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SiliValley Inside/Out

[whitespace] Urban Wilderness

A walk in nature can soothe the savage breast as well as any music can, and it's healthy besides. When pressure at the office gets too gnarly, a 10-minute drive to one of the valley's wild oases--where traffic noise drowns in the rustle of leaves and bird songs--can work wonders on a compromised attitude.

West Valley--Our choice is Los Gatos' Vasona County Park on Blossom Hill Road. Easily accessible from Highway 17, the vast park's only drawback is a $4 parking fee.

Peninsula--Folks on the Peninsula might try Rancho San Antonio Park at Foothills Expressway and Highway 280, a big rambling piece of wilderness that abuts a farm.

East San Jose--Eastsiders aren't far from the pristine Overfelt Gardens on McKee Avenue west of Highway 680, where the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and the Chinese Cultural Gardens offer a quiet haven away from the cacophony of modern life.

Downtown San Jose--Just a few minutes from downtown lies Kelley Park at Senter Road and Keyes Street, where a walk through an orchard that runs along Coyote Creek feels like a stroll in the country far, far away from San Jose.

Mid-County--Folks in Sunnyvale and Cupertino looking for an accessible getaway can take Lawrence Expressway to Highway 237 and find themselves in Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Spreading over 70 acres of wetlands, the park boasts a long walking trail where midday visitors can shake off stress unmolested by crowds.

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From the March 5-11, 1998 issue of Metro.

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