Page 91 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

Family Fun
For fascinating local lore, head to the Win-
chester Mystery House, the 160-room
Victorian estate built by Sara Winchester,
the heiress of Winchester Rifles. The huge
house is creepy but beautiful at the same
time, with its weird “Stairs to the Ceiling”
that lead to nowhere, séance chambers
and fine woodwork.
California’s Great America theme park
offers the most thrill rides in Northern Cal-
ifornia and includes the massive Great
Barrier Reef wave pool. Additional fun is
found at 23-acre Raging Waters in San Jose,
which bills itself as the region’s largest water
park. San Jose’s Happy Hollow Park and Zoo
and Los Gatos’ Vasona Lake County Park, a
lovely oasis with a train and 1915 carousel,
are two other parks that kids love.
SPECIAL
»
EVENTS 2014
SILICON VALLEY AUTO SHOW Jan. 9-12, San Jose motortrendsautoshows.com
SANTA CLARA WINERIES SPRING PASSPORT WEEKEND March 29-30,
Santa Clara County santaclarawines.com
CINCO DE MAYO PARADE AND FESTIVAL May 5, San Jose sanjose.org
DOWNTOWN FARMERS’ MARKET Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May-Nov., San Jose pcfma.com
MOUNTAIN WINERY CONCERT SERIES July-Oct., Saratoga mountainwinery.com
CONNOISSEUR’S MARKETPLACE July 19-20, Menlo Park miramarevents.com
GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL July 25-27, gilroygarlicfestival.com
ART AND WINE FESTIVAL Sep. 6-7, Mountain View miramarevents.com
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
in San Jose, below; Cesar
Chavez Plaza Park, right.
2014 T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 89