FALL/WINTERVisitors 2011 Guide to the midpeninsula
Discover where to go to play, dine, shop or relax
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To find a physician, visit: stanfordhospital.org Welcome Whether you are visiting for business, for pleasure or to at- tend a conference or other event at Stanford University, you will quickly discover the unusual blend of intellect, innova- tion, culture and natural beauty that makes the Palo Alto area so special. Palo Alto’s home to Nobel Prize winners, Silicon Valley CEOs, venture capital firms, Hewlett-Packard and one of the most renowned universities and medical centers in the world. While Palo Alto developed as a sleepy college town, the emergence of Stanford University in the 1970s as the na- tion’s leading high-technology research center paved the way for hundreds of start-up businesses with connections to Stanford professors and their inventions. Thus Palo Alto be-
Painting by Michael Killen Michael by Painting came known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley and attracted engineers and others from all over the world to pursue their dreams. The Stanford campus itself is the biggest visitor attraction, and visitors could easily spend a day or longer exploring the beautiful campus. But at a minimum any visit should also include a walk or drive through the tree-lined residential neighborhoods (among the costliest in the nation), a walk in the foothills or Baylands and some great shopping and eating in the several business districts. For our list of 10 sites not to miss while you are visiting, look in the “Attractions” section. Enjoy!
Inside: Attractions ...... 6 Arts & Entertainment ...... 10 Shopping ...... 12 Stanford ...... 14 Recreation ...... 16 Getting Around ...... 18 Safety...... 19 Map ...... 20 Dining ...... 24 Hotels ...... 28 The Palo Alto Visitors Center is co-located with the Palo Alto Veronica Weber Chamber of Commerce at 400 Mitchell Lane in downtown Palo Alto. The Visitors Center is staffed Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and may be reached at 650- 324-3121. The center has useful brochures and other materi- als and can assist with answering questions and addressing special or unusual needs of visitors. Destination Palo Alto (www.destinationpaloalto.com) offers much more information about where to go and what to do while visiting Palo Alto. Visitors Guide is a special project of the Palo Alto Weekly. Copyright (c)2011 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.
On the cover: Heisman Trophy favorite and senior quarterback Andrew Luck is back to lead the Stanford football team into the new Pac-12 Conference in 2011 after guiding the Cardinal to a 12-1 record and Orange Bowl victory in 2010. Photo by John Todd/Stanfordphoto.com. Veronica Weber
Fall/Winter Visitors Guide 2011 3
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82 each other and provide the visitor with unique information attractions on computers. Admission to the museum is $12-$15. Docent tours are offered throughout the afternoon. The museum is The Palo Alto and Stanford area offers things to do for all open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ages and interests. Our favorite recommendations for out- of-town visitors are listed below. The numbers shown in ( ) Sunset Magazine Gardens (3) are the location markers on the map on page 20-21. 80 Willow Road, Menlo Park; 650-321-3600; www.sunset.com A trip to the Stanford University campus is the highlight If you are the home-gardening type, you won’t want to for most visitors, where attractions include Hoover Tower, miss a visit to the famous Sunset Magazine Garden. Lo- Memorial Church, Cantor Arts Center, Rodin Sculpture cated at Sunset Magazine’s headquarters in nearby Menlo Garden and a central campus bustling with activity (see Park, the display garden offers a glimpse of architecture page 14). and foliage from the major climate zones of the West. The Hoover Tower (5) garden contains a 1.2-acre lawn, four designated areas Stanford University; 650-723-2053; representing the Northwest, Northern California, Cen- tral California, and the Southwest Desert and Southern www.stanford.edu/dept/visitorinfo/plan/guides/hoover.html California regions, and a 3,000-square-foot test area. The Visible to all the surrounding areas, Hoover Tower is a land- entire display garden is open for free, self-guided tours, mark to Stanford students, faculty, alumni and the local weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. communities. The 285-foot tower offers spectacular views of Stanford campus, the Foothills and the Bay Area from Gamble Garden (8) its observation deck. A student tour guide is available to 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto; 650-329-1356; point out important landmarks and sights. www.gamblegarden.org Willed to the City of Palo Alto by Elizabeth F. Gamble in Cantor Arts Center (4) 1981, the 2.3-acre Gamble Garden Center features a 1902 328 Lomita Drive (at Museum Way); 650-723-4177; Colonial/Georgian Revival house and formal, working and www.museum.stanford.edu demonstration gardens. The historic property is now a Stanford family members created the museum to display nonprofit community horticultural foundation and places their personal collection of objects of art and cultural inter- an emphasis on education as well as aesthetic beauty. est; now, the museum’s collections are devoted to a wide The demonstration gardens include an herb garden and range of art, from 19th century American drawings to con- cutting beds. The estate also includes a carriage house, temporary sculptures. While at the center, visitors should teahouse, tool house, greenhouse and a gazebo. Conve- be sure to visit Stanford’s outdoor sculptures: the Rodin niently located and open to the public at no charge during Sculpture Garden, which houses the largest collection of daylight hours, a visit to Gamble Garden Center is always a Auguste Rodin sculptures outside of Paris, the New Guinea relaxing experience. Sculpture Garden as well as numerous pieces throughout the campus. Admission to the museum is free, and visitors Filoli Estate & Gardens (1) can take advantage of docent tours, lectures, gallery talks, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside; 650-364-8300; special events, the bookstore and the cafe overlooking the www.filoli.org sculpture gardens. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 Standing for “Fight, Love, Live,” Filoli Gardens is one of the a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. most magnificent remaining country estates and gardens of the early 20th century. The 43-room estate, built for Mr. HP Garage (7) and Mrs. William Bourne in 1917, allows visitors to enjoy a 367 Addison Ave., Palo Alto collection of 17th and 18th century antiques. The spectac- Known as the Birthplace of Silicon Valley, the HP garage ular gardens, made up of terraces, pathways, pools, lawns, is a symbol of innovation and entrepreneurism. College foliage, trees and flower beds, are perfectly groomed and friends Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard purchased the ga- ever-changing based on the time of year. The gardens are rage in 1938 as a workspace to develop their own com- most known for their collection of more than 500 varieties pany, which has become one of the most successful in the of roses. Whether your goal is to enjoy the peaceful atmo- country. The modest building served as a research lab and sphere or learn about the various plant collections, a stroll a development and manufacturing workshop. However, through the exquisite gardens will not leave you disap- as the company grew, the garage was quickly outgrown, pointed. The gardens and estate are open to visitors from and the company moved to a larger headquarters. The mid-February through October. property is currently listed on the National Register of His- toric Places. Palo Alto Baylands (9) East end of Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto; Computer History Museum (10) Baylands Nature Center: 650-329-2506; 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View; 650-810-1010; Baylands Preserve: 650-617-3156 www.computerhistory.org The Baylands protects some of the last remaining salt- Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of comput- marsh and mud-flat habitats on the West Coast. It offers ing history, the Computer History Museum houses one of excellent birding year-round. Wintertime high tides bring the largest international collections of computing artifacts bird watchers from around the world. In the spring and fall, in the world, including computer hardware, ephemera, the Baylands is a prime stopover or destination for birds photographs, moving images, documents and software. traveling on the Pacific route of their migration flyway. Through online and physical exhibits, visitors can discover the worldwide impact of the computing revolution on Stanford Dish Walk (6) the human experience. While some of the online exhibits Along Junipero Serra Boulevard, between complement physical exhibits, most are independent from Page Mill Road and Alpine Road, Stanford 6 Fall/Winter Visitors Guide 2011 Where do you get GREAT FURNITURE for your PLACE at half the cost?
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WINERY & VINEYARDS Rain or shine, you’ll find hundreds of locals and Stanford students walking or jogging the trail at The Dish, named after the large old radio-telescope used for research in the Stanford foothills and visible from throughout the area. The paved trail climbs the hills and offers spectacular views of the Peninsula, the campus and the coastal mountains. The main loop trail is 3.5 miles and takes about an hour and 15 minutes to walk. Most visitors park on Stanford Avenue, then enter through the gate at Junipero Serra. Be sure not to park on the side streets where Stanford residential park- ing permits are required or you’ll be ticketed. No dogs or bicycles are allowed. Hours: sunrise to sunset (from 6-6:30 wine tasting a.m. to 5-7:30 p.m. depending on the season) weddings Allied Arts Guild (2) events 75 Arbor Road, Menlo Park; 650-322-2405; www.alliedartsguild.org Located in nearby Menlo Park, the Allied Arts Guild is an oasis of shops, gardens, artists’ studios and a cafe. A fa- Visitor Address vorite spot for visitors, the historic site has carried out the 19501 Skyline Blvd, Woodside, CA founders’ original vision of a European-style crafts guild Telephone Numbers and created a lovely environment to shop, eat and relax. The Guild houses numerous studios and shops of vari- s ous artists, ranging from furniture repair to pottery mak- Tasting Room ing. The Artisan Shop sells handmade art and is operated Wednesday-Sunday 11.00a.m to 5.00p.m solely for the benefit of critically ill children at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Visitors can also enjoy lunch WWW.FOGARTYWINERY.COM at the charming cafe with a view of the gardens.
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Fall/Winter Visitors Guide 2011 9 arts & entertainment Theater, music and opera are alive and well in Palo Alto, with performances nearly every night of the week: Dragon Productions offers professional live theater at 535 Alma St., Palo Alto, including “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams (though Aug. 21). Call 650-493-2006 or visit www.dragonproductions.net. Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, the oldest theater by and for ALLIED children in the United States, performs at Lucie Stern Com- munity Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, including the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” (Aug. 3-13). Call 650- ARTS 463-4930 or visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/childrenstheatre. Palo Alto Players, which brings works from Broadway, Off- Broadway and beyond, performs at the Lucie Stern Theatre, G 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, including “Nunsense With UILD a Twist” (Sept. 17-Oct. 2), “Parade” (Nov. 5-20), “Aftermath” (Jan. 14-22) and “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry” (Jan. 8-Feb. 5). Call 75 ARBOR RD 650-329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org. Stanford Jazz Festival is held June-August. For festival MENLO PARK lineup call 650-736-0324 or 650-725-ARTS or visit www. stanfordjazz.org. Stanford Lively Arts brings in world-class musicians and dancers. Upcoming programs include Sphinx Virtuosi and Catalyst Quartet (Oct. 19); Josh Roseman Sextet (Nov. 12); Julliard String Quartet (Dec. 4); and Tao (Feb. 14). Call 650- 725-ARTS (2787) or visit livelyarts.stanford.edu. TheatreWorks, a nationally acclaimed theater of Silicon Valley under the direction of Robert Kelley, presents dra- mas, comedies and musicals year-round at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., and at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, including “Sense and Sensibility” (Aug. 24-Sept. 18), “Cle- mentine in the Lower 9” (Oct. 5-30), “The Secret Garden” (Nov. 30-Dec. 31), “The Pitmen Painters” (Jan. 18-Feb. 12) and “Now Circa Then” (March 7-April 1). Call 650-463-1950 or visit www.theatreworks.org. West Bay Opera, Palo Alto’s own opera company, will stage “Samson et Dalila” by Camille Saint-Saens (Oct. 14-23) and “Don Giovanni” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Feb. 17-26) at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road. Call 650- 843-3900 or visit www.wbopera.org. Still looking for cultural events? You could try: Artisan Shop & Studios Foothill College Lohman Theatre, which is mounting Pe- Scenic Gardens ter Stone’s “Curtains” (through Aug. 14) at 12345 El Monte Road (Interstate 280 at El Monte), Los Altos Hills. Call 650- Historical Architecture 949-7777 or visit www.foothill.edu/fa. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, at 500 Events & Meeting Facilities Castro St., Mtn. View, is a performing-arts complex hosting more than 400 events a year: theater, dance, music, profes- sional Bay Area companies. Call 650-903-6000 (24 hours) or For more details, visit www.mvcpa.com. please see our website: Shoreline Amphitheatre is an outdoor concert venue that hosts performances by major, world-touring acts from late www.alliedartsguild.org April until late October, at One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mtn. Or Call (650) 322-2405 View. Call Shoreline box office at 877-686-5366 or visit www. livenation.com/Shoreline-Amphitheatre-tickets-Mountain- View/venue/229414. 10 Fall/Winter Visitors Guide 2011 I’m not just a voice on the phone, I’m here to take good care of you.
When you call the Customer Service Center with a question or concern, I’m one of the friendly voices on the other end of the line. 310 Easy Street Since your utilities are community- Mountain View owned, you get more personalized service and a chance for us to maintain a better relationship with #ALL FOR MORE INFORMATION you. We really want to understand 650.903.0986 your specific needs and make you feel like a valued member of our Utilities family. s 0RESCHOOL 'RADE Don’t hesitate to call with s "ILINGUAL #HINESE%NGLISH questions about your utility bills or about supporting cleaner energy s 6OTED 4OP 0RESCHOOL AND through PaloAltoGreen. I can &OREIGN