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2 0 1 5 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 99 MISSION Santa Clara de Asis, right; Santa Clara Convention Center, below; Snoopy and Friends dance in front of the double-decked carousel at California's Great America, boXom right. SANTA CLARA CVB; ERIC BRODER VAN DYKE/SHUTTERSTOCK . OPPOSITE: SANTA CLARA CVB. national Swim Center, and Santa Clara Uni- versity hosts NCAA Division 1 athletic competitions year-round. A visit to Santa Clara wouldn't be com- plete without a look into the high tech giants of Silicon Valley. At the Intel Museum at corporate headquarters, visi- tors have the chance to see how computer chips are made in an automated chip fac- tory and how the engineers of the valley shaped and changed society. Some of the valley's best shopping is found at Santa Clara's Westfield Valley Fair mall, which is across the street from the high-end Santana Row shopping district. Santa Clara draws thousands for popular events such as its annual Art and Wine Fes- tival in September, Pacific International Quilt Festival in October, and the spine-tin- gling Halloween Haunt in October. Mission Santa Clara de Asis & Santa Clara University Santa Clara has a long history that's closely tied with that of California. The fertile valley that became known as Santa Clara Valley and more recently, Silicon Valley, was inhabited by the Ohlone when Spain began colonizing California. Fran- ciscan missionaries established 21 missions that stretched from San Diego to Sonoma, choosing a spot in the valley in 1777 for their eighth mission. They named it Mission Santa Clara de Asis after Saint Clare. Visitors are welcome to visit the Mis- sion Church and adjacent Mission Gardens located on the beautiful campus of Santa Clara University. Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest college in Cal- ifornia. The current Mission Church was built in 1925 after a fire destroyed the pre- vious 19 th -century building. However, statues, paintings, liturgical objects, one bell and the flavor of the Spanish-style architecture remain. Also on the Santa Clara University campus is the de Saisset Art Museum, whose most significant feature is a Cali- fornia history collection. Artifacts that trace Santa Clara history include a corner- stone uncovered in an archeological excavation and 18 th -century woodwork and art. The museum also houses European art from the Renaissance to the 19 th century, including prints by Durer and Piranesi; modern works by Chagall, Matisse and Picasso; and prints by San Francisco Bay Area artists Arneson, Diebenkorn, Neri, Thiebaud and others.