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The sole survivor – with a lot of help from restorers – of the many fantasy monuments built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, the Neo-Classical Palace was an Expo’ centerpiece. The dome of the rotunda is supported by a Classical frieze and an octagonal arcade, which is set off by a landscaped lagoon and flanked by an open peristyle of Corinthian columns. Behind it is the Exploratorium, one of the world’s first hands-on science museums. It boasts more than 700 exhibits, divided into 13 subject areas, such as Electricity, Motion, Weather, Vision, Color and Light, and Sound.

An erstwhile sleepy university town, Palo Alto has most recently experienced a boom as the hub of Silicon Valley, and driving force of the “New Economy.” Although a lot of the gilding has lately fallen off the lily, this town has been left with a considerably dressed-up appearance, as well as many fancy restaurants, hotels, and shops. The town is home to prestigious Stanford University, with its beautiful, well-tended campus.

A friendly, eccentric place, filled with period eclectic touches. Rooms have names such as the Bordello Room, and Friend’s of Dorothy – each with its own tale to tell.

Held in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, the real raison d’être for the festivities was that San Franciscans had resurrected their city after the 1906 disaster (see Crissy Field).

Regulars nurse micro-brewed beers or their favorite coffee, and indulge in great pastries.

This is the smallest and most luxurious of the four city Hyatts, and it is situated very near the waterfront. Rooms have good views of the Bay Bridge or the city, if you get the right ones. You’ll find that staff greet you by name and the rooms have lots of personal touches.

Creative American brunch at picnic tables on the patio, or in the dining room. Try grilled buffalo burger on rosemary foccacia.

The newspaper heiress, kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974, apparently converted and took part in an armed robbery.