Santa Clara CA: Levi's Stadium, New Home of 49ers and Superbowl 50

A "super" size big deal. In Santa Clara, CA. 

I watched the live stream where the NFL voted in the first round to have Superbowl 50 (in the year 2016) in our new Santa Clara Levi's Stadium. And, with a tweet of this. Wow, this is my neighborhood.  It is great to be a part of history-in-the-making.  

You may read the official news, facts, and figures on our City of Santa Clara website and there is even a live view web cam of the building activity available.  Our Santa Clara Convention and Visitors Bureau website has a Superbowl 50 link with the latest news on hashtag #SCSuperbowl and the stadium building activity live view web cam link too.  

I watched this monster building activity growing the past couple of years as I drive by every week.  The following pictures I have are real, and not just from an architect drawing.  I took the pictures on the day after the Superbowl 50 announcement. May 2013

Santa Clara CA Levi Stadium, New Home of 49ers and Superbowl 50

Above, you are looking east towards the Diablo Range and Mt Hamilton (San Francisco bay area highest peak) and our City of San Jose, or what we call the Capital of Silicon Valley today.   

Santa Clara CA Levi Stadium - New Home of the 49ers and Superbowl 50

Above, I was standing in our Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club parking lot, golf course behind me,  which is (approx) north of the stadium.  The 49er Headquarters is to the left of the stadium.

Close Up of Santa Clara Stadium - End View Courtesy of DWest

Above picture, close up of our new stadium.  Santa Clara CA

Above, Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club is on the right side and our new parking facility is straight ahead, following the palm trees.  Our convention center is tucked away behind the parking facility.  The other high rise building in the distance is the Westin Santa Clara. Behind this, continue to the local towns of Sunnyvale and Mountain View.

California's Great America Amusement Park, Santa Clara CA - Courtesy D West

The above picture, I turned slightly around without moving my feet, to my right, after taking the very first picture.  California's Great America Amusement Park.  You are able to see the top of the roller coasters and the pointed roof of the Carousel.  

49ers Headquarters, Santa Clara CA, Before the new stadium Courtesy DWest

It is a big deal. Superbowl 50 in Santa Clara ~ The Fun Tour Guru

Santa Clara CA Resources

Santa Clara Travel Consultant, group trip - outbound and inbound

City of Santa Clara

Santa Clara Convention & Visitors Bureau

Santa Clara CA University Graduation Event on Memoral Day Weekend

Remember these great finds close to home

I enjoy walking around one of my favorite universities, Santa Clara University, because of the beautiful Mission which is located on the university grounds.  Santa Clara University is one of the oldest "private universities" in California. Many times I get to see the set up or break down of weddings and events held over summer weekends.

This weekend (2013) I saw this behind-the-scenes set up of the Santa Clara University Law School Graduation which took place yesterday.  I don't know any of these graduates personally, I still pause as I know this is an accomplishment for our students.

I looked down the rows of empty seats and my thoughts went to the celebrations taking place with each graduate and their family and friends taking place this weekend. I remember my own graduation celebration with my family ... I didn't know what I would do after that one day, there was the dream of what might be possible...

 

The green lawn was covered with hundreds of perfect aligned white chairs on both sides of the stage waiting for their arrivals the next day and uniquely placed around the palm trees throughout the area. 

I talked with the kind, friendly security officer, who let me wander a bit behind the closed off areas and on the stage.  

Happy Memorial Day! So much has happened this past year ~ throughout our own country and world, how may we help each other? ~ The Fun Tour Guru

Silicon Valley Where Past & Present Collides: Do You Remember National Semiconductor?

Early Silicon Valley History with our Semiconductor Industry 

I am active reading local articles in the Mercury News about our Silicon Valley history because of our new neighborhood center construction in Mountain View, CA, The Village at San Antonio Center.  On this land of the new neighborhood plan lies an old, neglected, one story building, which holds the story of a significant event of our technology history. (Editor's Note: this building was torn down - 2016 - we are glad we created this video)
 
Today, Silicon Valley is a blend of companies.  Don't forget that our region was coined Silicon Valley from a journalist because of the many semiconductor companies created through 1940s to 1970s.  

I was on my way home from an event in San Francisco last week, when I looked at the time on my car clock, there was still time to make it, so I decided to go undercover to a city council meeting because I was curious of what was happening with these plans.  I went to the Mountain View City Council Study Meeting. I walked away with a new understanding of their plans.

I listened closely to the members of this City Council as they made valid comments, concerns, and approaches about how the building plans should go forward. They listened to architect planners and to the public.  Most of the members seem to want to keep the same quaint Mountain View flavor and with local retail businesses even as they enter into the new modern neighborhood.

My only focus is to save this one building. I learned a great deal about this awesome new neighborhood transition that is coming and that there were many other concerns too.

I do know there is a way to save and protect one piece of Silicon Valley history, and revitalize the old building of Shockley Semiconductor - keep as a museum where people may learn essential ingredients of how this Valley began - and still build our new neighborhood around our history.  Let people walk and ride their bikes past it everyday. (See photos and video of this site in link above)

The activities on this location led to several developments in the semiconductor industry.  Workers left Shockley Semiconductor and created Fairchild Semiconductor as the second generation of this industry.  Several familiar corporate companies were created from business people who worked at Fairchild.  Three significant companies were Advanced Micro, Intel, and National Semiconductor.

A company I recently watched transition in the past few years is National Semiconductor. It was acquired by yet another company.  I took pictures to remember this. 

From National Semiconductor to Texas Instruments - Image by D West

The National Semiconductor corporate campus is still the same, has new paint and fresh updates, and now a new sign change with new owners. 

Early Days of Technology and Semiconductor Industry

National Semiconductor actually started in 1959 in Danbury, CT, to provide transistors for second generation computers.  They moved to the west coast because of an acquisition of a small integrated circuit company, Molectro. 

A year later, a former executive of Fairchild Semiconductor, Charles Sporck, became CEO and moved into a single-building with a leaking roof in Santa Clara.  Sporck led the team through this early period which made him the CEO with the longest tenure (during this period). 

National Semiconductor on Kifer - Image by D West

Highlights of 1968 - 1983 period

• Increased revenues to $1 billion by 1983, making National Semiconductor the first Silicon Valley company to surpass the $1 Billion milestone
• Expansion in Europe and Malaysia
• Move to the current site on Kifer Road, Santa Clara

Insiders interest: 
National Semiconductor acquired Fairchild Semiconductor sites located in Maine and State of Washington in 1987 

The company was reorganized and transformed in the 1990s.  Today: National Semiconductor was acquired by Texas Instruments in 2011.   

Will our Past and Present get to collide and stay together
 in Silicon Valley? ~ The Fun Tour Guru 

Comments are welcome... 
 

Silicon Valley history dates and stories are from the book "The Making of Silicon Valley : A One Hundred Year Renaissance".

Following San Francisco Bay Area Sports

Fun Friday (or is it Saturday?)  Sights from Silicon Valley.

This billboard caught my eye driving down El Camino Real, in Santa Clara, CA.  Is there ice in San Jose CA now?  

Be careful of falling palm leaves on the ice!

Bay Area Sports: 

• SF Giants baseball 
• to SF49er football 
• SJ Sharks hockey
• Oakland Athletics baseball
• Oakland Raiders football
• Golden State Warriors basketball 

Find me cheering the San Jose Sharks wearing my SF baseball cap and World Champions T-Shirt and Levi Stadium jacket!

Do I dare step outside in my new fashionable outfit?  ~ The Fun Tour Guru