Destination Discovery: “Startup” & Slow Down in Silicon Valley

Home to some of the biggest tech companies in the world and a never-ending crop of entrepreneurial startups, Silicon Valley is a hub of innovation. With all of this ongoing starting up it’s imperative that once in awhile people take the time to slow down. Here are some of the best places to stay, spa, and sweat in Silicon Valley plus a few things to see!

Where to Stay

Nestled on 16 lush landscaped acres at the entry to Silicon Valley, Rosewood Sand Hill is the perfect place to rest your head while visiting the destination. Popular with entrepreneurs and executives, this ranch-style retreat features warm tones and rich interiors that blend European elegance with a classic Northern California vibe. All 121 guestrooms at Rosewood offer private balconies or terraces with views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and landscaped gardens. When hunger strikes head to the Michelin-starred Madera, with its menu of bold American cuisine.

If coastal resorts are more for you, just outside Silicon Valley is the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. Situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the golf resort with its two championship courses, features guestrooms with elegant feather beds and marble bathrooms, a 16,000-square-foot spa with a co-ed Roman mineral bath and tsunami showers, and a fitness center with a Cybex gym. The resort also is home to four fine dining options: Navio, The Conservatory Lounge, ENO, and The Ocean Terrace.

Where to Spa

Rosewood’s Sense spa features 13 treatment rooms in its 17,000-square-feet and a menu of personalized treatments and services inspired by Northern California’s coastal forests. Treatments here blend indigenous ingredients such as laurel, oak, and yerba buena and guests can take Sense Spa Journeys for a truly amazing experience. The Mind, Body and Spirit Journey allows you to chose from yoga or Pilates with a private instructor in the spa’s garden or movement studio before enjoying a Pacific Coast or Forest Sanctuary Body Sense treatment that will combine an exfoliation, mask, and bodywork for a grounding experience. Head to Palo Alto and visit Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa to try out one of the eight hot tub rooms (privately or with a group) and let your stress melt away. If you’re closer to Saratoga, stop by Preston Wynee for the latest seasonal spa special!

Where to Sweat

Hiking, horseback riding, or a round of golf at the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links, there are tons of places to work up a sweat outdoors in the Silicon Valley. Huddart Park offers hours of forested and canyon trails or make your way to Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve with over 2,500-acres of trails including some set aside for biking and horseback riding

What to See

Spend a day in San Francisco and take in a Giants game at AT&T Park or if art is more your cup of tea, visit the Cantor Arts Center and its more than 400 sculptures. Make a visit to one of the more than 70 Santa Cruz Mountain Region wineries, nearby beaches, or even spend some time on Stanford’s gorgeous campus. There are endless activities and sights to see in the Silicon Valley!