A Tour of Silicon Valley – Roamancing San Francisco Part IV

When visiting San Francisco, I stayed with my friend Chance in San Jose, about 50 miles Southeast of downtown San Francisco. Staying in the Silicon Valley meant being in close proximity to all sorts of tech corporations like Apple and Google. The geek in me couldn’t pass up visiting the headquarters and birthplaces of a few places, even though they’re not too remarkable for locals. When a friend first told me she worked for the Google offices in Mountain View, I thought, “That’s so cool!” until Chance burst my bubble by telling me, “You know, a lot of people in this area work for Google.” Logically, of course working for Google is not that exciting when the global headquarters are right there, but I still think it’s pretty cool.

My tour of the Google offices was an unexpected surprise. A friend had just started working there that week, so she was able to give me a tour around the headquarters in Mountain View, better known as the “Googleplex.” I was absolutely floored by the Googleplex, which was as big as a university campus and included a beach volleyball court, a swimming pool, and cafeterias with free food around every corner. As if working for Google wasn’t already cool enough!

But my favourite part had to be the bikes in the Google logo colours. They were found just about everywhere around the Googleplex and we were free to use them to get around. It felt a bit like stealing, getting on a random bike and taking off, but that’s what they were there for. They were perfect for exploring and seeing the huge “campus”. It really did feel like a university campus, cycling around from one office to another. And when we reached our destination? We simply left the bikes outside where they were inevitably taken by another Google employee.

As a Mac user, it felt appropriate to pay the Apple headquarters in Cupertino a visit. I was unable to take a tour, but I enjoyed driving around the Infinite Loop and admiring the sleek offices. I went into the gift shop/Apple Company store where I drooled over all the iPhones – why must you be so expensive? – and got a kick out of all the Apple accessories: t-shirts, hats, mugs, and more, all proudly displaying the iconic logo.

My last stop in Silicon Valley was the HP Garage. The unassuming garage, located in Palo Alto, was where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded the Hewlett-Packard Company in the 1930s. Though we couldn’t go in, the garage is a California Historical Landmark and is considered the birthplace of Silicon Valley. It’s amazing to think they started the company and gave birth to the high-tech region right there in that garage, which could have been any other garage in any other neighbourhood. A Silicon Valley tour definitely wouldn’t have been complete without a stop there!

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned. My opinions on the companies are my own.

This is Part IV in Megan’s Roamancing San Francisco series. Read Part I, Part II, and Part III.