🇺🇸 San Jose & Silicon Valley Day Trip

As the endpoint of Highway 1, I chose San Jose—the “capital” of Silicon Valley. And when it comes to Silicon Valley, it’s practically synonymous with high-tech. Even though I’m not a programmer, since I was already here, I decided to check out these cutting-edge spots and feel the power and beauty of technology! 🚀💻 🍎 Apple Apple Park isn’t open to the public, but visitors can head to the Apple Visitor Center next door 🏢. You can shop for merch or just look around. Free parking is available (see location for navigation). The center isn’t huge, but it’s stylish—I tried the newly released Vision Pro here, and it was mind-blowing! 😍 🔍 Google A 30-minute drive from Apple takes you to the Google campus. There’s free visitor parking nearby (see location). The outdoor areas are open to the public—take a stroll to soak up the Google vibe. You can also stop by the Google Visitor Center to pick up some merch. Their phones are pretty cool—too bad they’re not usable back in China! 😅 If you get tired, grab one of the colorful bikes and ride around! 🚲 🎓 Stanford University Just 15 minutes from Google, I drove to the area around Stanford. I navigated to the Cantor Arts Center, parked nearby, and walked across the big lawn to enter the campus. The university is enormous—I just visited a few iconic spots and saved the rest for next time. The Spanish-style architecture with yellow bricks and red tiles is stunning. Walking through the campus, you can really feel the strong academic atmosphere. 📚✨ 1️⃣ Main Quad The heart of the campus and the oldest building. The arcades and courtyards are beautiful. 2️⃣ Memorial Church Located south of the Main Quad. If you have time, step inside, sit for a while, and enjoy the music. So peaceful! 🙏🎶 3️⃣ Stanford Bookstore More like a souvenir shop—this two-floor store sells all kinds of campus merch and clothing. 🧢👕 4️⃣ Hoover Tower At 86 meters, it’s the tallest structure on campus. The first floor is free to visit, and for $8 you can go up to the 14th-floor observation deck for a full view of the campus. 🏙️ 5️⃣ Stanford Graduate School of Business As a business graduate, I had to stop by and pay my respects! 🎓💼 I happened to visit on move-in day and saw freshman welcome events—it made me nostalgic for my own student days. 🥲 #USTravel #SiliconValley #Apple #Google #Stanford #SanFrancisco #WestCoastRoadTrip #California #BayAre