Santa Clara County Parks 

Here, please find links and a little info on the wonderful county parks in and near Silicon Valley.

A word of caution: in the grassy, hilly areas especially, please hike or jog with friends and pay attention as you walk or run the trails. Rattlesnakes tend to sun themselves in the clearings - which means on the path!  Mountain lions, also known as pumas, are not commonly seen but they are indigenous to the area, as are ferrel pigs, bobcats and coyotes. Any of these could ruin your day with a wrong encounter, so please go in groups and pay attention to your surroundings!

Almaden Quicksilver  this was once the largest mercury mine in the world, named after a similar mine in Spain. The mine shafts extended all the way into what is now Los Gatos (off Hicks Road) This is a great spot for field trips. Don't miss the split graveyard on Bertram Road- and look the grave for just Bert's arm (nope, I'm not kidding).

Alviso Marina they stopped dredging this years ago but it is now a park. Eventually there will be a trail ringing the bay. Awesome place to birdwatch and take photos.

Anderson Lake waterskiing destination in the east foothills over Morgan Hill

Calero south of Almaden toward Morgan Hill.

Chesbro Reservoir west of Morgan Hill - fishing & non-power-boating. No trails yet.

Chitactac Adams Heritage County Park  now this is cool - it's a 4 acre site just outside Gilroy and Morgan Hill which is all about the Ohlones who used to inhabit this beautiful valley of ours. Free park. Open from 8am til sunset. Self-guided tours available.

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A quick introduction to downtown San Jose via YouTube. Downtown San Jose is Sharks Territory (NHL team), home to a diverse number of theaters and museums (including a quilting museum) and a huge variety of shops and restaurants. When the Sharks arent playing at the Arena, the Shark Tank becomes a musical venue too.

In summer, fireworks and many events draw large crowds downtown.

In winter, downtown offers Christmas in the Park and a palm tree encircled ice rink as wonderful ways to enjoy the sunny, cool days downtown. The Catholic Cathedral features free musical concerts for all from many groups around Silicon Valley, with each concert performed twice in many of the evenings leading up to Christmas.

Theres loads to do in downtown San Jose!

 

Cupertino was incorporated as a city only in 1955, long, long after the community had sprung up and had its own, distinct identity.  

As a village, Cupertino began at the intersection of Stevens Creek Road and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road (now DeAnza Blvd) and was originally known simply as 'West Side. Since that name was so generic and would be confused with other places bearing similar names, the post office opted to give it a more distinguishable name in 1898. Because there was a nearby Cupertino winery and Cupertino Creek (full name was Arroyo San Giuseppe da Cupertino - named after St. Joseph of Cupertino - by the explorer De Anzas cartologist and diarist, a Spanish padre by the name of Fr. Font), that name was applied to the post office and nearby stores. (Cupertino Creek is now known as Stevens Creek, by the way.)  

Sunnyvale

The city of Sunnyvale, CA, is known for low crime and high tech. Its a city of about 100,000 residents and many businesses. Its a quick hop to the Cal Train in Mountain View, so is in a good commute location both for Santa Clara County but also for jobs ‘on the peninsula’ too.

Like the rest of California, Sunnyvales history goes back to the days of Land Grants (first Spanish, then Mexican, then US Patents). The first non-native beginnings of this city were in 1842 with the Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas land grant, held by Estrada and Inez Castro and later becoming Mountain View and Sunnyvale. (The arrangement with land grants was that the land was free, but the owner had to occupy it. Such a deal!) Its interesting history, so take a look! 

Los Altos, CA

Los Altos is a lovely town with everything to offer but affordable housing. It recently made a list of the best places to live in the US (low crime, great schools, quality of life). Theres a vibrant downtown to boot with superior restaurants, shops, and more. Its a great community for pedestrians and cyclists, and is a quick jaunt to both Palo Alto and Mountain View.