companies in the world. Stanford University, where many startups like Yahoo and Google were formed, is located at Silicon Valley. Visit the Google campus, home to its iconic Android lawn statues, which were named after various desserts. You can also visit the Google Merchandise Store to buy some Google-themed goodies. Right next to it, the Computer History Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of historic computing artifacts.

The Winchester Mystery House, the allegedly haunted, 160-room mansion built in Victorian style is located in San Jose. Check out the expansive San Jose flea market where you can pick up anything antique. Santa Clara is home to some of the bigger tech companies like Intel, which also runs an interactive museum that you can visit. While you can check out the main tech attractions, you can catch some outdoor air by going over to the Santa Clara Central Park. It’s home to many children-friendly play areas, the Internation Swim Center, and the famous Central Park Library. Head over to the Baylands Nature Preserve, located in the Palo Alto area. It is one of the largest undisturbed marshlands left in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area. If you want to get some trail time in, explore the Castle Rock State Park and head into the Santa Cruz Mountains.