Big basin redwoods state park, USA

Gorgeous hiking area with old growth redwoods that dwarf a person.

We went hiking here for a day with a friend. This was a very beautiful place with extremely tall trees. Not very good for hiking though, but nice for seeing the trees and nature.

Just an hour's drive south of SF is one of the redwood parks. A truly awesome place with huge trees and good hiking possibilities. Definitely good for a day trip.

I really love going to drive down Highway one from San Franciso into Half Moon Bay. Great stops along the way for Clam Chowder and a glass of wine while looking at the lovely Pacific Coast. Do it!

I used to live here. A sleepy little university town, with a unique personality - half burned out hippies, half dot com-ers coming in from the valley, and uh, half university students. I know that that's a lt of people, but whatever. A definite surfing spot if you're so inclined! If not, check out the Boardwalk, go on some rides, and han gout on the beach.

This is where monarch butterflies stay for a portion of the year. A fantastic sight!

Very interesting place if you work in the web industry. I guess it's not trivial to get in if you're not invited, but it still might be worth trying. Just kidding ;-P

Great and not totally crowded family beach with nice sand & relaxed atmosphere.

Great and not totally crowded family beach with nice sand & relaxed atmosphere.

Standard brewery food added with fresh local seafood. Decent beers.

A lighthouse with a nice view. Stop if you're passing by but don't go over your head to get here.

We stopped here to watch the huge waves unrelentlesly break into the big rocks on the shore. An awesome sight! Well worth the stop. Watch out for the slippery rocks!

Not really a tourist destination...

Busy, crowded and way too expensive.

Check out the Intel Museum Store on Mission College Blvd. It had cool high-tech gadgets and lots of clearance deals and great prices for a museum store. They also run free classes for kids, but you have to book them ahead of time.

San Jose has its own opera and ballet that is worth seeing just for the restored building.

Pizza My Heart, right down by the waterfront. You can get a slice and a t-shirt for $5.

Zelda's is a great place to get a margarita.

HDs in the heart of Silicon Valley. Rent here and head out on HWY 17 towards Santa Cruz.

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A really cool spot to stop and go see the ocean pounding to the rocks on the shore. Something you don't see every day even if we have lots of sea and lakes in Finland. Definitely worth a short break on your way to the south. Take video and photos!

An old lighthouse that was taken out of use. A pretty beautiful scenery but that's it. Not really worth stopping by unless you have excess time.

Well, there's nothing in Palo Alto. Ok, there's the Cheesecake Factory here but that's it. Otherwise not a place to be on a vacation.

Great burgers, good beers.

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Half Moon Bay coastal area has some excellent trails. Hikes that go up with fantastic ocean views, ocean bluffs, redwood forests. Something for everyone. Along Hwy 35 which is the spine of the Santa Cruz Mtns are many open space hiking trails.

Excellent overnight accommodations and destination restaurants.

Weather is overstated. Winter, Spring, and Fall are great with summer surprises.

After making a tour in Stanford, Go to San Francisco! To meet other travelers and locals, join fun group dinners.

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