Day 1
8:30 a.m. – Wake up at the Wild Palms Hotel, a luxury Joie de Vivre property with a Mediterranean vibe. Put on comfortable clothing, sneakers, sunscreen and bring a hat along with you. Walk to the lobby and belly up to the free breakfast area. Wild Palms offers guests a pretty impressive spread, so dig into French toast, sausage, scrambled eggs and some fresh fruit before washing it all down with a few cups of coffee.
9:30 a.m. – Drive less than two miles up E. El Camino Real and make a right on S. Murphy Ave. Park near the entrance of The Lace Museum—dedicated to preserving the history of lace making. Take a look around and talk to the knowledgeable volunteers on hand. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
11:30 a.m. – Keep your car parked and walk over to the adorable Sunnyvale Art Gallery at 251 W. El Camino Real. This place is a cool combination of cafe, art gallery and flower shop. Look around, grab an espresso, peruse the art (maybe even purchase an orchid to go) and chat with friendly locals.
12:30 p.m. – Head back to your car and drive down W. El Camino Real until you arrive in front of Adamson’s French Dip, a delicious sandwich spot. Order the prime rib French dip sandwich, top sirloin dip and a chocolate shake, all to go. Then, drive one mile over to Las Palmas Park, a gorgeous open area with picnic tables, a lake and plenty of space to spread out.
Set up shop on a picnic table, eat your sandwiches and then spend the next few hours walking (or throwing a Frisbee) around the park. Note: there is a great play area for kids and even a dog park, just in case you are traveling with your pooch.
2:00 p.m. – Time for more kid-friendly fun. Drive to Golfland USA, a nice place to spend the afternoon. There is a mini golf course and a sweet arcade (combo tickets start at $13.00 per person). Relax while your kids score holes in one on the golf course and play video games such as Candy Crush, Harpoon Lagoon and Terminator Salvation. Need a snack? The complex offers tasty nachos among other treats.
5:00 p.m. – Head back to Wild Palms Hotel, take a short nap, then shower and change into some casual dinner clothes. Drive into downtown Sunnyvale and park near the corner of E. Washington Ave. and S. Murphy Avenue. Spend the next hour walking around Historic Murphy Ave, bopping into cute boutiques. Then, walk over to Dishdash, one of the most popular Middle Eastern restaurants in the area (reservations are recommended).
Start with the Shorabah (cumin lentil soup) and chicken shawarma salad, and then move on to the Beriani (beef, potatoes, raisins, garbanzo beans and yogurt) and M’shakaleh Vegetarian (mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower and tomato sauce). Share, family style, so you can try a little of everything.
7:30 p.m. – Ready to laugh? Go a few blocks south to Rooster T. Feathers Comedy Club just in time for the night’s 8 p.m. show. This place brings in some fabulous comics; check online for schedule specifics.
Day 2
9:00 a.m. – Wake up and throw on your best golf clothes (bring an extra pair of tennis shoes along for the rest of the day). Slather on sunscreen and pack a hat and a pair of sunglasses with you, then head out to K’s Crepes & Café, located a mile west of Wild Palms Hotel. Belly up to the counter and order a few savory crepes (all named after European soccer teams) like the Arsenal (spinach, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella) and the Liverpool (bacon, goat cheese, scallions and sun dried tomatoes). Extra hungry? Try the Giants omelet (ham or bacon and Swiss cheese). Wash it down with a gulp of organic coffee.
10:30 a.m. – Sufficiently full, drive to 1010 S. Wolfe Road and park your car out front of Sunken Gardens Golf Course, a 9-hole course that only costs the public $18 per person to play on the weekends. Hit some balls on the driving range before you get out on the greens and enjoy the California sun as you travel from hole to hole.
1:30 p.m. – Next up, drive two miles northwest to Firehouse Grill & Brewery at 111 South Murphy Avenue. Start with the citrus calamari and beer battered onion rings before moving on to the firehouse burger and grilled fish tacos. Sports fans are in for a treat as there are several televisions on the walls, all showcasing the most exciting games of the moment.
2:30 p.m. – The history of Sunnyvale is really interesting; check it out at the Heritage Park Museum. The museum is a replica of the home of the Murphy family, one of the first families to settle in Sunnyvale after taking their home from Maine around the tip of South America and finally to Sunnyvale. Fun fact: Sunnyvale was originally called Murphy Station. The museum has a variety of exhibits, some showcasing what the interior of the Murphy family home once looked like and others that include beautiful murals depicting the area.
4:30 p.m. – Head back to the Wild Palms Hotel, change into your swimsuit and walk over to the heated outdoor pool. Relax among the palm trees for an hour while your family plays in the water, then go back to your room and shower and change into some nice dinner clothes.
6:00 p.m. – Drive into downtown again and park near 124 S Murphy Avenue. Walk into Rok Bistro, a fun spot where several of the dishes are cooked on hot rocks (Note: reservations are recommended). Before you get to the rock portion of your meal, order the California Dream’ fondue (monterey jack, pepper jack, parmigiano-reggiano, white wine, garlic, onion and thyme). Then dive into an 8 oz. filet mignon and a helping of Pacific ahi tuna. Finish off your delicious dining experience with fondues in the black forest and Snickers bar varieties.
This article comes to us courtesy of the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee. Each week the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee features a #Perfect50 Hours series detailing how to spend 50 hours in a different San Francisco Bay Area city. See more here.
