by Doug Elton

Created on: August 17, 2010   Last Updated: August 24, 2010

Whether it’s a love of the latest and greatest electronic gadgets or a fascination with scientific discovery, there’s a little geek in all of us. So when planning your next vacation why not add a little tech-inspired sightseeing to the itinerary? Sure Skywalker Ranch may be off limits to the public, but there are many destinations that will still send your senses into hyperdive!

5) Electronic Entertainment Expo

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is held once every year in Los Angeles, California. This trade show is also known as “E3” and offers a glimpse of upcoming videogames sometimes years before their actual release date. Those who attend are often able to play demos for cherished franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Call of Duty, and many others. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo draw the most attention with the spectacle of their press conferences. These keynote extravaganzas enlighten and entertain as each company attempts to capture the console market and the public’s imagination with new and existing technology. Recent Expos have seen developments in motion control improve to science fiction levels with Microsoft’s Kinect as well as the advent of 3-D gaming.

4) Silicon Valley

Just south of San Francisco proper, Silicon Valley has seen dot-com bubbles and busts and yet, it still thrives as a world leader of the electronics industry. Talk about a tech paradise! Silicon Valley is a veritable Garden of Eden, home to the likes of Google, Facebook, Intel, and biblical puns aside… Apple. The original Apple Store is located here at "1 Infinity Loop" and while it may be short on actual technology it is the only place where t-shirts with the Apply logo are sold legally. Some people might have “street cred,” but buy one of these and you’re sure to get some “geek cred!"

3) Akihabara District

Remember “Lost in Translation,” how Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson would wander Tokyo and pose metaphoric musings to each other? Well, wander to Akihabara District and you’re more likely to induce a seizure than a metaphor. The Japanese have always held technology in high regard, but Akihabara is where it reaches obsessive heights. Amidst neon signs and flashing billboards, hundreds of electronic shops operate. New and used items of all varieties are available from vendors such as Sofmap and Laox to name a few. If you get tired of shopping, head to a “manga kissaten” which is

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