Travel — Let's chase adventures.

Tips:

Definitely get your gas pumped at the Costco gas stations if you have Costco Membership. It is probably one of the cheaper places for gas :>
You can purchase an unlimited data plan from T-Mobile online via Amazon.

Stop: Golden Gate Bridge

You can’t say you’ve gone to San Francisco without having made a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge! An iconic symbol of San Francisco and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is truly a magnificent beauty and engineering wonder featuring color, sound and light. The Golden Gate Bridge is an orange vermillion suspension bridge that covers the Golden Gate Strait - the Pacific Ocean entrance to San Francisco Bay.

A San Francisco sunset at Golden Gate Bridge is a skyline sight not to be missed.

Stop: Stockton Bakery/Golden Gate Bakery

The largest Chinatown outside of Asia as well as one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America, Chinatown is a bustling cultural centrepiece. Before you leave, stroll down Grant Avenue, the main tourist thoroughfare lined with shops. Restaurants here get really crowded at dinnertime; reservations are highly recommended. Asian pastries in Chinatown are an absolute treat! Golden Gate Bakery egg tarts were really great. Prices at Stockton Bakery are definitely more reasonable for the quantities, and there is a variety of egg tarts, sponge cakes and bolo buns. Bakery suggestions include Stockton Bakery and the very popular Golden Gate Bakery (egg tarts are sold at $3.75 USD).

Stop: Stanford University

Stanford was founded almost 150 years ago on a bedrock of societal purpose. Our mission is to contribute to the world by educating students for lives of leadership and contribution with integrity; advancing fundamental knowledge and cultivating creativity; leading in pioneering research for effective clinical therapies; and accelerating solutions and amplifying their impact.

Stanford University is among the most selective institutions of higher education in the U.S. and the world. It is regularly ranked as the most selective because of the number of applicants and the percentage that are accepted. The campus itself is one of the most stunning campuses I’ve seen.

The University still enjoys 8,180 acres (almost 13 square miles) of grassy fields, eucalyptus groves, and rolling hills that were the Stanfords' generous legacy, as well as the Quadrangle of "long corridors with their stately pillars" at the center of campus.

The general concept for the University grounds and buildings was originated by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park in New York. A brilliant young Boston architect, Charles Allerton Coolidge, further developed the concept in the style of his late mentor, Henry Hobson Richardson. The style, called Richardsonian Romanesque, is a blend of Romanesque and Mission Revival architecture. It is characterized by rectilinear sandstone buildings joined by covered arcades formed of successive half-circle arches, the latter supported by short columns with decorated capitals. It reminded me of Tuscan architecture.

Stop: Stanford Dish Loop Trail

One of the most popular walks and runs on the entire Peninsula is known as The Dish, named after the large old radiotelescope used for research in the Stanford foothills and visible from throughout the area.

The trail is dedicated to field research activities and is also enjoyed by visitors for recreational purposes. It is one of the last unbroken expanses of open space in the lower foothills. Stanford's 150'-diameter radio telescope ("Big Dish"), used for SETI research, is located here, as is a smaller radio telescope ("Little Dish"). Other research and teaching programs also use the dish area for environmental study and habitat restoration.
Rain or shine, you'll find hundreds of locals and Stanford students walking or jogging the trail.
The paved trail climbs the hills and offers spectacular views of the Peninsula, the campus and the coastal mountains. On a clear day visitors can see San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and the East Bay. The main loop trail is 3.5 miles and takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to walk.

Stop: Half Moon Bay State Beach aka Venice Beach

A mere 45-minute drive from San Francisco lies Half Moon Bay, an idyllic enclave and truly the most picturesque escape from the big city.

Half Moon Bay is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, 45 minutes south of San Francisco on Highway One, but it might as well be half a world away. Home to the world-famous monster waves at Mavericks, Half Moon Bay is a sleepy beach town with a strong connection to the ocean. A broad expanse of sandy beach curves around the scenic bay and defines four beaches—Francis, Venice, Dunes, and Roosevelt.

You’ll definitely want to spend as much time as possible by the Pacific Ocean at the amazing Half Moon Bay State Beach.

Stop: Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Just north of town at Moss Beach, the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a great place to see harbor seals and explore tide pools—look for purple sea urchins and sea stars in the craggy rocks. Definitely the place for an ecology or geology enthusiast! There is a variety of algae, crabs, sponges, seastars, mollusks, and fish in the inter-tidal; the area between low and high tide. The Reserve is set aside to protect this complex but fragile community for us and future generations

Stop: Apple Park Visitor Center

Step into the heart of the Apple empire at this contemporary building—the only part of the Apple Park campus that’s open to the public. Here, you can tour the innovative exhibition space for a behind-the-scenes look at Apple’s journey, technology, and design principles, head up to the roof terrace for a lovely view of Apple Park, and rub shoulders with other creatives at the cafe. Of course, the highlight of the center is the massive Apple Store where you can browse their full range of products and snag exclusive merchandise. Merchandise was quite expensive though, at $20 USD for a mug and $40 USD for a tee-shirt.

Stop: Google Visitor Experience Centre

The Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View, California was a really educational and eye-opening experience. From interactive art installations to offerings from local businesses to a California-fresh eatery, the new public destination has plenty of interesting sights for people to enjoy.

Stop: Meta Sign

It was pretty legendary getting to visit the Meta Office sign!

Interestingly, the logo can resemble an M for “Meta,” and also at times an infinity sign, symbolizing infinite horizons in the metaverse. The Meta symbol was designed to dynamically live in the metaverse — where you can move through it and around it. Cool stuff for one of the biggest technology companies in the world!

Stop: Lombard Street

Known as the “Crookedest Street in the World,” Lombard Street is one of San Francisco’s most popular landmarks. Every year, hordes of tourists walk or drive down its eight sharp hairpin turns. Surrounded by Russian Hill mansions and cleanly manicured landscaping and flowers, it is also one of the city’s most scenic streets. Take a spectacular photo at the bottom looking up or enjoy the breathtaking view from the top looking out onto the San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge and Coit Tower.

It may look treacherous, but Lombard Street’s switchbacks were built to increase the safety of the street. The natural steep grade was thought to be too precipituous. In the 1920s, a property owner suggested creating a series of switchbacks which not only added to the street's scenic appeal but made it safer for pedestrians.

Stop: Coastal Trail: Lands End to Golden Gate Bridge

This is a really scenic and easy hiking trail.

The California Coastal trail is actually a huge mega-trail connecting Mexico to Oregon. For this segment in the Presidio (the park and former army base that make up a protected area around the Southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge), you'll walk a 2-3 mile stretch from Baker Beach to the Golden Gate Bridge along the rocky coastline. With views of the bay throughout, it's a gorgeous way to approach the bridge; plus, it's much less touristy than the other walking approach, which starts in Fisherman's Wharf.
Meander atop the coastal bluffs and explore the ruins of the Sutro Baths, enjoying mesmerizing views of the Golden Gate Bridge along the way.

Stop: Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is a free attraction that features a beautiful dome and curved columns.
When you walk around the Palace of Fine Arts, you will see many beautiful architecture and special art on the walls. It was truly an enchanting sight. Walking around the perimeter path and enjoying the lagoon and view of the structure was really enjoyable.

Other Places that I Recommend Visiting:

Stanford Bookstore
Stanford Shopping Mall
Gilroy Premium Outlets
In n Out - a California institution. We found it pretty good, but not outstanding… diners seemed to love it though :)
Gombei - very tasty home-style Japanese cuisine
Peets Coffee - very good coffee, there are several outlets in California
Golden Gate Park is worth a stop - we spotted actual buffalo roaming around!
Tried San Tung - very long line, but affordable food

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