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Burt Bacharach could easily find SAN JOSE today simply by heading
south from San Jose and following the heat and smog. Although
one of the fastest-growing cities in California, it is not strong
on identity - though in area and population it's close to twice
the size of San Jose. Sitting at the southern end of the peninsula,
San Jose has in the past 25 years emerged as the civic heart of
Silicon Valley, surrounded by miles of faceless high-tech industrial
parks where the next generations of computers and websites are designed
and crafted. Ironically, it's also acknowledged as the first city
in California, though the only sign of this is the eighteenth-century
Mission Santa Clara de Asis , on the pleasant campus of the Jesuit-run
Santa Clara University.
Its most famous landmark is the Winchester Mystery House , 525
S Winchester Blvd, just off I-280 near Hwy-17 ($12.95-22.95; daily
9am-5pm, until 7pm June-Sept). Sarah Winchester, heiress to the
Winchester rifle fortune, was convinced upon her husband's death
that he had been taken by the spirits of men killed with Winchester
rifles, and believed that unless a room was built for each of the
spirits and the sound of hammers never ceased, the same fate would
befall her. Work on the mansion went on 24 hours a day for the next
thirty years - stairs lead nowhere, windows open on to solid brick.
The Rosicrucian Museum , 1342 Naglee Ave (Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun
11am-6pm; $9), houses a brilliant collection of Assyrian and Babylonian
artifacts, while the revamped Tech Museum of Innovation (daily 10am-5pm;
$9), downtown at 201 S Market St, contains hands-on displays of
high-tech engineering.
San Jose's visitor center is at 333 W San Carlos St, Suite 1000
(Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; tel 408/295-9600 or
1-800/SAN-JOSE, ), and also has a branch in the convention center
across the street. Downtown accommodation is grossly overpriced,
serving as it does high-tech executives and conventioneers. Options
include the Valley Inn , 2155 The Alameda (tel 408/241-8500; $100-130),
and the slightly more expensive San Jose Convention Inn , 455 S
Second St (tel 408/298-3500; $75-160). The Executive Inn Suites
, 3930 Monterey Rd (tel 408/281-8700; $100-130/$130-160), offers
basic rooms fifteen minutes outside downtown. Good old-fashioned
American food is dished up at Original Joe's , 301 S First St (tel
408/292-7030). Grab a stool at the counter or settle into one of
the comfy booths and enjoy a burger or a plate of pasta at this
San Jose institution, where $10 goes a long way. For fresh coffee
and pastries, head to Café Matisse , 371 S First St (tel
408/298-7788), in the heart of the popular "SOFA" district.
See what San Jose car rentals has to offer today. Choose a link
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rental quote now!
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