Some of our Sri Lankan visitors wanted to see a bit more of the Silicon Valley than the inside of our conference rooms where we’ve been working all week.  Follows is a little driving tour I took them on to see some of the local sights, both large and small.

1. WSO2 Mountain View office:  Aspiring to someday be part of Silicon Valley lore, a fitting place to start when looking in the rear view mirror of history. http://wso2.com
2. Fairchild Semiconductor: After the invention of the IC at Shockley Laboratories, mass defections spurred the development of the integrated circuit by the eventual founders of Intel Corporation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Semiconductor
3. The GooglePlex: Formerly the site of Silicon Graphics campus, Google is the current symbol of Silicon Valley entrepreneurial success.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Campus
4. The Computer History Museum:  Ironically located in the former Silicon Graphics Executive Offices building, vacated not long after occupation - a poster child for the valley’s perpetual boom-bust cycle.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_History_Museum
5. Apple Computer:  Famous for bringing computer technology to the general public through a continuing emphasis on usability.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_computer
6. Stanford University: the intellectual force that anchored Silicon Valley here rather than elsewhere.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford
7. Stanford Linear Accelerator: Not really central to Silicon Valley history, but it is big and impressive and highlights Stanford’s role in attracting scientific talent to the area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLAC
8. Sand Hill Road: the center of VC in the valley.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Hill_Road
9. Hewlett-Packard Garage: considered the "birthplace of Silicon Valley" - the prototype of the garage entrepreneurial culture.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_garage

The tour ends conveniently near to the best Ginger Gelato in the Whole Universe.