Venture out of SF and head South to Palo Alto – you won’t regret it! Sometimes described as “sleepy”, “boring” and downright “too exclusive”, or only known for being the home of world famous Stanford University and the birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto has more to show than you think.
Follow us on a day around town – sporty, artsy or foodie, Palo Alto caters to all tastes!
Kick off the day with a hike at the Dish
Start the day with a dish hike. Choose between the big loop (~1h30min +) or enter from one entrance and exit from the other one (~45min), and work out with the engineers of nearby Meta and Google. Spot some geese and deers roaming around, and enjoy the view – on a clear day you can see San Francisco’s skyline.
Head to Stanford campus for snacks and the Hoover Tower
Snack on some banana bread and a matcha latte on the terrace of the Coupa Cafe at the Green library before climbing up the Hoover tower all the way to the observation deck.
Coupa Cafe at the Green Library, 07:30AM-7PM
Hoover Tower: Monday-Sunday, 10AM-4PM, 550 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
Time for some culture at the Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection
After the Hoover Tower, head to the Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection, Stanford’s very own museums, and make sure to check out the Rodin sculptures in the garden (more than 89 are scattered around Stanford Campus).
Stop for coffee or lunch at Tootsie’s at the Cantor – we recommend having a burger on the terrace overlooking the art pieces. Priceless. or head to University Avenue through Stanford Palm alley.
Tootsie’s at the Cantor, Wednesday – Sunday, Lunch: 11AM-3PM, Tea Service: 3-5PM, Dinners on Thursday from 5:15PM onwards
Cantor Arts Center, Wednesday & Friday 11:00AM–6:00PM, Thursday 11AM-8PM, Saturday, Sunday 10AM-5PM, 314 Lomita Drive Stanford, CA 94305
Anderson Collection, Wednesday – Sunday, 11AM – 5PM, 314 Lomita Drive Stanford, CA 94305
Time to head out to the “town”
Drive out campus through Stanford’s famous Palm Drive. Walk around University Avenue, Palo Alto’s cute commercial street with the regular Apple Store (It’s the center of Silicon Valley after all), Verve coffee and The President’s Terrace, a hidden rooftop.
Wanna stay for dinner? Try Zola, my favorite restaurant in town. As beautiful as tasty. The place is very well decorated, cosy and intimate. The food is delicious: Goat cheese mousseline, Octopus carpaccio and olives marinées to start, Creekstone prime New York as a main, and a velvety chocolate mousse featuring France’s favorite chocolate brand: Valrhona.
Still hungry? Try Antoine’s Cookie Shop: buttery, gooey, soft and chocolatey. A HIT. The store also does its part against food waste by selling 1-day old cookies at a discounted price. What’s not to love?
Then drive to “Cal Ave” – Palo Alto’s favorite and only Pedestrian street – get a coffee at the Backyard Brew, where Stanford students work on their final papers, and venture capitalists scout future successful entrepreneurs, or play board games at Gamelandia. You can also walk around the College Terrace neighborhood – across El Camino Real road – with its beautiful houses, streets named after Ivy League colleges, and home to famous tech entrepreneurs.
Coming on a Saturday? Visit downtown Palo Alto farmers’ market.
Coming on a Sunday? Check out California Avenue farmers’ market
Wanna treat yourself?
End the day at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel: have a drink at the Madera Bar or treat yourself with a massage at the spa, a true luxury and probably one of my best spa experiences in the world.
Time to head back to SF after a day well-spent in my favorite town in South Bay. Still thinking that Palo Alto is sleepy?
