About Silicon Valley
IEEE-BIBM 2007 will be held in Silicon Valley, California. It has many high-tech companies and three nearby universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz). It can attract more experts and students from these four institutes and local industry.
History
Since its birth as a high-tech center in the 1950's and before, the name "Silicon Valley'' comes from the early 1970's, when the area had become the a center for many semiconductor companies. While still hosting semiconductor and microprocessor companies, the region how serves as headquarters for high tech companies of every kind, including many of the best known and most prestigious names in in personal computers, web search, internet auctions, networking, storage, databases, etc.Attractions
Silicon Valley is located approximately an hour from San Francisco. Known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the "City by the Bay" is home to widely known attractions such as Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Ghirardelli Square.If outdoor adventures are more your style, state parks such as the Big Basin Redwoods State Park is also nearby, also within an hour from Silicon Valley. In close enough proximity for a day trip, a hike through majestic redwood trees allow one to escape city life and technology for an afternoon. November is one of the nicest times of the year for a hike, with high daily temperatures usually in the 60's (15-20 Celsius).
If time allows you a few days after the conference, you might consider a drive south along the central coast of California, where Route 1 winds along cliffside views of the Pacific Ocean as you make you way towards Hearst Castle. Or, a drive for just a couple of hours north will get you to Napa Valley, known for its vineyards, wine tasting, and bed-and-breakfast accommodations.
