<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">If you start with #5, you can also walk to Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown. Basically find a place to park in the north-east part of San Francisco, and make sure you have comfortable walking shoes and a map or guide book. <br><br>#8 Alcatraz: The tour ferries book far ahead. Advance reservations highly recommended. <br>#8A: From the same ferry ticket window, you can buy tickets for a ferry ride to Sausalito and/or Tiberon. Boats run frequently. You can get off and walk around the towns in the North Bay or just enjoy the boat ride.<br><br>One more "detail": MICRO-CLIMATES caused by the various hills that block or funnel winds off the Pacific. In a typical day, in any one place, expect 20, possibly 30 degrees, difference between dawn and mid-afternoon. And expect 10-20 degrees colder at Golden Gate Bridge than in
San Jose. Bring a light sweater/sweatshirt and a wind-breaker!<br><br>Paul<br><br>--- On <b>Fri, 3/15/13, Rick Moen <i><rick@linuxmafia.com></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com><br>Subject: Re: [conspire] Moving to the area<br>To: conspire@linuxmafia.com<br>Date: Friday, March 15, 2013, 3:52 PM<br><br><div class="plainMail">Quoting Robert Keizer (<a ymailto="mailto:robert@keizer.ca" href="/mc/compose?to=robert@keizer.ca">robert@keizer.ca</a>):<br><br>> Very brief bit about myself for context: I'm an avid unix user. I'm<br>> a Systems Administrator by title. I'm the President of MUUG (<br>> Manitoba Unix Users Group ). I live in Winnipeg.<br>> <br>> I'm going to be moving to the bay area this coming fall - my fiance<br>> has been accepted to Stanford.<br><br>Welcome, Robert. If you're in the
market for a Linux SA position, my<br>firm in Sunnyvale is hiring, as is my wife's. (Talk to me in private<br>mail.) <br><br>> I'm planning a trip this coming week ( March 17-23 ) to the area to<br>> familiarize myself and make some contacts in the local unix world<br>> before the move.<br><br>Glad to hear. You won't need to wait for the 23rd to visit my house,<br>though. Please give me a call on my mobile (+1 650-283-7902) when<br>you're in the area, and we can at least have a beer or cup of coffee<br>together.<br><br><br>> Does anyone have any suggestions as to sights or people I should see<br>> or contact? So far I've got:<br>> <br>> * The Computer History Museum<br>> * CABAL on the 23rd<br><br>I can suggest a few.<br><br>The greater San Francisco Bay Area has many places worth a visit. <br>One oddity about the 'South Bay' area aka Silicon Valley that runs from<br>roughly Menlo Park southwards
through San Jose and Gilroy is that that<br>_specific_ area mostly lacks major tourist landmarks, unlike, say, San<br>Francisco itself. A cynic might call Silicon Valley 'Los Angeles north'<br>in the sense of being an area of suburban sprawl without a centre -- and<br>with the additional burden of being populated by stressed workaholics.<br>;-><br><br>I hope you will have use of an automobile, as many options will then<br>open. The South Bay has several quite good transit systems useful for<br>_particular_ uses, of which my favourites are Caltrain (heavy commuter<br>rail -- runs San Francisco to Gilroy) and VTA Light rail (several lines<br>in Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley) that are<br>particularly useful in conjunction with a bicycle, _but_ they only take<br>you near some places and not others.<br><br>The quirks and advantages and failures of Bay Area public transit could<br>make for a very long discussion on its
own. Suffice it to say, for now,<br>that the most successful (speed, cost, frequency, reliability, hours of<br>coverage) public transit corridor runs between Berkeley/Oakland and <br>downtown San Francisco. The second most successful is the subset of<br>Silicon Valley served by VTA light rail.<br><br><br>If you have a car (in no particular order):<br><br>1. Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, Felton (inland<br>from Santa Cruz). <a href="http://www.roaringcamp.com/" target="_blank">http://www.roaringcamp.com/</a> You take a leisurely<br>steam-locomotive railroad ride in open cars through virgin first-growth<br>redwood forest with a knowledgeable forester as a guide. Bear Mountain,<br>visited by the main route, is I believe one of the very few completely<br>uncut primordial forests of Coast Redwoods still in existence.<br><br>Why that attraction? Because it's unique.<br><br>2. Golden Gate Park,
San Francisco. The eastern half of this 5km-long<br>municipal park is packed with attractions, some indoor (Asian Art<br>Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers) and<br>most outdoor. I particularly like the gorgeous Victorian Conservatory<br>of Flowers (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatory_of_Flowers" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatory_of_Flowers</a>) and<br>the nearby Tree Fern Dell<br>(<a href="http://www.faroutflora.com/2010/05/31/tree-fern-dell/" target="_blank">http://www.faroutflora.com/2010/05/31/tree-fern-dell/</a>). Also the<br>Japanese Tea Garden<br>(<a href="http://www.golden-gate-park.com/japanese-tea-garden.html" target="_blank">http://www.golden-gate-park.com/japanese-tea-garden.html</a>).<br><br>3. There is also a very old Japanese tea garden at Hakone Gardens in<br>Saratoga (west side of Silicon Valley, in the hills): <br><a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone_Gardens" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone_Gardens</a><br><br>3.5. San Mateo also has an excellent Japanese Tea Garden, having likewise a<br>historical Japanese presence:<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33031-d145181-Reviews-The_San_Mateo_Japanese_Garden-San_Mateo_California" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33031-d145181-Reviews-The_San_Mateo_Japanese_Garden-San_Mateo_California</a>.<br><br>4. Likewise in Saratoga is Villa Montalvo, an Italianate mansion now<br>devoted to public events including summer concerts, and with a<br>world-class set of botanical gardens and arboretum.<br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Montalvo_Arboretum" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Montalvo_Arboretum</a><br><br>5. Walking in the northeast part of San Francisco. Just spend a few<br>hours walking up and
down Russian Hill and Nob Hill. Park your car on<br>the east side of Telegraph Hill and climb up the Filbert Stepts, tour<br>the Coit Tour, admire the view, and then descend again. Note the<br>colonies of cats who live either in the gardens along the staircase or<br>in the houses fronting onto the wood-planked streets.<br><a href="http://louisapickering.blogspot.com/2010/06/not-much-of-guard-kitty-this-telegraph.html" target="_blank">http://louisapickering.blogspot.com/2010/06/not-much-of-guard-kitty-this-telegraph.html</a><br><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/filbert-steps-san-francisco" target="_blank">http://www.yelp.com/biz/filbert-steps-san-francisco</a><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filbert_Steps" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filbert_Steps</a><br><br>6. Marin Headlands and Muir Woods National Monument..<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d103182-Reviews-Marin_Headlands-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d103182-Reviews-Marin_Headlands-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60909-d124638-Reviews-Muir_Woods_National_Monument-Mill_Valley_Marin_County_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60909-d124638-Reviews-Muir_Woods_National_Monument-Mill_Valley_Marin_County_California.html</a><br>Tip about Muir Woods: Get there early. 'Early' in this context means<br>being there right at the minute of opening, before buses full of<br>tourists arrive.<br><br>7. Golden Gate Bridge. Walkable (about 1.8km)!<br><br>8. Alcatraz. It's now a park with ranger tours. <br><br>8. Twin Peaks. For the view. Bring a windbreaker.<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d105363-Reviews-Twin_Peaks-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d105363-Reviews-Twin_Peaks-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><br>9. Cable Car Museum, San Francisco. The relic cable car system itself<br>tends to be mobbed and is priced to fleece tourists (unless you have a<br>monthly Muni Pass, IIRC).<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d104939-Reviews-Cable_Car_Museum-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d104939-Reviews-Cable_Car_Museum-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><br>10. Angel Island. Historic and also now a state park. Bring lunch and<br>a good pair of walking shoes. Ferries take you there, same as with<br>Alcatraz.<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d208341-Reviews-Angel_Island_State_Park-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d208341-Reviews-Angel_Island_State_Park-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><br>11. Grace Cathedral, top of Nob Hill. Pretty Episcopalian/Anglican<br>cathedral and also has a wonderful organ, but I like it for the outdoor<br>walkable maze on the patio.<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d116450-Reviews-Grace_Cathedral-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d116450-Reviews-Grace_Cathedral-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><br>12. Sawyer Camp Trail (no-cars paved trail, 5 miles, near the major<br>reservoirs). Includes the Jepson Laurel, largest laurel tree in the<br>West.<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33020-d146953-Reviews-Sawyer_Camp_Trail-San_Jose_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33020-d146953-Reviews-Sawyer_Camp_Trail-San_Jose_California.html</a><br><br>13. Monterey Bay Acquarium, Monterey next to Pacific Grove. Famous<br>enough that I probably don't need to say much. 'Ware of hordes of<br>schoolchildren.<br><br>14. Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Right east of Oakland/Berkeley<br>is a dormant major volcano that makes a really excellent and easy<br>walking tour.<br><br>15. San Mateo County's ocean beaches. I personally love Pescadero,<br>Pomponio, and Arroyo Frijoles (Bean Hollow) beaches -- and then you can<br>go a few klicks inland to the town of Pescadero and have a memorable<br>fish meal at Duarte's Restaurant.<br><br>16. Jack London State Historic Park. This was the ranch and settlement<br>author Jack London
and his second wife Charmian created. and is both<br>beautiful and historically interesting. Glen Ellen, southwest end of<br>Sonoma Valley.<br><br>16. Sonoma Valley wineries. Skip snooty and overpriced Napa Valley to<br>the east.<br><br>17. Parts of Stanford University, Palo Alto. Sure, it's spread out and<br>some of the architecture is variously bizarre or outright regrettable,<br>but there are lots of highlights such as the Rodin sculpture garden and <br>Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden.<br><a href="http://www.stanford.edu/dept/visitorinfo/plan/guides/visit.html" target="_blank">http://www.stanford.edu/dept/visitorinfo/plan/guides/visit.html</a><br><br>18. Mt. Tamalpais, west of Mill Valley. Wonderful hiking, my favourite<br>being the Steep Ravine Trail. Stunning views.<br><br>19. Castle Rock State Park, at the west crest of the Santa Cruz<br>Mountains above Los Gatos. Hiking,
rock-climbing. Waterfall.<br><br>20. Apple Computer main campus, Infinite Loop Drive, Cupertino -- but<br>just to shop at the store and gawk, because the firm is too paranoid to<br>let you inside the campus's buildings otherwise.<br><br>21. Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It's huge, has stands of old-growth<br>redwoods plus a great deal of second-growth forest, and has a very 1950s<br>old-time feel.<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32100-d127946-Reviews-Big_Basin_Redwoods_State_Park-Boulder_Creek_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32100-d127946-Reviews-Big_Basin_Redwoods_State_Park-Boulder_Creek_California.html</a><br><br>22. San Andreas Fault Trail, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District<br>Administrative Office, Los Altos. The only better place to really see<br>the San Andreas fault is Olema Valley, Pt. Reyes, western Marin Coutny.<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32653-d2299554-Reviews-San_Andreas_Fault_Trail-Los_Altos_California" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32653-d2299554-Reviews-San_Andreas_Fault_Trail-Los_Altos_California</a>.<br><br>23, Sunset Magazine Headquarters & Gardens, Menlo Park (my town).<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32704-d127870-Reviews-Sunset_Magazine_Headquarters_and_Gardens-Menlo_Park_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32704-d127870-Reviews-Sunset_Magazine_Headquarters_and_Gardens-Menlo_Park_California.html</a><br>While you're there, just north of it you can visit the US Geographical<br>Survey western headquarters's Map Store.<br><br>24. Kepler's Books, Menlo Park (my town). It's not huge (it's no<br>Powell's Books), but it's a beloved local institution.<br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32704-d269811-Reviews-Kepler_s_Books-Menlo_Park_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32704-d269811-Reviews-Kepler_s_Books-Menlo_Park_California.html</a><br><br>25. Musuem of Pez, Burlingame. Nothing else like it anywhere.<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32124-d265152-Reviews-Burlingame_Museum_of_Pez_Memorabilia-Burlingame_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32124-d265152-Reviews-Burlingame_Museum_of_Pez_Memorabilia-Burlingame_California.html</a><br><br>26. Pulgas Water Temple. Deirdre and I held our wedding there.<br>Nick Moffitt best explained why:<br><a href="http://crackmonkey.org/travel.html#CHAPTER2" target="_blank">http://crackmonkey.org/travel.html#CHAPTER2</a> <br>It's west of Redwood City.<br><br>27. Exploratorium, San Francisco. It's a hands-on
science museum<br>founded by Frank Oppenheimer, Robert Oppenheimer's brother, and<br>re-opening at a better location April 17, 2013.<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d102775-Reviews-The_Exploratorium-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d102775-Reviews-The_Exploratorium-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><br>28. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, not far from downtown San Jose.<br>Despite the unpromising name, it's a real historical museum, and has<br>many evocative bits including the grounds.<br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33020-d156816-r124370403-Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum-San_Jose_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33020-d156816-r124370403-Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum-San_Jose_California.html</a><br><br><br><br>I hope that helps. There's a lot mroore to find:<br><br><a
href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33020-Activities-San_Jose_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33020-Activities-San_Jose_California.html</a><br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60713-Activities-oa30-San_Francisco_California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60713-Activities-oa30-San_Francisco_California.html</a><br><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28926-Activities-oa420-California.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28926-Activities-oa420-California.html</a><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>conspire mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:conspire@linuxmafia.com" href="/mc/compose?to=conspire@linuxmafia.com">conspire@linuxmafia.com</a><br><a href="http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/conspire" target="_blank">http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/conspire</a><br></div></blockquote></td></tr></table>