Exciting Things To Do in Palo Alto and Silicon Valley

Stanford University has some pretty highly esteemed alumni: the founders of Google, Hewlett-Packard, Nike, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo!, to name a few, are all graduates. If you don’t rank among them, you can still visit the expansive grounds (alternately designated the most beautiful college campus in the United States and in the world), cheer on the NCAA-champion basketball team or climb the Hoover Tower to enjoy a 360-degree view of the campus.

Pushing the limits of modern medicine, the new Stanford Hospital is a powerhouse for biomedical research, benefiting the local community, the country, and the world. The new facility doubles the capacity of Stanford Medicine for faster, more efficient patient care and cure. The legacy of health and healing combines with technology to miraculously improve the patient experience. 

Picture a quaint downtown: it’s dotted by coffee shops and charming cafes, and there’s always a boutique or bookstore you'll want to visit. Then imagine this nirvana located in the middle of an urban environment, and you’ve got downtown Palo Alto. Don’t let the surrounding big-city vibe fool you…you can certainly see a movie here or visit a chain store, but the feel is much more “mom and pop” all around.

With a capacity of nearly 70,000 football fans, the noise gets pretty loud during 49ers home games. Also on the roster are NHL games, wrestling matches and college football championships, so your chances of catching a sporting event here are pretty good. The open-air stadium surrounds a natural-grass field and has one of the largest lower bowls – where the fans sit – in the NFL.

The allure of Silicon Valley has everything to do with computers, and the Computer History Museum is dedicated to memorializing the sweeping technology that began the Information Age. Computer buffs will become nostalgic over artifacts that date back to the 1960s, and anyone who’s ever seen an iAnything will enjoy seeing an “Apple 1.” The museum also explores how technology has changed us and where it’s going. This is certainly a Silicon Valley must-see spot.

When concerts come to Palo Alto, they come to the Shoreline Amphitheater. Big names in music pack this 22,500-capacity open-air venue, and the music reverberates throughout the San Francisco Bay area. You can spring for reserved seats or grab a lawn seat and bring a picnic. It’s been said the stars shine a little bit brighter when there’s music in the air!

Overlooking the 20-mile expanse of the Crystal Springs Reservoir, this classic 6,515-yard, 18-hole, par 72 course is one of the most unique golfing experiences in the San Francisco area. Winding along the natural contours of a 32,000-acre wildlife refuge, the W. Herbert Fowler-designed layout offers a challenge to players of all skill levels along with breathtaking views accompanying every shot.