Noelle Lopez has taken a drink out of a toilet. At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, that is. The Exploratorium, a hands-on museum featuring a collection of science, art, and human perception exhibits, is just one of the fun and unique destinations near Santa Clara University. And that’s what drew Lopez to the University.

“The cool thing about San Francisco is that you can be at the beach, in a big city, in a forest in the park, or on a hippie street like Haight,” she says. Other highlights not too far from campus include walking to the farmer’s market at Franklin Square on Saturdays, driving to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or taking the train to other adventures in San Francisco. Besides visiting the Exploratorium there, Lopez likes to walk to Fisherman’s Wharf and climb to the top of Coit Tower.