Burt Bacharach could easily find SAN JOSE today simply by heading south from San Francisco and following the heat and smog. Although one of the fastest-growing cities in California, it is not strong on identity though in area and population it's close to twice the size of San Francisco. Sitting at the southern end of the peninsula, San Jose has in the past 25 years emerged as the civic heart of Silicon Valley, surrounded by miles of faceless high-tech industrial parks where the next generations of computers and websites are designed and crafted. Ironically, it's also acknowledged as the first city in California, though the only sign of this is the eighteenth-century Mission Santa Clara de Asis , on the pleasant campus of the Jesuit-run Santa Clara University.

Its most famous landmark is the Winchester Mystery House , 525 S Winchester Blvd, just off I-280 near Hwy-17 ($12.9522.95; daily 9am5pm, until 7pm JuneSept). Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, was convinced upon her husband's death that he had been taken by the spirits of men killed with Winchester rifles, and believed that unless a room was built for each of the spirits and the sound of hammers never ceased, the same fate would befall her. Work on the mansion went on 24 hours a day for the next thirty years stairs lead nowhere, windows open on to solid brick. The Rosicrucian Museum , 1342 Naglee Ave (TuesFri 10am5pm, SatSun 11am6pm; $9), houses a brilliant collection of Assyrian and Babylonian artifacts, while the revamped Tech Museum of Innovation (daily 10am5pm; $9), downtown at 201 S Market St, contains hands-on displays of high-tech engineering.

San Jose's visitor center is at 333 W San Carlos St, Suite 1000 (MonFri 8am5.30pm, Sat & Sun 11am5pm; tel 408/295-9600 or 1-800/SAN-JOSE, www.sanjose.org ), and also has a branch in the convention center across the street. Downtown accommodation is grossly overpriced, serving as it does high-tech executives and conventioneers. Good old-fashioned American food is dished up at Original Joe's , 301 S First St (tel 408/292-7030). Grab a stool at the counter or settle into one of the comfy booths and enjoy a burger or a plate of pasta at this San Jose institution, where $10 goes a long way. For fresh coffee and pastries, head to Caf Matisse , 371 S First St (tel 408/298-7788), in the heart of the popular "SOFA" district.