Travel Advice -- Santa Clara, CA

[javadu]

Next week I will be in Santa Clara, CA on business. I have never been in the area. I DO NOT want to go to San Francisco because I will be going there in November.

There is about a 50% chance I will have a full day off. I am planning on going to Yosemite if that happens.

There is a much better chance I will have about half a day off (6 hours).

I have reserved a Honda Civic Hybrid for the trip.

I have three questions:

1. If I have a whole day off, should I go to Yosemite? I am fairly committed, so make a strong argument if you think I am making a mistake.

2. If I only have 6 hours, what should I do? I have no idea. What if I have 4 hours?

3. Any local hangouts (coffee shops, small museums, cool local restaurants) that should make sure to see?

Thanks so much!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear javadu!

I haven't been to Santa Clara in many years, so I cannot give you accurate travel advice...

However, one thing I can say: It is a long way from Yosemite!

You could not really do that in one day...

I'd Google the town, and check out what you find...

:hi:

[LeftyMom]

2. Santa Cruz or Monterey would be a better day trip than Yosemite.

Yosemite is a long drive from there, and in only a day you wouldn't have much time to have fun and explore before it was time to drive home. OTOH, you're not far away from the coast redwoods.

Mission Santa Clara is pretty, right in town on the University of Santa Clara campus.

Apparently there are a lot of nice places to eat in the area now. Last time I was there for very long not so much, but that was ten years ago.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. You wanna send a non-local down 17?

You bad. :scared:

[LeftyMom]

4. MB wanted me to drive the Moving Truck/Death Star up the 17

:scared:

Hey, I didn't tell him to go to Walgreens in Watsonville. :scared:

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. Oh, heebus!

So how'd you do it? 101 to... what? :shrug:



You didn't drive that thing over Hecker Pass, did you???

[LeftyMom]

7. No, the other guy drove it over the 17.

I think she remembered I'd had my license for maybe four months and realized her furniture was doomed if I had to get it through the coast range.

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. Ah

Forgot there was another guy. He kinda faded into the background.

[javadu]

5. Yosemite is Really That Far?

My plan ---

1. out of the hotel at 5am.

2. arrive in Yosemite around 9am.

3. leave Yosemite around 5pm.

4. back to the hotel around 9pm.

What do you think?

[piesRsquare]

10. With Bay Area traffic the way it is nowadays (especially in Silicon Valley)

...not a chance.

Used to be possible 20 years ago. Not anymore.

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Four hours is about right

You'd spend the first hour just getting out of Santa Clara County, though — especially starting at 5 a.m. on a weekday.

The drive's not much fun, either. Whether you jump up to 580 and cut over to Manteca or go down 101 to 152 and head east that way, you'll have to deal with a lot of two-lane road going through small towns. When you get close to Yosemite, it's pretty hilly and twisty. (It's also insanely pretty.)

Yeah, Santa Cruz and Monterey would be better bets. Both within an hour and a half, and both have FABulous places to eat and lots of other stuff.

[Gormy Cuss]

18. I second LeftyMom's suggestion.

Go to Santa Cruz or Monterey. Highway 17 is sporty if you're not used to winding roads filled with cars going 70 miles an hour, whereas heading down to Monterey is easy if a bit longer,but either place is a fun day trip. I'd recommend Monterey over Santa Cruz only because it's easier to figure out the lay of the land.
Driving to Yosemite for the day is ambitious to say the least. In 4 hours you may get to the outer edge of the park, but it's high season so better to allow 4-1/2 to 5 hours, then it's about another 45 minutes to an hour to the valley, again if there's no traffic problem and if you aren't stuck behind the recommended shuttle buses. You'd "see" Yosemite, but not much.

[XemaSab]

25. You're missing out on the fact that

the park boundary is an hour outside Yosemite Valley.

It's not that the non-valley parts aren't nice, but you'd want to go to the Valley.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. Yosemite

really is a bit far for a day trip. It could take you up to 5 hours to get there. Monterey is a better day trip, and you don't have to cross Highway 17 (mentioned above). You take take 101 down to Salinas, then cross over to Monterey.

The aquarium there is fantastic, the town itself is quite historic, and then you do 17-Mile Drive from Pacific Grove to Carmel, and see the beautiful mission there and have a great meal at any of countless restaurants.

Or, if you want to stay local, San Jose has the Tech Museum, the Rosicrucian egyptian museum. If you're interested in tech, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View is fun.

I wouldn't discount going to San Francisco either. There's certainly enough there to occupy two trips. Take the train up (see if there's a baseball game at PacBell Park - it's just a block from the train station) or walk up Fourth st. to the Museum of Modern Art, then go over to the Sony Metreon, which has all sorts of fun shops and attractions. All that's within walking distance from the train station.

[Haole Girl]

9. The drive into and out of the park takes a whole day

The roads are winding and narrow.

Unfortunately, it's too much for a day trip (IMHO).

[javadu]

11. Thanks Everyone

I am becoming convinced that Yosemite is too far. Thanks to all who made other suggestions, such as Santa Cruz or Monterey. I am a nature and science kinda guy, so I may check out the aquarium. It is very hard to make judgments about good places to visit using the internets tubes.

[piesRsquare]

13. What day are you gonna be (off) in Santa Clara?

Shoot me a PM if you might like company (I'm about 30 minutes away from Santa Clara).

There's all sorts of great day-trip things to do...could recommend a whole bunch and give directions, too. Besides Yosemite, what might you like to see/do (i.e., coast/beach, woods, hike, walk, landmarks, museums, etc)?

[javadu]

15. It will likely be Friday or possibly Saturday

As I noted above, however, it is work and I will be "playing it by ear" when I get there. I may not be able to get any time at all. I travel like this 2 or 3 times a year and I am usually succesful at getting in a little recreation, even if it is not enough for a whole day trip.

[piesRsquare]

16. Up here on the Peninsula (where I am)

there's all sorts of great stuff to do, if you're into nature stuff.

There's some great hiking trails (Woodside, Belmont, etc).

There's Sawyer Camp Trail, right on Crystal Springs Reservoir (beautiful!)

From Santa Clara, you can get to Half Moon Bay (the coast/beach) in 45 minutes...great stuff to do there (including drive down Highway 1--beautiful, scenic drive).

Not too long of a drive to Big Basin--hike among the California Redwoods...

The Dumbarton Bridge is about 15 minutes from Santa Clara...you can walk on the bridge--right on the San Francisco Bay! The area is a wildlife preserve--wonderful and beautiful!

You could also drive up I-280 and post a Freeway-Blog on the statue of Junipero Serra at the rest area in San Mateo (heh heh... :) )

Any of this appeal to you?

On Edit: Speaking of science, you can also head up to Livermore, and check out Lawrence Livermore Lab, THE nuclear research lab of the nation (not that interesting, mind you, but hey--you could tell people that you've actually stood in the #1 nuclear target in the country!)

Something that IS kinda interesting, however, (to me, at least--daughter of a physicist) is you could check out Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in Palo Alto--they do have tours.

[REP]

17. Late, but wanted to add Big Basin in Saratoga

you'll never make Yosemite and back in day.

[EFerrari]

19. Come to San Francisco. There's a beach here and it's a much

more mellow drive than over the hill to Santa Cruz.

[qnr]

20. Watch out for the vampires!

Oh, wait, that's Santa Carla, CA. Nevermind.

[piesRsquare]

21. No such place as Santa Carla, CA

Fictional place in fictional film.

[qnr]

22. Well gee. I guess that means the Easter bunny is fake too n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

23. I can answer #1

Only if you leave SC EARLY as it takes at LEAST one FULL day to see Yosemite -- even a cursory visit.

If I may, I'd like to add that using a turn signal in the Bay Area is considered a sign of weakness. DON'T DO IT! If you need to merge into another lane, do so as soon as you have approximately 1/2 inch between you and the car ahead of/behind you. And NEVER EVER let anyone in if the want to merge into your lane. They'll peg you as the tourista you are. B-)

Btw, if you DO happen to go to Yosemite, at least wave our way, will ya?

[XemaSab]

24. Yosemite is really far for the day

Go to Santa Cruz and stop by at Big Basin Redwoods on the way. :D

[Lindsey]

26. Yosemite would definetely be a wearing day for a day trip.

The roads once you get closer are so windy (I normally have to take something that makes me fall asleep with someone else doing the driving becuase I get so car sick nothing helps). And it's true, once you get to the signs that say Yosemite, there's still another hour to get to the main part. And not of this takes into account the traffic out of the area that you're coming from.

I'd definitely recommend Monterey. The aquarium if wonderful and imho Monterey a very charming city. Whatever you end up doing - have a great time in our beautiful state!