PART 5: 2011 American Road Trip – Computer History Museum, Silicon Valley, Apple HQ
Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.
Travel Dates: 4/20/11
A: Oakland CA – Motel 6
B: Palo Alto CA – Computer History Museum
C: Cupertino CA – Apple Corporate Headquarters
D: Golden Gate Bridge, Day
E: Berkeley CA – Dinner at Sea Salt
F: San Francisco CA – Castro District
G: Goldgen Gate Bridge, Night
160 miles
Checked out of Motel 6 and headed to Palo Alto, CA, to see the Computer History Museum.
It rained everywhere I went except for Las Vegas.
Sun Microsystems
Lots of Porsches of every vintage and variety all over San Francisco
A taco truck! I could smell it.
The museum covered everything from the abacus (actually, even earlier than the abacus) to Charles Baggage to mainframes to video games to wartime data processing. It was exceptionally, impressively thorough. I was exhausted by the end.
There’s too many pictures to describe and explain, so I’ll place the thumbnails here:
Fast Tube by Casper
We got to see an early hard drive from the 1950s in action, with all of its data still in tact!
Checked out Apple in Cupertino
This sign for Apple’s retail store, which used to only sell souvenirs but now sells computers, seems to be the only relic left of pre-Jobs Apple. I went inside and asked about the icon garden, but they said it was removed. The girl at the reception desk didn’t know what I was talking about — her coworker had to explain it to her.
I wanted to meet Clarus the Dogcow, but was disappointed to learn that he was gone.
Outside the retail store.
I bought a keychain. There was something uncomfortably snooty about the staff and atmosphere. The mall retail stores feel open and friendly while the corporate store was stuffy.
Went north to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bonus: I saw a Tesla Roadster abandoned on the side of the highway just north of Palo Alto. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture, but I couldn’t help laughing. Range anxiety is very real. It figures that the first Tesla Roadster I see in person is one that’s run out of juice. I can’t imagine where the owner went. Maybe Home Depot for a 10-mile extension cord?
PART 6: San Francisco, Castro, Golden Gate, and Berkeley
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