Have you ever tried to Google something about our very own Saratoga, NY, and found yourself on a website based in Saratoga, CA? We have too. So, we decided to see what all the West Coast Saratoga fuss was about, and, in the process, found our next vacation destination. Here are five things to know about sunny Saratoga, California.
1. Saratoga, CA is located 20 minutes southwest of San Jose, the southernmost city of the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley, and 45 minutes from the Pacific Coast.
2. In 1865, the city got its name after residents discovered a mineral spring whose waters were similar to those of Congress Spring in our Saratoga Springs. Soon after, the California Saratoga’s Congress Springs resort hotel welcomed its first guests.
3. Originally settled as a center of industry—it was the site of a sawmill, tannery and paper mill in the 1850s—Saratoga went on to become a resort town, an agricultural hot spot and finally, a residential community.
4. In the 20th century, wealthy politicians and businessmen built huge residential estates in Saratoga. Today, some of them, including Hakone Estate and Gardens and Villa Montalvo (now known as Montalvo Arts Center), serve as centers of arts and culture.
5. Saratoga falls right on the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area (AVA), a designated wine grape–growing area. Consequently,
many fine wineries call Saratoga home.