Santa Clara

Overshadowed by much larger and adjoining San Jose to the southeast, this upscale community is ground zero of Silicon Valley. More than a dozen of the world's largest computer and Internet companies are headquartered here, including Intel, which delights techies with the Intel Museum. The yin to the 21st-century yang is a remake of the original 18th-century Mission Santa Clara de Asís, which stands in the grounds of Santa Clara University – the setting, too, of the de Saisset Museum of art. It seems Santa Clara has something for everyone. Great America, one of the country's best thrill-ride amusement parks, packs in families on weekends ...

Overshadowed by much larger and adjoining San Jose to the southeast, this upscale community is ground zero of Silicon Valley. More than a dozen of the world's largest computer and Internet companies are headquartered here, including Intel, which delights techies with the Intel Museum. The yin to the 21st-century yang is a remake of the original 18th-century Mission Santa Clara de Asís, which stands in the grounds of Santa Clara University – the setting, too, of the de Saisset Museum of art. It seems Santa Clara has something for everyone. Great America, one of the country's best thrill-ride amusement parks, packs in families on weekends and holidays. Train buffs make a beeline to visit the South Bay Historical Railroad Society, displaying rail memorabilia plus a fantastic model railway in the historic Santa Clara (Caltrain) Depot in Santa Clara. And sports fans can watch the San Francisco 49ers at their headquarters and training facility. The city counts two golf courses and a world-class swim center among its sports and fitness facilities. Visitors are also spoiled for choice in adjoining cities, with options from wineries to tours of the nearby Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

About the Expert

Christopher P. Baker has authored guidebooks to Costa Rica, California, and various Caribbean islands for Frommer's, Lonely Planet, and National Geographic, among others.