tahl

My father & I are spending Christmas in Palo Alto as a short 'see something new' road trip. He lives in San Francisco. We will be arriving on the afternoon of the 23rd from the direction of Benicia (East Bay), and will leave on the 26th in time to get to SF by 4 or 5. We are staying at the Westin Palo Alto.

Since the weather looks good, I'm looking for suggestions for
- Some nice places to take a walk for an hour or so & take pictures (hobby photographer); bonus if there will be spots to sit down along the way.
- Nice afternoon drives, ideally with food at the end (nb: Duarte's in Pescadero is closed on the 24th and 25th, so likely off the list)

For walks, any thoughts on:
- Sunset magazine garden in Menlo Park (open 9-4 on Fri 23rd and Mon 26th)
- Elizabeth Gamble garden in Palo Alto (open every day during daylight)
- Stanford campus (a must-do, I figure, though specific suggestions welcome)

Also, which would you choose if you could only do one?
- Computer History Museum in Palo Alto (open 10-5 Christmas Eve, closed otherwise during our trip)
or
- Tech Museum in San Jose (open 10-5 Christmas Eve, 10-7 on 26th)

Low-key meals suit us best. I'm planning to rely on the concierge to help us choose someplace for Christmas Day (maybe the restaurant in Westin, which I know is serving).

Any other suggestions for daytime to-dos are welcome!

MonicaRichards

I have never been to the Computer History Museum, but the Tech is right in the middle of Christmas in the Park, a delightfully cheesy Christmas display of decorated trees and animatronic displays. For extra Christmas joy.

Kailani

The Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden at Stanford is quite amazing, and perfect for a photography study. http://www.stanford.edu/~mjpeters/png/ It's a bit tricky to find, and is at the corner of Lomita and Santa Teresa, so check a map first.

I'm not sure what restaurants are open on Christmas which are low-key. Maybe Jing-Jing, which is an old fashioned Chinese place. http://www.jingjinggourmet.com/2005/default.asp MacArthur Park is open, which is in a beautiful Julia Morgan designed building near the train station. That would be an upscale/traditional meal. (You can make reservations on OpenTable.)

I might prefer the Computer History Museum to the Tech, but agree that if you want the Christmasy experience in San Jose that that would be fun. The Computer History Museum has recently had a big remodel. The Tech has a new exhibit on Islamic Inventions.

Gamble Gardens is free and nice, but winter isn't its best time of year. It's nice for photography, too, and lots of places to sit.

The Cantor Museum at Stanford is closed for the holidays, but you can still see the outdoor sculptures including some impressive Rodin's and the new Richard Serra.

There is a Christmas Eve service at the Stanford Memorial Church (5pm, doors open at 4:15). It's a beautiful place and the holiday events are lovely.

Another great place to walk and take pictures in Palo Alto is at the Baylands, at the end of Embarcadero Rd.
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/...e_baylands.asp

Walking along University Ave. is fun, and there are lots of unusual bits of architecture to photograph, plus tons of restaurants, some sure to be open.

tahl

Thanks to you both -- helpful suggestions!

Michael

I agree with Kailani about the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden.

The sculpture garden of the museum for its Rodin.

Across the street there is an Andy Goldsworthy creation.

Married2dan

The Cactus Gardens on the Stanford Campus could be a photogenic site. The last time I was there a plant that only flowers every 50 years or so was in bloom - enormous flower.
My husband and I spent a year living in Palo Alto and I don't think you will have any trouble finding opportunities.
Some times Lake Lagunita has water and some times not. Sometimes flocks of birds gather there water or no.