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San Lorenzo Valley Museum
· 7.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder how a mountain valley nestled in the redwoods preserves its past? It's thanks to places like the San Lorenzo Valley Museum. Founded in 1976, the San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society created the museum to…
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Los Gatos, CA
· 12.0 mi
Los Gatos, nestled against the low-slung Santa Cruz Mountains, feels a world away from the frenetic energy of Silicon Valley, even though many residents drive north each day to work in tech. It’s a place of manicured…
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John Steinbeck House (Monte Sereno, California)
· 12.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second. From 1936 to 1938, John Steinbeck, the voice of the working class, lived and wrote right here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He and his wife, Carol, had this house built in 1936. Can you…
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The Real Mad Hatter
· 13.2 mi
The Mad Hatter is usually written off as a nonsense character, but the phrase mad as a hatter grew out of real workshops and a real metal, the same quicksilver mined here. For centuries, hatmakers turned animal fur into…
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A Cannonball That Floats
· 13.2 mi
Quicksilver is heavy in a way that defies common sense. A jug of it the size of a milk carton would weigh as much as a couple of bowling balls, because mercury is about thirteen and a half times denser than water. That…
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New Almaden: Named for the Greatest Mine in Spain
· 13.3 mi
New Almaden, the historic district south of San Jose, borrows its name from Almaden in Spain, the world's greatest mercury mine. In 1845 a Mexican cavalry officer, Andres Castillero, recognized that the red rock local…
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Quicksilver: The Only Metal That's Liquid
· 13.4 mi
The metal pulled from these hills has a property that sets it apart from every other metal on Earth: mercury is the only one that stays liquid at ordinary room temperature. Pour it out and it does not sit in a lump. It…
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The Red Rock That Painted History
· 13.4 mi
Before anyone here wanted the mercury, people wanted the rock it hides in. Cinnabar, the ore mercury comes from, is a brilliant scarlet, and that's no accident of New Almaden alone. Ground into fine powder, cinnabar…
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New Almaden
· 13.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to learn about California's secret ingredient to the Gold Rush: mercury! This area, New Almaden, was home to the state's oldest and most productive mercury mine. Before the Spanish or Americans arrived, the…
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Headquarters Administration Building (Big Basin Redwoods State Park)
· 14.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936, this building once served as the heart of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Constructed from local redwood logs and stone, the Headquarters Administration Building was a…
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Saratoga, CA
· 14.4 mi · Local history
The creek whispers secrets as it cuts through the redwood groves, a cool, constant reminder of the earth’s patient work. Saratoga is cradled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a landscape sculpted by tectonic…
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Mountain Winery
· 14.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine grand parties echoing through these hills – that's the legacy of Paul Masson and his Mountain Winery. Masson, a French immigrant, arrived in California during the Gold Rush era and recognized the potential for…
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Campbell, CA
· 15.8 mi
Campbell, California, owes its existence to the agricultural boom that once swept through the Santa Clara Valley. Named after Benjamin Campbell, who arrived in the late 19th century, the area wasn't a planned…
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Frank Norris Cabin
· 16.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine escaping the city to write among towering redwoods – that's exactly what novelist Frank Norris did here. Norris, famous for his gritty novels like *McTeague* and *The Octopus*, briefly owned this cabin, known as…
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Watsonville, CA
· 17.3 mi · Local history
A chill wind sweeps across the Pajaro Valley, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly sweet — apples. That aroma is the ghost of Watsonville’s boom years, when orchards blanketed the landscape, driving…
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Cupertino, CA
· 18.2 mi
Cupertino, California, nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, is known globally as the home of Apple, Inc. But the city’s history stretches back further than the tech boom, and its influence extends beyond the digital…
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Winchester Mystery House
· 18.5 mi
At 525 South Winchester Boulevard in San Jose stands the Winchester Mystery House, the sprawling former home of Sarah Winchester, widow of the rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester. She bought an eight-room farmhouse in…
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Roberto-Suñol Adobe
· 18.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Built in 1836, this humble adobe dwelling offers a glimpse into California's Rancho era. This is the Roberto-Suñol Adobe, originally part of Rancho Los Coches. Roberto Balermino, a Tamien Ohlone, built the adobe…
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San Jose Diridon station
· 19.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Think of this place, San Jose Diridon Station, as the gateway to Silicon Valley's past, present, and future. It’s more than just a train station; it's a living piece of California history. Originally built by the…
