Guadalupe River Park in downtown San Jose

Overview: A paved trail along the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose, California, might be just what you need to work off some stress or even ride your bike to work.

The Guadalupe River Park starts near the Children's Discovery Museum at the south end of Downtown San Jose and runs northward for 2.5 miles to Interstate 880.

It's easily accessible via the Valley Transit Agency's Light Rail and has entrances along all the major cross streets downtown.

Highlights:

* San Jose Heritage Rose Garden at Taylor and Spring streets has an impressive range of rose species whose colors burst on the scene every spring.

* The Veterans Memorial along Park Avenue offers a poignant reminder of the costs of war; the morning sun shining through the monument casts ghostly shadows on the sidewalk. A moving experience for a city better known for its relationship to the tech world.

* Children's Discovery Museum is full of kid-centric exhibits, and neighboring Discovery Meadow is often a site of downtown concerts and festivals.

You'll also have chances for bird watching and, of course, people watching along the way. The trail surface is mostly paved and entirely flat.

Ambitious walkers (and, more likely, bike riders) can take the trail all the way to the southern edge of San Francisco Bay.

Tips: Trail lies directly beneath the final approach of jetliners landing at San Jose International Airport. The noise takes a bit of getting used to.

Be courteous to other trail users, who might include bicyclists, skateboarders and moms with kids in strollers.

There's not much shade, so don't forget your sunscreen.

Contact: (408) 298-7657

Hours: The Visitor & Education Center at 438 Coleman Ave.
is open 9-5 Monday-Friday except holidays.

Parking: While parking is available near the Discovery Museum, the HP Pavilion, the Visitors Center and Heritage Rose Garden, it's best to take the Light Rail downtown to avoid parking and traffic hassles.