It's all historical and stuff

Recently, a friend of mine went on a tour of California missions, and there are two in the Sillicon Valley area. When the weather's nice, walking around these missions is a fun experience, especially if you care about history.

Mission Santa Clara was named for a female saint, rare in her time, and some of the original structure still stands. After it was secularized, it became Santa Clara university, and the mission is now in the heart of campus. If you're driving, parking is free in the main entrance lots on weekends. If you're coming on public transit, Caltrain is the best way to get there. Go to the Santa Clara station and the university is right across the street. There's a lovely church, beautiful hanging flowers to talk under, and a really weird hole in the original wall of the mission. There is a rose garden on the right side of the church (as you face it from the front), check it out when it's in bloom.

Mission San Jose is in what is now Fremont, and used to be a self-sustaining village. Now it's a museum, a small gift shop, a church and of course a graveyard. It's not as big as Mission Santa Clara but is worth a look. Just don't shell out the $2 for the tour, it's self-guided and not worth the money. They'll look at you like they think you're a jerk, but hey, you kept your two dollars, and you can still roam around the mission. Make a day trip out of going to them both and exploring the nearby areas. Behind Santa Clara, there's a soft-serve ice cream shop called Blondie's where you can get super good pumpkin ice cream.

Mission San Jose website: http://www.missionsanjose.org/

Mission Satan Clara website: http://www.scu.edu/mission/

Win!

San Jose has some awesome, but expensive shopping. If you like to stretch your dollars, try one of the many thrift stores in the area. Some of them are trendy and upscale, but the one on this post is the good old Salvation Army. Located just behind a shiny new shopping center on Taylor, there's hidden a huge Salvation Army store on the corner of W Taylor and Stockton.

What makes this one special? All thrift stores are unique, but this particular Salvation Army has an amazing selection. Need a dog kennel for your great dane? You can get it here. How about antiques? Those too. A pair of snowboots? Yes! A wheelchair or a basket ball hoop for your yard or a new desk? win Win WIN! And, best of all, buying second hand is environmental and helps out a good cause. Oh yeah, and all their stuff is half off almost all the time.




Need to knows: You can't turn in to the parking lot from Taylor, so you'll have to turn around when possible or hang a left at Stockton and park on the street. Lots of parking is available. The store is usually open later than other thrift stores in the area, but hours can be a little sporadic. Call 408-282-4987 before you go.