Issue link: http://globelitetravelmarketing.uberflip.com/i/149733
5 THE ATRIUM of the San Jose Tech Museum, left. » MUST SEE , DO » Stanford University Stroll the Stanford University campus, slip into historic Memorial Church and grab a bite along Palo Alto's University Avenue, where Silicon Valley's powerful business leaders might be striking a deal at the next table. › smccvb.com » Montalvo Arts Center Spend a leisurely few hours taking in the small-town atmosphere of Los Gatos and Saratoga and visit nearby Montalvo Arts Center, which has 175 acres of Mediterranean-style landscaped gardens. › montalvoarts.org » Downtown San Jose Discover San Jose's revitalized downtown, including the San Jose Museum of Art and the Tech Museum, a showcase for Silicon Valley's innovative spirit. › sjdowntown.com » Theme Parks Have a thrill at two theme parks, California's Great America, packed with roller coasters and other rides, and Raging Waters, the region's largest water park. › cagreatamerica.com › rwsplash.com south of San Jose, along the Hecker Pass Highway and around the city of Gilroy, which is home to an annual Garlic Festival that draws thousands. With its Mediterranean climate of warm summers and mild winters and location 50 miles south of San Francisco and 30 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, it's no wonder that Silicon Valley developed as a world center for innovation, drawing some of the best and brightest engineers in the world to a quiet valley where once only fruit trees blossomed. City and Town San Jose, the county seat of Santa Clara County, was founded in 1777 and today is the largest city in Northern California and 10th largest in the nation. Downtown has undergone significant revitalization over the last decade, with historic buildings such as the California Theatre on the same block as more than 100 software companies that have relocated. The adjacent city of Santa Clara has much to offer, including historic Mission Santa Clara de Asis on the campus of Santa Clara University. Heritage and Culture San Jose offers a big-city cultural scene with first-rate ballet, opera and theater. Museums include the Tech Museum, where visitors discover what made Silicon Valley successful, the Children's Discovery Museum, the San Jose Museum of Art and the west coast's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium. About 10 percent of San Jose's population is Vietnamese, and this ethnic group has a strong presence particularly in restaurants along Story Road and at the Museum of the Boat People in History Park. The valley's Mexican community is another large ethnic block, evidenced by the festive annual Cinco de Mayo parade. The Great Outdoors Wherever you are in Silicon Valley, beautiful open space is not far away. » Mystery House & Santana Row Tour bizarre Winchester Mystery House and enjoy nearby Santana Row, San Jose's tony shopping, restaurant and nightlife district. › winchestermysteryhouse.com › santanarow.com Nearby mountains, with their forests of redwoods and Douglas fir, meadows and rustic hamlets, provide a welcome respite from the Silicon Valley bustle. Make some time to sample local wines at tasting rooms, including MOUNTAIN WINERY'S ivy-covered stone villa, and other wineries found in acres of rolling vineyards along the curving Santa Cruz Mountain roads and along Hecker Pass south of San Jose. 2 0 1 3 t r av e l g u i d e to c a l i f o rnia 95