hi,dear all
we are going to have a business trip to Sillicon Valley during late May,
expect visiting some high-tech companies ,we also plan to go to SF to have a real good time.
therefore i need some sugesstion about:
1.where can we stay when we are in San Jose,
i prefer a place which is not just a nomal boring hotel,
2.we will have around five days in SF,where can i find some real good city tours?
3.i saw a message posted in this forum which talked about Chancellor Hotel,however i can't find the detail information of this Hotel.any idea?
4.is there any special event in SF during late May?

your early apply will be very much appreciated.

The Red & White fleet is a nice boat tour; Alcatraz Island is nice tour. No special events in late May except the SF Giants are back in town at Pac Bell Park which is an outstanding baseball park.

The SF Public Library offers a huge number of free walking tours that cover neighborhoods, history, art, and all kinds of themes. There's a website with descriptions and schedules (www.walking-tour.com/cityguides) and a phone number with lots of recorded info (415-557-4266).

You don't say how many are we, If you are just a couple I would stay at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel, not boring to me, but not cheap. There are some good restaurants within walking distance.

Dear Joanne:
Keep in mind that there's a lot to do in San Jose itself. So much, in fact, you might not want to bother with driving to S.F.
To learn more, check out the S.J. downtown association's web site at
http://www.sj-downtown.com/

Joanne,

For your stay in San Jose, you might consider the Hotel DeAnza or the Hotel St. Claire. Both are in Downtown San Jose and are nothing like the general chain hotels. For example, the Hotel DeAnza used to have (double check) a "raid the pantry" deal. From certain hours in the late night (10:00pm to midnight), you could go to an area in the hotel and get all types of snacks...fresh fruit, freshly baked cookies, etc. The Hotel St. Claire's rooms have a funky decor, which includes feather beds! Some of the St. Claire's rooms even have fireplaces. Both are very nice and have great Italian restaurants in their lobbies.

-K

If you want gracious, modern hotel rooms by all means stay at the Fairmont. If you want a bit of historic San Jose, stay at the De Anza Hotel--think it's on San Carlo Street.While San Jose is actually larger than SF, it's downtown restaurant/hotel area is very compact. Walk around on foot and try some of these restaurants: Emile's (posh, French), Eulipia (trendy), 71 Saint Peter (just a nice restaurant), The Tied House (lots of beers, bar food and open late--in San Pedro Square. Don't miss the Tech Museum. Also, if you have a car you might want to go over to the little town of Saratoga for more shopping and restaurants as well as a beautiful Japanese Garden , Hakone. There are some wineries in the area--ask your hotel for directions--many are up in the Santa Cruz Mtns. where there are beautiful redwoods. It's a quick trip over on Hwy 17 to Surf City, U.S.A. (Santa Cruz, CA) although I've been criticized for recommending this route because of traffic and accidents, so be careful! Up in the city, one very interesting tour is a walking tour of Chinatown with Mrs. Shirley (I think) Fong. She will meet you and entertain you with tales of her childhood, tour the markets and shops and end up with dim sum for lunch. You'll get a much better appreciation of the area on this tour than just walking it yourself. There's another one through the Italian section of North Beach with food as well. Try at the TI for info. All tourists love the silly "Beach Blanket Babylon" show at Club Fugazi. You can combine this with an early dinner at Washington Square at Moose's or Rose Pistola and then walk to the theatre. Hope this helps.

Kam is right. The "Wok Whiz" tours are a great way of getting an insider's view of Chinatown.

Thanks, John. I couldn't come up with the name of the tour. And, do you know if it's Shirley? At any rate, she has the energy of 10 and does a super tour.

It's Shirley Fong-Torres. And she's great! She is one of the great food personalities of America--on a level with, say, Julia Child.

hi, i got lots of ideas form you guys, thank you very very much
now my colleagues and i will arrive SFO on 5/20 at night.
i heard many people say that "never rend a car in SF" because of the traffic and expensive parking fee.
however, we might be back and forth between Sillicon Valley and SF.
which one is better ? rend a car or go by public transpotation?
i guess my heart is flying to SF already!

On event thatis happening at the end of May is the Bay to Breakers 12k run. Even if you are not into running at all this event is a blast. People dress up in costume, there are bands playing on corners and tons of silliness. Last year there were people dressed up as spawning salmon, row houses and quite a few in their birthday suits (whaddya expect, it's CA!). The race is on May 21 this year. Check out the website www.baytobreakers.com

Rent a car. Otherwise you'll have problems getting around silicon valley.

Joanne, take Shanons advice and go to the Bay to Breakers race in SF on the morning of May 21st. If you rent a car don't try to drive to the race because to someone who is not familar to the city the size of the race can make it a logistical nightmare. If your staying in SF take public transportation. If your 1st night is in San Jose make the drive up Hwy 280 and it will take you directly to Golden Gate Park. There are a lot of great places to watch all the madness, my favorite location is at the costume judging contest at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It's about a mile from the Footstock (free Party) at the Polo Grounds. The Bay to Breakers starts at the Embarcadero and cut's right across the city through Golden Gate Park to the ocean. THIS IS A FANTASTIC EVENT. bring plenty of film.

Visit the High Tech Museum in downtown San Jose. It is pretty unique and interesting.