Located in heart of Silicon Valley, Moffett Field is a catchall for a variety of business and…read moregovernment facilities. Its more notable residents are NASA Ames, Moffett Federal Airfield, The Moffett Field Historical Society, and a burgeoning Google presence. The field was founded in 1931 when residents of Santa Clara Country raised just under a half a million dollars to purchase the farmland to then sell it to the U.S. Government for the princely sum of $1 dollar in order to build what was then known as NAS Sunnyvale in 1933. The US navy wanted to use the base for Airship operations. Upon the death of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who was a huge proponent of Airship operations, the base was changed to NAS Moffett Field on 1 September 1933. To support airship operations the massive Hanger One was built. The Hanger which at the time was one of the largest freestanding building in the world covered a whopping 8 acres. After the tragic los of the Airship USS Macon, the navy turned control over the base to the US Army. Following WWII the navy regained control of the base and during the Cold War was one of the primary West Coast bases for anti submarine aircraft such as the P-2V and the P-3 Orion. In 1939 NACA the precursor to NASA opened up research facilities on the base including the ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex. Following the military drawdown during the post Cold War period the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) identified the base as unneeded and thus was decommissioned and turned over to NASA) The base now is run by NASA and they have actively rented out space to a variety of companies like Google etc. Lockheed martin Space Systems is collocated on the base as well as the 129th Air national Guard Squadron. There is also housing and other projects. In a nod to its Navy roots a Navy Commissary remains on the site and is open. Visitors are allowed on base with government issued ID if they have business there. In addition there is a museum on site that you can visit as well. Its hours are limited so check the website for more information. Also as a note traffic laws are STRICTLY enforced by the NASA police and that goes for bikes and vehicles so behave yourselves.

This review is based on the experience of my boyfriend being sworn in at Moffett Field to join The…read moreNational Air Guard/Air Force branch. Not to be sappy and cheesy but I am humbled to say that I am a very proud Air Force girlfriend :) It's crazy because you may just be passing by Moffett Field casually when you are driving the freeway. However, actually being on the Field itself is just a whole new experience. You will honestly never look at it the same during your casual drive, (in an AMAZING great way) once you experience being out on the Field. So many of the Airmen/women were very nice, respectful, and very informative with the process of joining the branch. They all definitely treat each other like family whether you are a new or old member. It's funny in a great way how many of them try to convince you to join Air Force as well haha! It truly was an honor being able to be out on the field and meet many Airmen/women who are serving our country. It makes me so happy knowing my boyfriend is following his dreams and now a part of such a strong/passionate branch. Shoutout and many thanks to them all for serving our country.

"Beautiful Vista Honoring a Fallen Policeman."…read more This is a really pleasant, inspiring Vista point. It is an honor of a CHP patrolman killed about 45 years ago, Ralph D Percival. It overlooks some beautiful scenary and it's a great place to just take a rest or have a snack. There is a concrete walkway that you can stroll around to various lookout points. There don't appear to be any facilities here however.

I've driven by this vista point thousands of times, but hadn't checked it out until a Geology class…read morefield trip in college. All I can say is that I missed out on a really nice place to stop and view the reservoir. Our professor had us look across highway 280 to the mountain range, and what appeared to be a valley that held the reservoir. She asked if we know that that depression that extended into the ocean was. Turns out, it is the San Andreas Fault. It is massive. Anyway this is a nice spot to visit and snap a few photos. It is always well kept and clean and there is a decent amount of parking.

Another place checked off in my peninsula sightseeing spots. Been wanting to come here for a while…read moreand last week I was able to come out here on a Saturday morning around 8 AM and was able to enjoy this place all to myself. I've been in this area along Skegss point and have never seen it but after hearing about it and do some research it's literally just right off the road. I was actually disappointed I didn't have to walk or hike, but in the end it was a quick simple skip Across the highway and maybe 50 steps and you're there. You have to step down a few stairs but overall that's all it is. This tree is really huge and tall with a beautiful base and a few burls. Some healthy branches and greenery as you look up towards the sky underneath the canopy of other pines. I was able to adore and admire this tree for a good 15-20 minutes without any other people around took a few nice pictures proceeded on my way out to hike the local Corte Madera hike just a mile down the street. Now, many of you have may know there is another Methusalah tree in eastern Sierras at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White mountains of Inyo County. That one is still on my list to go find which I hope will be one day soon. Whether you're a local or tourist and in the area, this place is recommended to come or a pitstop along your way down towards Santa Cruz on Highway 35.

You have got to see the methuselah tree which is over 1800 years old! I'm in awe of gigantic…read moretrees! It is only 45 to 60 minutes south of San Francisco, right above the skyline just west of Woodside, CA. Methuselah is conveniently located just a short walk off of Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) 3.3 miles north of Sky Londa and Alice's Restaurant and 0.5 miles south of the Caltrans' Skeggs Vista Point. The closest parking is across the road at El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve. Be careful crossing the road as cars can come around the corner quickly. Methuselah will be visible from the road. Pass through the gate and follow the trail to the base of the tree. Methuselah is a massive old-growth redwood and it is the oldest and largest living tree in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a trip to see the methuselah. You won't be disappointed!

1 of only 3 Public Frank Lloyd Wright sites in CA and they only allow visitors twice a year so…read morecount yourself an architecture nerd and a lucky-one if you do get a spot on the tour. Older review from before Covid, you can email hannahouse@stanford.edu for next tour dates. You can take as many pictures as you want outside but no pictures of the interior so I added some I found online. This is what makes this design unique compared to other FLW works: -Hexagons/honeycomb, back in 1936 imagine the precision that had to be done by hand to make the huge structure a honeycomb as well as small details like the stone tiles. One cut slightly wrong would have snowballed into huge misalignments. -First FLW work in non-rectangular structures -First FLW work in the Bay Area It's not as epic and grand as Fallingwater or as contemplative as Taliesin West and it is smaller than some of the US public FLW sites but it's only 1 of 3 in Cali you can see the interior of and you get a more complete picture if you can see inside/out and hear the docents anecdotes about the design and house.

Hanna House is one of the few northern California buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Located…read morein a residential neighborhood within the boundaries of the sprawling Stanford University campus, the home is currently occupied by a private party and is not open to the public. However, it once served as the official residence for the Provost where the university regularly held alumni and fundraising events and one might reasonably assume the home may someday return to it's previous semi-public stature. Although visitors are discouraged from trespassing on the property, the house has been magnificently maintained and is visible from the street below. A relatively new arrangement with the Stanford Historical Society will enable the public to tour the house twice each year. Interested parties should contact hannahouse@stanford.edu to receive information about future tour dates and booking arrangements.

Update: I was biking buy the old site and noticed that one fo the old gates was open to park Google…read moreBuses. I headed on in and and took some pictures which I have posted up. I was marveling at the huge slabs of concrete that are rumored to 6 feet thick and were simply left in place when the demolished the base when I stumbled across something unexpected I was poking around and found hidden behind some bushes, a previously unknown memorial to the Astronauts of STS-107 aka The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster. Markers for Brown, Chawla, and Husband were still visible, and 4 missing one were clearly for McCool, Ramon, Anderson and Clark. Its a kind of a cool little find. The monument is is really bad shape and I'm hoping to contact the community collage that now controls the land and see if either they or The Moffett Field Museum are interested in preserving the remaining markers. Previous review included below: One of the things people tend to forget with all of our Silicon Valley and dot com hype is that this area also was host to huge advances in aviation and space exploration. From the first spy satellites to submarine launched ballistic missiles it covers a lot of territory. While Southern California rightfully gets most of the spotlight in aviation, the Bay remains an unheralded pioneer. Onizuka AFS, is one such hub. Named after Air Force Lt. Colonel Ellison S. Onizuka, who died in the Challenger disaster, the base served as a primary control station for military satellites. In aviation circles (and conspiracy circles too) the station was simply known as 'The Blue Cube' The Blue Cube using its 3 satellite dishes controlled vast areas of space and served as an NSA downlink node as well. Its windowless walls and mysterious function was the stuff of legends. Multiple power sources, super thick concrete walls (To prevent electronic eavesdropping) , limited access all added to its lore. Even my father who was a navy engineer, had to be re-cleared to provide engineering services there and was always escorted such was the nature of the goings on there. The base closed in 2010 as part of BRAC and its functions were swapped over to Vandenberg AFB and the structure was subsequently demolished. However, it remains part of the Bay Area's link to Space.

Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, NASA Ames research center has been a center for…read moreaerospace research sine 1939. The center located on what was Moffett NAS is home to the world largest wind tunnel in the world. It includes ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, Arc Jet Complex, among others. It continues to be a center for space and hypersonic research. Scattered throughout the base proper are countless models and references to programs past and present. In a nod to its space heritage a scale wind tunnel model of the Space Shuttle serves as a gate guard. It also was the main developer of the airborne telescopes the Kuiper and SOFIA Aside from the visitor center there is no accessign the base however, they on occasion have open houses and will allow the public to view special planes like SOFIA. Major portions of the base can be viewed from the adjacent roadways and Bay Trail

Great easy fun for kids, museum can kill an hour with memorabilia, old planes and gear, and hosts…read morejust happy someone is there to talk to

"Beautiful Mountain" Yes, indeed!…read more PSA: No dogs allowed - I had to leave mine at home. It's ok, you can enjoy this one alone! Take the drive! Yes, the road is windy and please slow for cyclists on your way up. Come along, sing a song. Dancing feet, magical retreat. Bring a friend or brave alone, it'll be worthwhile - 2, 4, or 7 miles! Our small group hiked the 7 mile loop, and had many photos stops along the way. Our leisure hike took approximately 4.5 hours. We spotted a tarantula early on the trail, other hiking groups, a backpacking group, bikers in groups and a few solo peeps. Shaded Hike & Open Space Sunny Hike: If you're wanting a shaded hike, start on the White Oak Trail located to the right of the Monte Bello parking. If you begin your hike on Bella Vista Trail, it's more of an open space with direct sunlight. Start early and enjoy! =)

Monte Bello is a hidden treasure for the Mid-Peninsula area…read more Funny thing, though. For being hidden, it's sure well known. To get there, you drive seven miles up a narrow, windy road. You're wondering if there's anything here besides big houses on tree-filled hills. Make a sharp left at Foothills Park - oops, never mind, you don't live in PA, you can't drive in here. More driving, more driving . . . and you finally get there, only to find a spacious parking lot crammed with cars. Here's why I gave it five stars: At first, it looks like typical landscape on this part of the Peninsula. But then I went down the narrow Stevens Creek Nature Trail. And ended up in a deep, dark forest with a babbling brook, pretty wildflowers, romantic bridges, and interpretive signs to explain what you're gazing at. If you felt like you got away from it all by driving up Page Mill Road, now you *really* feel like you're away from it all. Monte Bello also has a few peaks to climb up, and a backpacking camp. I'm itching to come back to try these out. I was not here long enough to really appreciate Monte Bello, but I saw enough to appreciate it a LOT. I had written about Russian Ridge that it's part of a conglomerate of Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserves that gives you a few days of outback hiking. Monte Bello is part of that conglomerate, which combines with Los Trancos (and Foothills Park, but don't tell anyone, shhhh) to give you even more wandering. And bring a lunch, because you'll be so mesmerized that you may forget to leave and get food.