The one and only Silicon Valley

Trip to SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA HOME

It was May 24th 2007 and I could hardly wait to go..I was going to visit my brother at Santa Clara, CA. Yes, it is the Land of the Silicon Giants. I got nothing less than what I expected. Santa Clara is a county in San Jose city and my brother had a car , Chevy Maligu to take us around. The places I went? Not many in detail, but definitely was treated to the sight of the major Software and Hardware Giants buidings like Yahoo,Cisco,Microsoft,Intel..Boy, is CA expensive! Ok, back to business, an account of the places that we went to -

First day of my landing there, We went on a so called "Strenuous Trek"..here it is-

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. Home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco, the park consists of over 18,000 acres of old growth and recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops. (Santa Cruz county).

Strenuous hiking

Trail to Berry Creek Falls Sunset Trail to Berry Creek Falls Trail to Skyline to the Sea Trail Loop Trail. What to see: Opal Creek, many of the largest Old Growth trees (Santa Clara Tree), and Berry Creek (four water falls).

Location: Opal to Berry Creeks and large undeveloped Mid Park areas.

Trail head: Across the street from Park Headquarters, at the large Redwood Trail Marker, across Opal Creek from the Opal Creek Comfort Station then right.

Length: ~10.5 miles~17 kms

Time: ~6 hours (this is estimated, with guide etc..we took about 4 hours, to much of my joy)

Elevation: ~+200 - 400'

http://www.bigbasin.org/trailsberrycreekfalls.html

POint Reyes National Seashore-

Next on the agenda, a long 2 hour and fascinating drive to the above. The drive was the best I had gone on, and that is giving me more motivation to learn to drive here in US, with driving seeming to be such a pleasure here. Snippets from online, about the seashore-

From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration.

Point Reyes: A Treacherous Obstacle to Mariners

Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent. Weeks of fog, especially during the summer months, frequently reduce visibility to hundreds of feet. The Point Reyes Headlands, which jut 10 miles out to sea, pose a threat to each ship entering or leaving San Francisco Bay. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse warned mariners of danger for more than a hundred years.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870, was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light. They then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our heritage.

All lighthouses in the United States are now automated because it is cheaper to let electronics do the work. Many decommissioned lighthouses were transformed into restaurants, inns or museums. The lighthouse at Point Reyes National Seashore is now a museum piece, where the era of the lightkeepers' lives, the craftsmanship and the beauty of the lighthouse are actively preserved.

Alcatraz island & Angel Island-

Third major sightseeing event..it was a short cruise that we booked..cost us the earth, but the audio tour on alcatraz island was certainly worth the money..(ok, a part of it). We got some of the best views from Angel Island, of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Basin Bridge, on either side. Totally worth the sight. Snippets from web-

Alcatraz and history go hand in hand. Once home to some of America's most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to the Rock. The presence of infamous inmates like Al "Scarface" Capone, and the "Birdman" Robert Stroud helped to establish the island's notoriety. To this day, Alcatraz is best known as one of the world's most legendary prisons.

Many people, though, are unaware of the wealth of other stories to be learned on the island. Alcatraz is now home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife, and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds. Civil War-era buildings dotting the island give insight into the 19th century when the island served as both a harbor defense fort and a military prison. You can also see visible reminders of the American Indian Occupation that started in 1969 after the prison closed, highlighting an important milestone in the American Indian rights movement.