San Jose's downtown is compact, walkable, neat and packed with sites that appeal to the taste buds, visually attractive and tickle the creative brain.
When we go to San Jose, we go there because of work stuff, to visit friends, attend a party, go to festivals, check out a restaurant, specials events like weddings or go to a concert or a ball game. Mijo and I have never really walked around downtown San Jose or visited any of San Jose's museums the way tourists do. One weekend, that's just what Mijo and I did. We spent a night on the town and played tourists.
It was a glorious fall Saturday and the drive on highway 101 from San Francisco through the peninsula to San Jose was smooth. I hear stories about gridlocks during the week on the same route but we experienced none of it that day.
We reached Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in less than an hour. San Jose definitely gets more sunshine than San Francisco. Without the morning fog, San Jose also feels warmer. I can just imagine how many tomatoes I can grow if I lived there.
The plaza had adirondack chairs spread on the park under the shade. Kids were already playing in the children's playground and playing with water around the fountains. The VTA light rail trains move up and down the area adding its sounds into the city's urban rhythm. The area is also flat which makes is perfect for walking.
The plaza had adirondack chairs spread on the park under the shade. Kids were already playing in the children's playground and playing with water around the fountains. The VTA light rail trains move up and down the area adding its sounds into the city's urban rhythm. The area is also flat which makes is perfect for walking.
We walked around to check out the Fairmont Hotel and the stores nearby particularly my favorite the Muji store. I also saw a pastries place called Bijan and I made a mental note to get something tomorrow to bring back home.
After our self walking tour, we decided to get something to eat at the nearby San Pedro Square Market. This place is a public market that includes several food vendors very much like the Ferry Building and Market Place in San Francisco. It offers American, Vietnamese, Pizza, Pasta, a bar, Peruvian, sushi place, Mediterranean, coffee, oyster place, etc.
Just like at any foodie places, I always feel challenged to make a quick decision. Lots of food and cuisines to choose from. After I switched back and forth with my choices, I finally decided to get a Gyro salad from Robee's Falafel. Mijo got a carbonara pasta from Pasta Fresca. We sat outdoors and had, in what I can remember, one of the longest lunches we've in a while. It was so enjoyable. We finished it off with a basic crepe from Crepes and More and we shared a small Americano from Bellano Coffee.
After the long lunch, we decided to make use of the remaining day light by going to the Tech Museum of Innovation. Neither one of us has been there before. The place kept us mentally engages so we didn't get sleepy. The place has lots of hands on exhibits that will make you think and think hard. They also have an Imax theatre that was showing Journey to Space and that was immensely satisfying.
Speaking of an immensely satisfying experience, I absolutely enjoyed the Bio Design section where they have a hands on exhibit about sustanable mushroom bricks. I was told they can be stronger than concrete when dried. Not to mention sustainable. First they provided us a mold. Then we filled the mold with mushroom pieces into a brick shape. Then the brick shaped pieces of mushrooms were put in an oven-like structure to dry.
The next morning, we decided to get breakfast at this place called Deluxe Eatery Drinkery. I liked the interior which is dimmed, urban with a nice center chandelier. The wall arts suggest a jazzy concept. Mijo ordered a Salmon bagel. I ordered a corned beef hash.
Afterward, Mijo and I decided to check out the San Jose Museum of Art since it is also nearby. There was a section that was closed that day and I was not sure what's in that section. Aside from the permanent collection of local Bay Area artists, the museum was also having an exhibit on Milton Rogovin's Life and Labor.
I really liked the Water Table by artist Evan Holm.
The exhibit includes dead manzanita branches from the deadly fire in the Sierra foothills as roots or table anchors. The liquid in the table is black with duckweed floating and form into different formations. And then there are spools of tape running the entire length of the table. I am not sure if those are the spools of tapes that play the intrumental recordings. There are wireless headphone you can use to listen to the artist's intrumental recordings.
I remembered my mental note the day before. Mijo and I dropped by Bijan to get this creme puff and a small chocolate cake.
Our San Jose trip was a relaxing night on the town for us.
~rl
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