How to Get From Downtown San Francisco to Oakland On Foot Via San Jose With Many Detours

1. (In San Francisco) Take MUNI and/or walk to the Caltrain terminal.
2. Take Caltrain to Menlo Park.
3. Stay the night in Menlo Park at a motel.
4. In the morning, take the Samtrans ECR bus to Palo Alto Station.
5. Explore downtown Palo Alto on foot, going up and down University. Have lunch at a mom and pop sandwich shop.
6. In afternoon walk up along Palm Dr onto the Stanford campus to the Oval. On the far side of the Oval, go through the courtyard and admire the Rodin sculptures. Go inside Memorial Church, perhaps just as a tour group is exiting. Admire the interior from the pews. Listen to an impromptu organ recital. Examine a few of the windows more closely. Exit the chapel. Make your way to the tower. Go inside the tower. Buy a ticket for the observation platform and take the next elevator to the top, listening to the narration of the elevator operator. On the platform, take in a view in every direction, noticing, among other things, the skylines of the three cities.
7. On the way out of the tower, peruse the exhibit on President Hoover.

8. Walk through campus along Serra Street. Cut through the courtyard of the Knight Management Center while classes are changing. As you walk past the big glass windows of outdoor-facing classrooms, peek in to as many of them as possible, noticing some of the presentation slides.
9. Make your way to the Caltrain station at California Street in Palo Alto.
10. Ride Caltrain south to San Jose Diridon Station. As you ride the train, n otice as many signs as possible of the offices of well-known dot com businesses.
11. Walk through downtown San Jose, over the Guadalupe River, to the Hotel De Anza.
12. Check in to the hotel, obtaining a room on one of the higher floors.
13. Take the elevator up to your room and open the blinds.
14. As the sun sets, watch the moving light sculpture at the top of the Adobe World Headquarters.
15. In the evening explore downtown San Jose, including the little restaurants in San Pedro Square, preferably when it is crowded with San Jose State students in groups and on dates. After dinner, walk to the California Theatre and admire the interior.  Look inside the lobby of the Sainte Claire Hotel.
16. Go back to the De Anza and have a signature cocktail at the Hedley Club Lounge.
17. In the morning, check out of the hotel and walk to the VTA light rail station at 1st Street.
18. On the platform, catch the next 181 VTA bus in the direction of Fremont BART station.
19. Ride the bus to the end of the line in Fremont. Go inside the on to the BART station platform and buy a ticket with just enough money to get to MacArthur Station. Swipe the ticket as you go through the turnstile, and take a seat on the next train that is departing in the direction of Pittsburg or Richmond.
20. Ride it to MacArthur. When you get there, text your friend that you have arrived.
21. Swipe your ticket on the way out of the station. The turnstile will swallow the card.
22. You are now in Oakland.