Santa Clara

The city of Santa Clara is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. It is home to such high tech companies as Intel, Sun Microsystems and others. In the 1700s, the Spanish began colonizing what is now California by building a series of missions. The 8th mission built was in...

The city of Santa Clara is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. It is home to such high tech companies as Intel, Sun Microsystems and others. In the 1700s, the Spanish began colonizing what is now California by building a series of missions. The 8th mission built was in the valley where Santa Clara now rests. By the 1850s, the land was now part of the United States, Santa Clara College was established on the site of the old mission, and Santa Clara was incorporated as a town in 1852. To learn more of the history from this area, students enrolled in English school in Santa Clara might like to visit the mission still on the University campus, or take a tour of the Harris-Lass House Museum, the last farm site in the city. The house, barn and gardens are available for tours. For a little fun and a break from studies, students might enjoy a trip to California’s Great America. It is a theme park with a variety of rides and a water park as well. For the health conscious student taking English courses in Santa Clara - get out and explore the area via the 125 miles of biking trails. Some are paved offering a gentle ride, others are hard-core mountain biking routes, testing the riders more. Visitors to Santa Clara may also opt to venture out to the coast on occasion. San Francisco is only about 45 miles away, making it a great option for a day trip.