Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NERDS' NIRVANA
Touted as the largest computer history exhibition in the world, the
Computer History Mu-
seum
( 650-810-1010;
www.computerhistory.org
;
1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View; adult/stu-
dent & senior $15/12; 10am-5pm Wed-Sun) has rotating exhibits drawn from its
100,000-item collection. Artifacts range from the abacus to the iPod, including Cray-1 su-
percomputers, a Babbage Difference Engine (a Victorian-era automatic computing en-
gine) and the first Google server.
Don't come looking to ogle the latest iPhone or get a Genius Bar consultation. At
Apple
Headquarters
(
www.apple.com/companystore
;
1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino; 10am-5:30pm Mon-
Fri), hardcore fans can load up on Apple-branded clothing and ephemera from its com-
pany store and commiserate that, yes, Steve Jobs has left the building.
facts/locations
; 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View), visitors can stroll the campus and
gawk at the public art on the leafy grounds, where scads of Googlers zoom about on
primary-colored bicycles. Don't miss the 'dessert yard' outside Building 44, with lawn
sculptures of Android operating systems (a cupcake! a donut! a robot!), and across the
street, a toothy T-Rex festooned in pink flamingos next to the volleyball court.
seum
; 2200 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat) has displays
on the birth and growth of the computer industry with special emphasis, not surprisingly,
on microchips and Intel's involvement. Reserve ahead if you want to schedule a guided
tour.
San Francisco to San Jose
South of the San Francisco peninsula, I-280 is the dividing line between the densely popu-
lated South Bay area and the rugged and lightly populated Pacific Coast. With sweeping
views of hills and reservoirs, I-280 is a more scenic choice than crowded Hwy 101, which
runs through miles of boring business parks. Unfortunately, these parallel north-south ar-
teries are both clogged with traffic during commute times and often on weekends.
A historic site where European explorers first set eyes on San Francisco Bay,
Sweeney
between Pacifica and San Bruno, and offers hikers unparalleled ocean and bay views.
