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San Mateo - Silicon Valley is the Bay
Area's Crown Jewel
by Joe Hilbers
San Mateo's Silicon Valley has become world famous
as the place that introduced the new electronic age
to the masses. But it also offers much more with its
immense diversity, both in its geography, multiple
cultures and life-style.
Over the decades we have made many trips to the Bay
Area and Northern California but almost everything
we did on our three day tour of San Mateo County was new to us. It was
truly a tour of both town and country including picturesque farming communities like
Pescadero to bustling Palo Alto which shares the
headquarters and start-ups of famous companies with
the academic fame of Stanford University.
One morning we started our 'As Fresh as it gets
Media Tour' with a visit to the Filoli Center
located in Woodside. This estate includes a huge
mansion surrounded by well cared for acres of
gardens. Bob French was our guide as we toured the
incredible mansion with rooms seemingly without end.
Included is a Center for growing organic herbs and
spices and we had a sit down tasting of just what is
being produced. The Center has some fifty products
including vinegars, seasonings, salts, sugars, teas
and dried herbs. It is situated on 654 acres and now
has ninety thousand visitors each year.
There were a good many firsts on this trip
including our visit to a goat farm in Pescadero.
Just getting there was memorable with a scenic drive
on Highway One where you pass one pristine beach
after another, most with State Park status.
Harley Farms Goat Dairy has been in place for a
century but in recent years
has been restored with the original barn which now
includes a meeting room as well as the equipment for
making their prize winning cheeses. Exhibits of
cheeses like Garden Chive, Honey Lavender, One year
old Feta and Garlic herb Fromage Blane are there for
sale.
We had the opportunity to mingle with some of the
200 alpine goats on the 200 acres, many of them most
friendly for petting and photo opts, followed by a
tasting of the wonderful cheeses.
It appeared to us that the opportunities for outdoor
activities are limitless in San Mateo County. We
already mentioned the beaches but then there is
Pillar Point Harbor with its sport fishing and
boating, while just a short distance away Mavericks
offering a surf break that now lures surfers from
around the world.
Wunderlich Park is located in the mountains that
separate the Pacific Coast from Silicon Valley on the Bay. Here we took a short hike on a
trail that moves through a forest of redwoods, oaks
and madrones. Wild animals are abundant and we traded stares with two black
tailed deer. Adjacent is Folger Stable, an historic
showplace, still used for horses and also includes a
Carriage Museum. The numerous trails are for both
hikers and equestrians.
We then left the countryside to embrace the city
life of Palo Alto including a stroll on University
avenue, which centers the downtown area. This is the
hub of the south Peninsula's activities both during
the day and especially at night with its many clubs
and restaurants. It also is the gateway to Stanford
University.
When the Stanford family founded the University in
honor of their lost son they purchased so much land
that the school still is the largest land holder in
the County. Much of the campus is open to visitors
and our goal was a visit to the Iris & Gerald
Cantor Arts Center. This includes a magnificent
historic museum building as well as the Rodin
Sculpture Garden. In the museum we viewed a current
exhibit on California water that included some truly
awesome oil paintings depicting its sources.
Moving further north we entered San Carlos for our
own unique version of pub crawling. In the
industrial part of the City there is a winery row
and here we spent an entire afternoon being able to
visit several, all in walking distance. We will
cover our forays to wine shops and tasting rooms in
a separate Vittles story. But in this area we also
visited Devil's Canyon Brewing Company. Since
opening in 2001 the craft brews made here have
received over 35 awards for excellence. Adam was our
host as we tasted four brews, starting with a light
pilsner called Beer kidnap, then a red ale named
Dedicate Amber, followed by Full Boar Scotch Ale and
finally our favorite, California El Diablo. The
Brewery is open Friday nights with live
entertainment.
Foster City is a unique community, located
close to the Bay, with lakes and canals winding
through the urban housing. At Foster City Lagoon
electric boats are available for rental and here we
took to the water with our tour guide and mentor,
Stephanie Fermin acting as both Captain and
Navigator. As we cruised through the waterways she
also thoughtfully provided us with a most tasty box
lunch.
Our lodging on this trip changed each day as we
moved to different locations in San Mateo County.
Our trip of exploration started with the arrival at
San Francisco International Airport aboard a one
hour Jet Blue flight. Then a short shuttle to the
elegant Hyatt Regency SFO Hotel. On arrival we were
met by Joel Alexander, director of sales &
marketing, who explained that the hotel had just
completed a two year renovation which included a new
bar and restaurant.
That evening we dined at the hotel's
3Sixty where we met Executive Chef Bernard Foster
who showed us a menu that included Asian influence
matched with California produce and products. We
started with crab cakes, then a salad with a variety
of lettuce. Our entree was a crusted halibut with
vegetables including browned red potatoes. Our
dessert a strawberry shortcake. Our wines included
two 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Clos Du Val and Sequoia
Grove, both from Napa.
Hyatt RegencySFO is located at 1333 Bayshore
Highway, Burlingame, Tele.650 696-2650,
While on the Coast we stayed at Half Moon Bay Lodge
which is in the picturesque seaside village of Half
Moon Bay. After exploring the historic
downtown we checked into the Lodge with its
gardenside rooms that included every convenience. It
is also surrounded by 36 holes of oceanfront golf.
Once back in Silicon Valley we were
introduced to Dinah's Garden Hotel which enjoys an
history that includes its seven acres of gardens,
tranquil waterfalls and art objects that whisk one
to the South Pacific Islands. We were greeted by
General Manager John Hutar and after check-in
invited to take part in the afternoon's pool party.
This included tasty appetizers, cocktails and live entertainment.
What made the scene so remarkable was that it was
all taking place just a block from one of Palo
Alto's busiest thoroughfares. Dinah's Garden Hotel
is located at 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto,
Telephone 650 493-2844. web.www.dinahshotel.com.
Our last night was spent at the Doubletree by Hilton
which was located north of the San Francisco Airport
at Brisbane. This small community just south of San
Francisco has grown over the years to be entitled
"the industrial city". The hotel offers wonderful
views of the community as well as sweeping views of
San Francisco Bay. Its amenities were most welcome
after another busy day in the Silicon Valley. The
next morning the hotel's complimentary shuttle got
us to SFO in a few minutes.
The Doubletree by Hilton is located at 5000 Sierra
Point Parkway, Brisbane, Ca. Telephone 415 467-4400.
web.www.doubletreesfo.com.
© 2016 Joe Hilbers All Rights Reserved.
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