What’s the deal with Palo Alto California?

Palo Alto is a city in the northwest area of Silicon Valley. Computer maverick Hewlett-Packard originated here in 1939, as well as many other high tech companies. You may also be familiar with Palo Alto because it is the home of Stanford University.

There are plenty of things to check out if you find yourself in Palo Alto. The downtown area surrounding University Avenue is loaded with shops and restaurants. I scoured the city to find the best well-known and off-the-beaten track interesting things to do here!

Where to Stay

Hotel Keen

_{425 High St, Palo Alto}

I chose Hotel Keen since it looked modern and cool, and it offered relatively reasonable prices. Weekends are the lower priced rates in Palo Alto, unless there is something going on at Stanford University. I was able to stay on a non-eventful Saturday night for a $150 rate through Booking.com.

I drove right past the hotel, it really doesn’t stand out. Knowing it was nearby I parked in a lot which was free for the weekend. Turned out the hotel was only 1/2 a block away.

The lobby is cute, modern and very small. There’s a front desk area and a small dining area which offers coffee/tea and fruit during the day. Breakfast is served in this area each day.

The Best and Worst Parts of my Room

My favorite parts were: the clean, comfortable bed, plenty of shelf space for putting stuff, Keurig coffee maker in the room, and nice, large TV with onscreen tv guide and ability to sign into my own Netflix and YouTube accounts (and a button to click to clear my personal data before I leave). I was pleased with my room overall.

My least favorite parts were: my room’s view was of a wall 6ft away, quite a bit of noise from other rooms/ hallway, and there was no bathroom door only a door to separate the entry from the bedroom.

Check out this Video Tour of my Room

Cardinal Hotel

_{235 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto}

This was the first hotel I looked into, but the cheapest rate I found was $235 through Booking.com. So I chose Hotel Keen instead. However, the Cardinal Hotel looks really cool, and if you are into historic hotels, this will be right up your alley! The Cardinal was built in 1924, and it does feel like you’ve stepped back in time when you enter.

Where to Eat

Araki Sushi

_{201 University Ave, Palo Alto}

Araki Sushi is one of the best in town! Be sure to check it out if you’re a sushi fan.

Mademoiselle Colette Cafe

_{499 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto}

Click here to see my full review of this decadent French Cafe!

Son & Garden

_{535 Bryant St, Palo Alto}

Son & Garden is a fake flower filled little girl’s paradise! It reminds me of K Cafe in San Jose. I’m not sure which one came first but I prefer K Cafe’s vibe. Still Son & Garden was a fun experience. They have loads of foofy cocktails that would be fun to try if you’re in the mood for that sort of thing. Bring your kid to have a (pricey) wonderous experience full of Instagramable backgrounds!

Peninsula Creamery Dairy Store & Grill

_{900 High St, Palo Alto}

This family-owned business has been around since 1923. They serve breakfast, lunch and their specialty, milkshakes. The Peninsula Creamery was highly recommended to me by my best pal, Jimma, whose mother worked there as a teenager 60 years ago! Jimma says the milkshakes are to die for. Sadly, when I stopped by, they were closed (turns out they’re closed on Sundays). But be sure to check it out if you have a hankering for a delicious milkshake!

The Rose & Crown Pub

_{547 Emerson St, Palo Alto}

The Rose & Crown Pub is Palo Alto’s oldest bar. Divey, fun British Pub atmosphere with outdoor seating also.

I asked for some background on the Pub and here is the inside information I got!

Thanks for visiting us on your trip.  The bar was originally called The Alley in the late 50’s. In the 70’s it changed to Lancashire Tavern and the to Rose & Crown in 1992.  There have been visits from celebs like Julia Roberts and Steve Little.  Politicians like Nute Gingrich and many Stanford Football players that went on to become well know, like current PA resident, Andrew Luck.  The front was also used the in HBO series Silicon Valley for an episode when they were in a bar.

Crepevine

367 University Ave, Palo Alto

Crepevine is a Bay Area chain. I love their menu boards! Fun to have something different. On my last visit I got a San Francisco Savory Crepe: Fresh or smoked salmon with capers, red onions, spinach, Dijon and dill Havarti cheese. It came with a side salad and fries. Delicious!

What to See

Stanford Theatre

_{221 University Ave, Palo Alto}

The Stanford Theatre alone makes Palo Alto a very worthy place to visit! It has been around since 1925 and retains the luxurious decor and even prices close to that time! (Slight exaggeration, but admission is $7 per adult for a double feature. $2.50 for a large Coke, and $1 for popcorn!) They even have a person play the organ between movies!

Check out their schedule online for the schedule of classic movies when you’re in town. Don’t miss it!

Stanford Shopping Center

_{660 Stanford Shopping Ctr, Palo Alto, CA 94304}

Stanford Shopping Center is a lovely open air high end shopping mall. The mall hosts over 100 stores, including Macys, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom. You can also find more than 30 restaurants/coffee bars/bars. My favorite parts of the mall are the beautiful seasonal planters, and water features.

Mini Cat Town

This is cat-lover heaven! You can pay $15 to enter this non-profit adoption center for 30 minutes to play with the cats and kittens. If you want to adopt or foster a cat see their website (linked in the title above) to submit an application.

Anthropologie & Co.

Anthropologie is a familiar store in many shopping areas. This one seemed different to me and really cool because it was so large, and along with womens clothes, they offered housewares and garden goods. This is a really fun store to browse around and find some unique items!

Barron Park Donkeys

3_{590 Laguna Ave, Palo Alto}

The Barron Park Donkeys live in a private pasture along the bike path near Bol Park. You can visit them there any time, and they may greet you at the gate, but you cannot enter the pasture. They are brought out for a walk to Bol Park on Sundays between 10:00 and 11:00 and you can meet and pet them. They are also fed at the gate on Sundays at 5:00 which is another good time to see them.

I missed the events mentioned above and must admit it was a little underwhelming seeing the donkeys. I’m not sure what I expected 😀 They were kind of hiding. Probably sick of people after their walk earlier. Bol Park is very quiet and pleasant for a walk, though. You need to walk about a quarter mile along the bike path to get to the donkey enclosure.

One sort of interesting fun fact is that the donkey in the Shrek movie franchise was based on a donkey that lived here. The animators came to film the donkey and study his movements. That donkey has since passed away, but they still do showings of Shrek in the park occasionally.

Hewlett Packard Garage

3_{67 Addison Ave, Palo Alto}

This is a fun place to take a peek at while driving or walking through this lovely Palo Alto residential area. There’s not much to see except the plaque pictured below. But it is known as the Birthplace of Silicon Valley, so it’s a fun place to check off your bucket list. (But first, add it to your bucket list so you can check it off). Where would we be without the entrepreneurial spirit of good ol’ William Hewlett and David Packard?!

Rodin Sculpture Garden

_{328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford}

Be sure to check out the Rodin Sculpture Garden on the Stanford University campus. It’s just outside of the Cantor Arts Center Museum. The impressive works are made of bronze cast from the originals.

Be sure to drive through the rest of Stanford’s beautiful campus while you’re there. You can see a fantastic view from the top of the Hoover Tower and enjoy the Romanesque design of the Stanford Memorial Church.

Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

_{1431 Waverley St, Palo Alto}

The Colonial/Georgian Revival house was built by 1904 for $6,039 by San Jose contractor C.A. Bates. The original house was later enhanced by minor additions.  It has been designated a Point of Historical Interest by the State of California.

I visited in mid October so most of the blooms were gone. It must be absolutely gorgeous in Springtime and early summer here! It was still quite fragrant in some areas. I can’t wait to come back in the spring.

The garden has many paths and a huge variety of plants. It was very peaceful to wander around. If you want me to complain about something, it would be the traffic noise from the adjacent Embarcadero Road, not sure what could be done about that, though.

Bells Books

5_{36 Emerson St, Palo Alto}

This is a family owned, independent book store which has been around since 1935. You can really get lost browsing through the two stories of thousands of books. There are new books as well as historic books, some signed copies!

Mac’s

_{534 Emerson St, Palo Alt}

This tobacco shop is right next to Bell’s Bookstore. Mac’s has been there for over 85 years. It just struck me as such a unique sight now days. Especially with the selection of newspapers available. I miss newspapers! Mac’s has some Bay Area and Palo Alto memorabilia to check out inside.

Letter Perfect

3_{84 University Ave, Palo Alto}

This is a nice stationary store, which also has fun books and gift items. I just love looking in places like this to find something unique.

The Real Real

_{379 University Ave, Palo Alto}

The RealReal is a luxury item consignment store. If you’re into designer brands you can browse their curated collection of verified items. There was a line to get in when I walked by.

More thoughts on Palo Alto

• There are dozens of cafes! You will fit right in if you are looking for a place to work remotely. I was surprised by how many people were at cafes solo, staring at their computers very seriously on a late Saturday afternoon. I suspect Stanford students. So feel free to bring your computer and settle in!
• I wasn’t able to revisit recently, but if you are looking for a great place for a massage/spa treatment, go here: Watercourse Way Bath House Spa 165 Channing Avenue, Palo Alto. It’s been in business for many years and is wonderful!
• I was going to include the Baylands Nature Preserve, which I found listed when I was researching the top Palo Alto attractions… but I checked it out and can’t recommend it. It was not very pretty, and it felt a little creepy to me with deserted paths through marshy reeds. It felt like a good “dispose of a body” spot! I probably shouldn’t say that, but heck, I want to be honest with my readers! If you’re looking for a nicer place for an open space walk along the southern San Francisco Bay, check out the bay parks in Mountain View or Alviso.
• Here are a few more highly recommended places to try (which I haven’t visited yet):
  • Zareens – in the Michelin Guide as the best affordable lunch
  • Backyard Brew – Cafe
  • Zombie Runner – Cafe
  • Tacolicious – Tacos!
  • President’s Terrace – The Graduate Palo Alto Hotel’s Rooftop Bar
  • Museum of American Heritage – history of technological innovation from 1750 to 1950

Map of Mentioned Places

You may also want to check out the other posts on Cities in Silicon Valley.

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