[bahasad]

Looking for advice from my fellow E90posters - I am visiting the West coast/Bay area (specifically San Jose/Sunnyvale/Fremont/Palo Alto) for the first time. I am there for an interview however I should have a full day of sightseeing. What are 1 or 2 sites I should see and the best restaurants to eat at?

[Rustic_potato]

Just Cruise down Pacific 1 down south till you hit mckay falls/ big sur if you wanna see sexy roads with oceanic views. Else, head north to San Fransisco and get high.

[uber]

Go to twin peaks at night!

[MrN1ceGuy]

drive down highway 17 to santa cruz in the daytime. The view is as amazing as the drive itself.

[Weebl]

Stay away from SF/San Jose any time near commuting hours. Other than that, nothing much here other than traffic. Nice views on Hwy 1 though but if you live near an ocean, meh.
Wine
Museum
Open space

[rok335]

My favorite drive is on HWY 1 from santa cruz to Half moon bay. If you're in san jose, you can go down to Santa Cruz via the 17, then head up HWY 1 to Half Moon Bay. Good brewery there if you're into that. Then head east back to San Jose on the 92 and make a full circle. You can go the other way too. Get a different view. Coast actually looks different when you're heading north or south!

[sunny]

Alexander steak house.
Expensive but worth a trip.
Just go sit in bar area.

[Arexander]

The locations you're describing are generally in the "South Bay." If what you're looking for is a nice driving area, then like other members have said, Highway 1 is a nice scenic route. It really depends on when you're coming though. Check out the weather if it's worth it to take the scenic route. Sometimes it gets pretty foggy here, and the fog is too thick to enjoy any scenery.

Now, if you want to do the usual tourist(y) things, then here are some other alternative (facts) lol :

San Jose area:

• Santana Row = Lots of nice restaurants, nice people, ladies

Santa Cruz:

• Beach town if the weather is nice, you could check it out

San Francisco:

• - Not much to say. Have your Yelp ready to find nice restaurants. If you're into the night life, there's some nice clubs to go to: Audio, Halcyon, etc.

North Bay (Napa, Sonoma, etc):

• This is "wine country." Nice place to head to if you are into wine. If you're bringing your lady along for the ride, this is a nice spot for drinking and dining.

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by bahasad

Looking for advice from my fellow E90posters - I am visiting the West coast/Bay area (specifically San Jose/Sunnyvale/Fremont/Palo Alto) for the first time. I am there for an interview however I should have a full day of sightseeing. What are 1 or 2 sites I should see and the best restaurants to eat at?

Damn, too bad I didnt see this earlier, we had about 4 or 5 of us roll up to Sonoma for a day of drag racing.

What to see and where to eat depends on your budget and taste. You could eat at French Laundry or a taco truck.... its weird cause there is an infinate amount of things to do here but nothing I would say is a 'must'.

Cross the Golden Gate and/or take a cruise to Alcatraz? Wine/Cheese tasting? Club in south bay? Santana Row is like a local Beverly Hills 90210 spot in the South Bay/San Jose area. Sunnyvale has a couple ok golf courses. Could go for a hike or drive 9 or 1 like others have suggested. Hit up Alice's half way up 9.

Either way have fun and enjoy the beat ass roads, traffic, and one of the most expensive places in the world to live

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by sunny

Alexander steak house.
Expensive but worth a trip.
Just go sit in bar area.

+1 on Alexanders. Go during lunch, same food for half the price.