Last month 14 other Macaroni Mamas and I had the opportunity to visit the lovely city of San Jose, California. When I mentioned my destination to people in Tucson, the first thing people did was start singing the famous song by Dionne Warwick (come on, I know you're singing it in your head right now). But the second thing out of people's mouths was often, “Why San Jose?"
Why San Jose? Believe me, San Jose is an amazing vacation destination, whether it’s for a girls’ weekend, a romantic getaway, or a trip for the whole family. I loved every minute of my stay in California’s 3rd largest city (really!), and I am thrilled to share the highlights. If you’re planning a Northern California trip any time soon, be sure bookmark or Pin this article so you can come back to read it as you make your plans. Read on, and instead of asking "Why San Jose?", you'll be thinking, "WOW San Jose!"
Why San Jose? Believe me, San Jose is an amazing vacation destination, whether it’s for a girls’ weekend, a romantic getaway, or a trip for the whole family. I loved every minute of my stay in California’s 3rd largest city (really!), and I am thrilled to share the highlights. If you’re planning a Northern California trip any time soon, be sure bookmark or Pin this article so you can come back to read it as you make your plans. Read on, and instead of asking "Why San Jose?", you'll be thinking, "WOW San Jose!"
Eat (and Drink) in San Jose:
Right off the top, I MUST tell you about San Jose’s food scene. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much amazing food as I did during my visit. Team San Jose, our hosts for the trip, shared some of the most delicious, unique and fun eateries with us over the course of the weekend. Among the highlights:
San Pedro Square Market: If you’re in a big group (or a family!) and no one can decide where to eat, eat HERE. This “market” is made up of various local food stalls featuring eclectic cuisine from burgers to falafel to crab cake sliders. There’s also a bar and plenty of delicious places for dessert. Seating is ample, both indoors and out; there is often live music, and a wonderful, casual, fun energy. Very kid-friendly, because even the pickiest eater is sure to find something to satisfy them. I’d take my family to San Pedro Square Market in a heartbeat!
First to Market: For a unique dining experience that’s perfect for a date or small gathering of grown-ups, try First to Market. This downtown restaurant features locally sourced, “elevated” American comfort food with a menu that changes seasonally. During our visit, members of our party sampled the macaroni & cheese, grilled watermelon salad, and elk steak, among other delicious offerings. The real stars of the evening, though, were the hand-crafted house cocktails, made with ingredients like local citrus and organic blueberries. If you happen to be there at 6 PM, don’t miss the $1 gin giblet toast. Fabulous. Cheers!
Savory Kitchen: This was truly the most delightful culinary experience (of so MANY) in San Jose. Our group of Macaroni Mamas took a cooking class at Savory Kitchen, led by the utterly charming Chef Nina. After she poured some lovely wine from local vineyards, Nina proceeded to break us into teams to prepare a 3-course meal of grilled nectarine and mozzarella, a fresh corn salad in a lettuce cup, and marinated Thai flank steak with jicama slaw. We sipped our wine, chopped, sautéed, feasted and took in all of Nina’s wonderful tips and instruction (I now know the BEST way to chop an onion). We also giggled. A lot. Perhaps it was the wine, but it was also the positive atmosphere, wonderful food and great company. Savory Kitchen is an experience I would highly recommend for any group visiting San Jose.
These are just a few of the many wonderful meals we had in San Jose. Looking for other recommendations? Try breakfast (the salmon crepe was to die for) and fabulous coffee at La Lune Sucree; seafood on the rooftop patio at Scott’s Seafood; or enjoy lunch at the whimsical Left Bank Brasserie after a morning of shopping on Santana Row.
Play in San Jose:
The Tech Museum of Innovation: In a word, this place is FUN. Packed with interactive exhibits related to science and technology, the two hours we had to explore this museum were not nearly enough. In the Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery we learned about Silicon Valley technologies as we made strange electronic music and combined videos of our faces to create hilarious alternate images of ourselves. In the Exploration Gallery we piloted a jet pack chair and experienced an earthquake on the earthquake platform. Although we didn’t have time to make one ourselves, we watched children design and build their own social robots. One of my favorite moments at The Tech was in the Health and Biotech Gallery, where I saw three little girls enter a wet lab to grow jellyfish DNA. As they began their experiment, one of the little girls sighed happily, “This is my favorite thing ever.” If you are visiting San Jose with your family, especially with children 5+, the Tech is not to be missed. Just be sure to plan to spend most of the day. I didn’t even mention the fact that the Tech has the largest IMAX dome screen in the west!
Winchester Mystery House: Probably the best known San Jose attraction, the
Winchester Mystery House: Probably the best known San Jose attraction, the
Winchester Mystery House does not disappoint. This unusual mansion was owned by Sarah Winchester, the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, who literally built onto the house continuously over the course of 40 years. The result is a 160-rom labyrinth of staircases to nowhere, cupboards that open to walls and doors that lead to rooms several stories below. There are some intricate Victorian details, like extravagant Tiffany stained glass windows, but also many bare rooms that were never completed. The lore of the house suggests that it was built to ward off malevolent spirits, and the tour could certainly have taken a hokey turn playing up the such stories. However, the exerience was not at all hokey, nor even spooky. Other than pointing out the séance room and Sarah Winchester’s seeming fascination with the number 13 (13 windows in one room, 13 ceiling beams in another), our tour guide made very little of the supernatural legends. The beautifully preserved yet completely bizarre house was really the highlight. Plus, the grounds are lovely and the facade of the home is beautiful, making for some great photo opps. This tour would be appropriate for older children (my suggestion would be around 7+).
For a weekend in San Jose, the Tech and the Winchester Mystery House would certainly be my top picks. But for even more fun in San Jose, you might consider visiting the San Jose Museum of Art, catching some live theatre at the marvelous San Jose Stage Company, or taking in some local sports, like a San Jose Sharks hockey match.
STAY in San Jose
Clearly there are many reasons to make San Jose a day trip from other Bay Area destinations, or you can make San Jose the main attraction of your trip to Northern California. The weather is unbeatable (300 days of sunshine and a climate that had this Arizona girl wearing a sweater on a July evening), and there is plenty to do and see (and EAT). Our group stayed at the lovely Fairmont San Jose, which was a perfect location downtown, within walking distance of many museums, restaurants and theatres. It offered wonderful views from it's upper level rooms and had a fantastic pool where we soaked up the sunshine.
I’ve only scratched the surface of what San Jose has to offer. There were so many things I did NOT have a chance to experience...nearby wine tasting, the Children's Discovery Museum, or a visit during the Christmas Tree Festival in Plaza del Cesar Chavez Park, which draws thousands of visitors each year. In short, if I have a chance to go back, I WILL. If YOU have a chance to visit San Jose: DO.
You know the way to San Jose (or at least the song...), now you also know the why and the WOW!
The writer was a guest of San Jose for the purpose of this review. Accommodations, meals and most activities were complimentary. No compensation was received and all opinions are her own.
I’ve only scratched the surface of what San Jose has to offer. There were so many things I did NOT have a chance to experience...nearby wine tasting, the Children's Discovery Museum, or a visit during the Christmas Tree Festival in Plaza del Cesar Chavez Park, which draws thousands of visitors each year. In short, if I have a chance to go back, I WILL. If YOU have a chance to visit San Jose: DO.
You know the way to San Jose (or at least the song...), now you also know the why and the WOW!
The writer was a guest of San Jose for the purpose of this review. Accommodations, meals and most activities were complimentary. No compensation was received and all opinions are her own.
