Palo Alto Tourism by Ardan Michael Blum, Resident

Our first stop is the epicenter of Silicon Valley:

The Hewlett-Packard House and Garage is located at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto. This garage is the birthplace of Silicon Valley. The idea for such a region originated with Dr. Frederick Terman, a Stanford University professor who encouraged his students to start up their own electronics companies in the area instead of joining established firms in the east. The first students to follow his advice were William R. Hewlett and David Packard, who in 1938 began developing their first products.

Stanford’s Palm Drive

The Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts

The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University is a vital and dynamic institution with a venerable history. Founded in 1891 along with the university, the historic museum was expanded and renamed in 1999 for lead donors Iris and B. Gerald Cantor . The Cantor’s encyclopedic collection spans 5,000 years, includes more than 44,000 artworks and beckons visitors to travel around the world and through time: from Africa to the Americas to Asia, from classical to contemporary.

With 24 galleries presenting selections from the collection and more than 20 special exhibitions each year, the Cantor serves Stanford’s academic community, draws art lovers from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond and attracts campus visitors from around the world.

Free admission, free tours, lectures, family activities plus changing exhibitions make the Cantor one of the most well-attended university art museums in the country and a great resource for teaching and research on campus. The Cantor is also famous for its outdoor sculpture, including the Rodin Sculpture Garden, modern and contemporary art across campus, and the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden

Cantor Arts Center Lomita Drive at Museum Way Stanford, CA 94305-5060

CANTOR OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK

Wednesday–Monday Thursday Closed Tuesday 11 am–5 pm 11 am–8 pm 11 am–5 pm

Admission is free of charge

Photography is allowed in the Center as long as the images are for personal, non-commercial use and works shown are part of the Cantor Arts Center’s collection. Photography of special exhibitions and of works on loan is restricted. Consult with the Visitor Service volunteer upon arrival to learn where you can photograph. Tripods cannot be used inside, but flash is OK. No wedding photography is allowed. You can find photography guidelines at http://museum.stanford.edu/visit/Photography_Policy.html

The Cantor Arts Center respects the intellectual property rights of others and we ask that you do the same. You can learn more at http://fairuse.stanford.edu/internet-resources/

Public Transit Accessible by numerous public transportation agencies including Caltrain, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency, SamTrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Altamont Commuter Express, Dumbarton Express, and the East Bay Express.

The Stanford Marguerite, a free weekday shuttle system, picks up and delivers passengers to and from nearby public transportation stations and university locations, including the Cantor Arts Center, Rodin Sculpture Garden, and beyond.

If you would like to know more about the Marguerite shuttle, please contact the Transportation Office at 650-723-9362 or visit the Transportation Office Web site at http://transportation.stanford.edu

Hanna–Honeycomb House

About the Frank Lloyd Wright Designed House

Stanford Memorial Church

Stanford Memorial Website

Steve Jobs’ Grave

Cult of Mac – About the Grave

And this second important article: article in the Mercury News

Hoover Tower

Tower Website

Discover Google (Mountain View)

Googleplex central campus 1900 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043. From the center of Palo Alto that is a 15 minute drive.

Search engine Internet giant, Google, was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and in February of 1999 moved into office space at 165 University avenue with 11 employees. Later that year, Google moved to Mountain View as space became an issue for expansion plans. Source

Do read this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googleplex More: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Google-Inc

Facebook (in Menlo Park)

Note: The original The Facebook Inc headquarters were located at 471 Emerson Street in Palo Alto In 2004, when Facebook was then known as thefacebook.com, they leased space at 156 University Avenue , in Downtown Palo Alto. Then in Feb 2005, Facebook leased 471 Emerson at the corner of Emerson and University Avenue. In December 2011, Facebook was spread out across about a dozen locations downtown, including the Magnolia Hi-Fi building and a small office space at 101 University and 1601 California Avenue . At the end of 2011, Facebook completed their move to Menlo Park. Adapted from LifeWithFive.com

Location: 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA Worth a read: on mercurynews.com Timeline history: on businessinsider.com

Esther Clark Nature Preserve

Website Located at the end of Old Adobe Road off of Arastradero Road. Trail Map in PDF guide

Stanford Dish Hiking Trail

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve

Bounded by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve is one of the largest tracts of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay. Fifteen miles of multi-use trails provide access to a unique mixture of tidal and fresh water habitats. It is an important habitat for migratory shorebirds and is considered one of the best birdwatching spots on the West Coast. (Best to drive HERE at TERMINAL BLVD in Mountain View to park and start your walk).

See: Baylands Official Website | Area map with BIRD HOTSPOTS (places in the preserve where certain kinds of birds – see also: Bird Species / Taxonomic List – are more likely to be seen ). And see: A second, very detailed map

Note: Open hours are generally from 8:00 a.m. to a specific time based on sunset. Closing times are posted at the entrance gates to all preserves. Details: Open Space Hours

Woofing Woofs! Dogs are welcome in Palo Alto Open Space preserves as long as these rules are followed

Related: Rules and Regulations

Further reading: History of Baylands Nature Preserve

Arastradero Preserve

Official name: Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve is a wonderful place to un-plug in Silicon Valley! It offers a mixture of rolling savanna grassland and evergreen forest views. Wildlife abounds on the preserve and it is not uncommon to see deer, bobcats, coyotes, and many varieties of birds. Each area of the preserve has something different to offer, whether it is a view of the bay, a quiet walk through the grasslands, or a snooze by the lake. (Arastradero Lake is a twenty minute hike from the parking lot and is open all year to fishing. All California Fish and Game rules apply. Boats, flotation devices, and swimming are not permitted). The trails take one from an elevation of 275 feet in the northeast to 775 feet in the southwest. See trail map | Pearson-Arastradero Preserve Seasonal Trail Status | Official Information | Rules and Regulations

Address: 1530 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304 | Google Plus Code: 9RPG+RF Palo Alto, California

Mountain Lion Habitat Warning! Foothills Park, the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, and the surrounding area are habitats for the California mountain lion. See: cityofpaloalto.org on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion!