Pigeon Point
Lighthouse
About 50 miles due west of San Jose in Pescadero,
the 115-foot-tall Pigeon Point Lighthouse perches on
a cliff overlooking the Pacific. One of the tallest lighthouses
in America, the beautiful windswept beacon
has been guiding mariners since 1872. The waters
surrounding Pigeon Point Light Station teem with marine
life. Seals and whales frolicking in the surf can
be spotted from the shore. Tide pools that dapple the
rocky reefs flank the light station, host to a vast variety
of plant and animal life.
These days, structural problems make the tower
off-limits to the public, but the grounds are open for
informal tours. The keepers’ bungalows have been
transformed into a youth hostel spread out over several
buildings accommodating a variety of travelers.
For those seeking a little seaside serenity, private
rooms are available, as are sunset dips in the property’s
famous cliffside hot tub. Families flock to their
larger-capacity lodgings and dorm rooms, and the secluded
beach is a perfect place for the young and the
young at heart to play, build sand castles and gaze
out to sea. For outdoorsy explorers, Pigeon Point is
surrounded by miles of hiking and coastal trails, and
as a dark sky preserve, it’s also a stargazer’s paradise.
Apple Park
Visitor Center
Let’s face it—most of us are immersed in an Apple product of some kind for
much of the day. You may even be reading this story on one of their iconic
devices at this very moment. Now you can become even more engaged in
the realm of Apple. Part of the new $5 billion Apple headquarters in Cupertino,
the visitor center is open to the public and features a store, café, rooftop
terrace and augmented reality experience. Located at 10600 N. Tantau
Ave. in Cupertino, the building showcases a seamless style of architecture
that embraces and melds into the natural landscape. The focal point of the
complex is the exhibition space within the Visitor Center that highlights the
innovative design principles of Apple Park. And in the store, kids and adults
can sign up for creative sessions in photography, video skills, music and art.
The Bay Area loves a good rags-to-riches startup
story—even when it comes to our munchies. Down
and out, San Francisco native Ike Shehadeh opened a
hole-in-the-wall eatery in SF’s Castro District in 2007
and turned it into a gourmet sandwich empire with
more than 55 locations in the state, many throughout
the Bay Area. And the rest is sandwich history. Famous
for its delectably messy and decadent stacked
sandwiches, Ike’s has built a loyal following by layering
high quality ingredients in unusual combinations.
The eclectic list of sando fixings includes jalapeño
poppers, mozzarella sticks, honey, wasabi mayo and
buffalo wing sauce. With the franchise continuing to
expand, getting a taste of this gourmet guilty pleasure
is an all-too-attainable temptation.
Ike’s Love &
Sandwiches
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COURTESY OF APPLE PARK VISITOR CENTER;
COURTESY OF IKE'S LOVE & SANDWICHES
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