Santa Clara, CA Road Trips

Santa Clara is a small city of big contrasts. If any city can claim to be "the center of Silicon Valley," it is this town of just over 100,000. Intel, AMD, WebEx, NVIDIA, and National Semiconductor all have headquarters here. At the same time, Santa Clara is one of the oldest settlements (by Europeans) in Northern California. The Mission Santa Clara de Asís was established in 1777, and the Jesuit-run Santa Clara University, founded in 1851, is the oldest university in California. Dozens of 19th-century homes are well-maintained by their 21st-century owners in the "old quad," the earliest residential area, adjacent to the university. Yet another contrast is the diversity of the local population, driven by the tech boom of the 1970s-1990s. Visitors from Asia and Europe frequently overhear strangers speaking their native languages. Specialty markets offer native ingredients from around the world, and the Indian and East Asian restaurants are some of the best in the Bay Area. But many of the best places in Santa Clara are not visible at first glance. You could drive right through this town and see nothing of any interest, or you could take the time to learn where to look, explore, and enjoy.

1 Intel Museum, 2200 Mission College Blvd (off Montague expressway, just north of 101). M-F 9AM-6PM; Sa 10AM-5PM. Learn a bit of local and technological history, and see what it takes to enter a cleanroom. Allow 1–2 hours. Free. 2 Mission Santa Clara de Asís, 500 El Camino Real (on the Santa Clara University campus), ☏ +1 408 554-4023, fax: +1 408 551-7166. The eighth Franciscan California mission, founded by Father Serra. It was built nearer to the Guadalupe River, moved to its present location in 1828, and restored in 1929. It is the only mission on a university campus. In front of the church, see the hitching ring and step for dismounting from a carriage; peer through the fence into the rose garden on the north side of the church; measure the life-sized statue of Fr. Serra, stroll along the walkway covered with gnarled wisteria vines, into the Mission Gardens with the giant sago palm, Sacred Heart Statue, adobe wall (with a hole for cooking), grinding stone. Free. (updated Jan 2016) 3 Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 408 554-4000. If driving, be aware of campus parking restrictions. 4 de Saisset Museum, 500 El Camino Real (on the Santa Clara University grounds near Palm and Alviso streets). Tu-Su 11AM - 4PM. The museum combines rotating exhibitions with a permanent collection of works by Ernest de Saisset, a 19th-century Santa Clara student who studied painting in Paris. The museum is often closed between exhibitions, so call ahead or check the website for open dates.

1 California's Great America, 4701 Great America Parkway, ☏ +1 408 988-1776. Nestled among the office buildings is one of the Bay Area's largest amusement parks. Open seasonally. Yes, from their cubicles they can hear you screaming on the roller coasters. (updated Dec 2019) San Francisco 49ers (public transit: Great America Amtrak/ACE station or Great America VTA Light Rail station). The National Football League 49ers moved to Santa Clara in 2014, playing their home games at the Levi's Stadium, next to California's Great America. Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy - Santa Clara Branch, 5155 Stevens Creek Blvd, ☏ +1 408 916 4919. (updated Mar 2024) San Tomas Aquino/Saratoga Creek Trail. This bicycle and pedestrian trail extends as far south as the intersection of Cabrillo and San Tomas Expressway. The trail follows the San Tomas Aquino Creek north, roughly parallel to San Tomas Expressway, all the way to the bay. It connects to other trails and Sunnyvale's Baylands Park. Santa Clara Vanguard. Drum and Bugle Corps, cadet corps, and winter color guard. Shows are seasonal, and the group tours across the country during the summer. Santa Clara Aquamaids. Synchronized swimming. The group boasts numerous Olympic team members among its alumni. Santa Clara Players, 1511 Warburton Ave. This local, volunteer drama group stages three to four shows per year. Consult their website for shows, dates, and times. $10–18.

Area restaurants feature foods from cultures all over the world, reflecting the area's diversity. There is no need to eat in the same restaurant, or even the same kind of restaurant, twice. Rivermark Village. With a supermarket, cafes and specialty stores located along a pedestrian-friendly main street at the south border of the community. Rivermark Village is a 136,000 sq ft premier neighborhood shopping center. It features a 65,000 sq ft new generation Safeway super market. Restaurants include: Yan Can, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Jamba Juice, Quizno's, Red Robin, Baja Fresh, Prolific Oven, Premier Pizza, and many other shops. Yuki Sushi, 1827 Pruneridge Ave (in the Cedar Tree Shopping Center at the corner of Pruneridge and Winchester), ☏ +1 408 248-9144, fax: +1 408 260-1988. Lunch: Tu-F 11:30AM–2PM, Dinner: Tu-Sa 5PM-9:30PM, Su 5PM-9PM. Closed Mondays. A small restaurant with excellent sushi, Yuki Sushi also has specialty rolls with innovative combinations of western and Japanese ingredients. Vegetarian entrees, noodles, donburi and teishoku are also on the menu. The restaurant usually fills up fast. Take-out is available. Pizz'a Chicago, 1576 Halford Ave (at El Camino, behind the much more visible Fish Market). Offers thick, rich Chicago-style pizza. Athena Grill, 1505 Space Park Dr (near San Tomas and Scott), ☏ +1 408 567-9144. Not open weekends. Delicious, authentic Greek food well worth the trip into what is mainly a business and industrial district. Main dishes come with salads, pita slices, bread, and dips.

Delta Hotels by Marriott Santa Clara Silicon Valley, 2151 Laurelwood Rd, ☏ +1 408-988-8411. Pet friendly rooms, meeting facilities, wireless internet. 1 Driftwood Inn, 3477 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 408 984-3364. Affordable lodging in San Jose/Silicon Valley location. Near Bay Area attractions and destinations. (updated Aug 2020) Holiday Inn Express Santa Clara, 1700 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 408 554-9200. Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, 5101 Great America Parkway, ☏ +1 408 200-1234. Luxury San Jose hotel, connected to the Convention Center and right across the street from California's Great America Theme Park. Featuring guestrooms with views of the valley, Wi-Fi & Internet access and work desks. Best Western University Inn Santa Clara, 1655 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 408 244-8313. Hyatt Centric Santa Clara Silicon Valley, 3100 Lakeside Dr, ☏ +1 408 748-9800, fax: +1 408 986-1417. This is a very good hotel. Santa Clara Marriott, 2700 Mission College Blvd, ☏ +1 408 988-1500, fax: +1 408 352-4353. Hyatt House Santa Clara, 3915 Rivermark Plaza, ☏ +1 408 486-0800. (updated Aug 2020) Woodcrest Hotel, 5415 Stevens Creek Blvd, ☏ +1 408 446-9636. 2 Embassy Suites Hotel Santa Clara, 2885 Lakeside Dr, ☏ +1 408 496-6400. Silicon Valley hotel near Santa Clara Convention Center, Great America, and San Jose Airport. 2-room suites, free breakfast and complimentary cocktails.

Just west of San Jose, Santa Clara is adjacent to San Jose Mineta Airport (SJC IATA). To reach the airport take the free shuttle from the Santa Clara Caltrain station, route 10. To the San Francisco International Airport, take Caltrain north (toward San Francisco) to Millbrae. From there, transfer to BART and take BART to San Bruno and then to SFO. Allow about an hour and a half. Oakland International Airport is accessible by Amtrak or BART via the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART station and the AirBART shuttle. Caltrain stops at Santa Clara Station, on the east side of Santa Clara University (1001 Railroad Avenue). Though Caltrain doesn't really stop at San Jose Mineta Airport, the free Airporter bus (VTA line 10) shuttles passengers between the airport and the Santa Clara Caltrain station. The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) is an express train running from the central valley towns of Stockton, Tracy, Livermore and Pleasanton to San Jose. The train shares the Santa Clara station with Caltrain and also stops at the Great America station at Lafayette and Tasman, near the Santa Clara Convention Center, Levi's Stadium, and California's Great America. Only a few trains run per day. The Great America stop doesn't include a station building, just a platform under an overpass, so plan connecting transportation before you arrive.

Light rail and bus. The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) offers light rail in Santa Clara on the Mountain View-Alum Rock and Old Ironsides-Winchester lines. VTA also offers bus service within and around Santa Clara. Consult the VTA website for schedules, fares, and trip planning. Rental car. Numerous national car rental chains serve Santa Clara and surrounding cities. Most people living in the area prefer automobiles as their primary means of transportation, and it is likely to be the fastest, although area freeways do get congested during commute hours. Rental cars are available both at the San Jose Airport and at various locations in the city. Throughout most of Santa Clara, public parking is ample and free. Bicycle. Many city streets are wide and bicycle-friendly with painted bicycle lanes; expressways permit bicycles but have high-speed, heavy traffic that may be uncomfortable, especially for inexperienced riders. Stop by City Hall for a copy of the Santa Clara bicycle map showing recommended bicycle routes. Bicycles should ride on the right side of the road, going the same direction as traffic. Take care when crossing expressway exits and right turn lanes in traffic. Caltrain, Amtrak Capital Corridor, and VTA (both light rail and buses) are all equipped with bicycle racks. If you plan to take a bicycle on area public transit, consult the website of the system(s) you will use for information on locating and using the bicycle racks.