A solid hike in the Portola Valley hills, Windy Hill is a great spot to get up above the Peninsula and check out the great views from the Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Near Palo Alto and Los Altos, you can get out onto the plateau and soak in the views. A 1-2 hour hike depending on speed, you get a real sense of the region.

A shorter, paved hike near the famed "Stanford Dish" off of 280 on the Peninsula. There are a variety of entrance points and some great little steep sections that allow you to circumnavigate the satellite dish. It can get crowded on the weekends, like most hikes in the Bay.

A great interactive museum (especially for kids or big kids) where you can learn the history of computers and Silicon Valley. Interesting exhibits and nearby the Google complex, it's worth a few hours.

A cool part of Silicon Valley history, the HP garage was built in 1905 and is a private museum. You can do a drive by or sort a tour.

Catch a concert or 49ers game at one of the most technologically advance stadiums in the country. Even if there's nothing going on, there's a weekend museum you can check out.

Downtown San Jose's main museum, the Tech offers up a fun, tech-filled experience. Interactive exhibits including an earthquake simulator and cool Rube Goldberg machine outside.

Did you know the Bay Area has it's own NASA center? Ames is open to the public and free (check hours due to Covid). There's a Mercury Capsule as well as other cool space-related items in the Exploration Center.

Somewhat recently re-opened to the public after years of being renovated, Mount Umunhum (fun to say!) is a great place to get South Bay views. Plenty of hiking trails and opportunities to get into nature in the Sierra Azul Open Space area.

I'm kind of grouping Santana Row and Valley Fair as two spots to grab an excellent meal. Valley Fair is indoor and Santana Row is an outdoor hub for shopping and dining, it's Silicon Valley's place to "be seen." Luxe spots for clothes and some solid restaurant choices like Straits, Momosan, and Dumpling Time as well as favorites like Pizza Antica.

A South Bay favorite for mediterranean food. There are multiple fast-casual outlets as well as a fancier sit-down spot in Sunnyvale. Don't sleep on the sauces or fresh pressed juices. This place is always packed and for good reason.

With locations in Mountain View and Cupertino, Oren's serves up a variety of delicious hummus and fluffy pitas. Great for meat lovers and vegetarians, Oren's is a staple in the Bay.

Be prepared to wait. It's worth it. Ramen Nagi is similar to Japan's famed Ichiran and has locations in Palo Alto and Valley Fair in San Jose.

A great Mountain View tapas restaurant with outdoor seating and a great variety of delicious options.

The Bay Area has a huge variety of cuisines and a very solid choice for Indian is Sakoon. It's a Bay Area chain with outposts in Fremont, Mountain View and Santa Clara. A massive menu with options for veg and non-veg.

Downtown San Jose's place to see/be seen, it's a great spot for eating, drinking, and watching local sports. There's a huge variety of food from pizza to tacos to falafel, Vietnamese and Tibetan momos, you can go here with a group and everyone will find what they're looking for. The bar is always packed on weekends and the outdoor space often has live music. It's built around the oldest building in San Jose so that gives it a funky historical vibe. Parking is ample in the garage across the street.

Singaporean food in the Bay? Yes please. It's a newcomer and for a place that has so many different Asian cuisines, it was long overdue. Coffee, kaya toast, and noodle dishes await you. There will be an outpost soon in Valley Fair mall and I couldn't be happier.

A down home bakery and sandwich shop. The portions are huge and delicious. As authentic as it gets for San Jose.

A San Jose institution for breakfast burritos and famed for orange sauce. There are multiple outlets in the city and you shouldn't leave Silicon Valley without a bottle of the famed sauce. Many will imitate, but nobody does it better.

It's a no-frills bagel shop, cutely called "Ho-Bags" by the locals. The line is always long, but it moves quickly by the family who churns out orders of perfectly soft and chewy bagels. I'll pass on the coffee, but the egg sandwiches are outstanding.

Very authentic Neopolitano pizza.

It's the absolutely best place for authentic udon in the South Bay. There are outposts in Mountain View and San Jose.

Fantastic menus that change seasonally, OCK is a great spot for an innovative and tasty dinner or lunch. Popular with the work crowd, it's worth making reservations. Clever food and drink with outdoor seating.

An upscale Mexican option in SJ and Campbell, Luna is Michelin recognized and has fresh ingredients in a cozy location. A must-visit.

Ok, ok, I know this isn't just a cafe, you can get some amazing food at Manresa--but they serve Verve and I'm here for it. Grab a loaf of bread, a pastry, and a great coffee and thank me later. There's another outpost in Los Altos if you find yourself up there.

A very new addition to Silicon Valley, there's a Tartine coffee outpost and a Japanese whisky bar. This is the hotel Silicon Valley deserves, damnit!

Definitely the hotel to see-and-be-seen on Santana Row. Centrally located, albeit somewhat noisy due to the activity in the outdoor mall nearby.

The Rosewood Sand Hill is the iconic Venture Capital hangout and beautiful hotel right off of 280 on the Peninsula. Great pool, beautiful mountain views, and all the VCs hang out at the bar.

Beautifully designed and close to the action, it's a great central location and high tech hotel to call home for your visit.

There's a Nobu in Palo Alto? Yes there is. It opened in 2020 and is a calm oasis in the busy town. Very zen and chill place to stay in Silicon Valley.