This is beautiful little spot on Stanford Campus. A true gem of cacti of all kinds. I've been here…read moreabout 3-4xs times now, and it's always lovely to just walk around. It's definitely a beautiful greenery backdrop for photos as I did a photoshoot for a client here a few months ago. We took a bunch of photos here, and then we walked over to the Quad for an outfit change and a change of scenery. We saw *the* Robert Downey Jr. at the Quad that day! That was awesome! :D I usually come here on a Saturday or Sunday and just park at the medical clinic, which is basically right next to this spot.

This review is long overdue from 2020; I for visited this spot in 2016 or so and loved it so I…read morebrought my husband here during the Covid shut down in 2020 and we took a nice walk, it was awesome to check it out, explore the vacations cacti and spend some time in nature. Parking can be difficult. Overall a great and well kept garden e

Nude in Steel is an outdoor sculpture located in the city of Palo Alto. The sculpture is located…read morenear the rear entranace of the RInconada Library. Created by Hans Wehrli, the sculpture was the first piece of art purchased by the Palo Alto Public Art Commission and was part of the countries Bicentential celebration in 1976 Nude In Steel is described as "it is comprised of metal cut-outs arranged to create the figure. The nude woman is standing with both arms placed atop her head." The figure seems to be at ease and its definitely an abstract rendering. The use of different sized pieces of steel makes the structure interesting. The plaque unlike many of the art found in Palo Alto is quite wordy: AS USANIA WAS A 'FESTIVAL USA' GIFT AND THE TRICENTENNIAL FUND IS A 'HORIZON-76' ENDOWMENT. SO THIS SCULPTURE IS A PRESENT TO THE PEOPLE OF PALO ALTO FOR 'HERITAGE-76' BY THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICEN- TENNIAL COMMITTEE OF PALO ALTO As with many things, this work is more fo a stop than a destination. It located near the Main Library, the Children's Library, the Cultural Center, Riconanda Park, and the Junior Museum are all withing a very short radius thus it would be part of a great outing if you have kids

Checked out this art piece on the Stanford University campus on Sunday, and it was reminiscent of…read morethe artist's Wood Line log sculpture in SF, which I had visited several months prior, the curves of the sandstone river wavy like the slither of a snake. It was built by 8 stone-wallers from Great Britain and consists of 6,500 stones, with the artist aiming to emphasize a connection to nature through the sculpture's materials, location, and design. The parking lot in front of the Anderson Museum (on Museum Way) is free on weekends and provides direct and easy access to this awesome Andy Goldsworthy exhibit.

Also known as 'The Snake", Stone River is an permamant art installation on the Stanford Campus. It…read moreis the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy, a native of Brittan, uses natural products and strives to make a connection to the area the art is emplaced. From the artist : 0 "Movement, change, light, growth and decay are the life-blood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work." and "My sculpture can last for days or a few seconds - what is important to me is the experience of making. I leave all my work outside and often return to watch it decay." True to his vision, Stone River was constructed using limestone from campus buildings damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The installation is massive stretching almost 320 feet and used almost 130 tons of stone. From my perspective it looks like a giant snake especially from the air. As noted Stone River is located on the Stanford Campus and is right next to the Cantor and Andersen art museums. Its a cool stop especially if you have kids as they can run amok over, around etc on it.

Great Art Center in the city of Palo Alto, CA. Came here…read morefor a free family event night. A lot of fun activities for kids such as clay sculpting, coloring, origami, and art viewing. There was also a dance performance towards the end. It is located in a nice area near the local library, park, and community garden. They offer various classes for all ages on all forms of art. Wonderful event space and art education.

I never even knew this art center existed! I went a couple weeks ago for the Palo Alto blown…read morepumpkin festival and I was completely astonished by their whole set up and creative design as well as a community garden!! Such a beautiful place to have lunch, we brought it from Green Lotus in San Jose, and then got to enjoy the garden area as well as looking at all the art fixtures on the property! The blown glass was beautifully and eloquently designed, but all of the pieces were at least $50 at starting. It was nice to see a 15 minute demonstration of how much detail And how much thoughtfulness goes into creating a pumpkin blown glass project, I really want to sign up for classes now!

My fiancé and I had our wedding here in June. All of the staff we encountered before and during our…read morewedding were so helpful, nice, accommodating, and professional. They truly went out of their way to make us feel special. Tiana the event planner, was so great, flexible, very responsive and on top of everything. She truly tried to make our wedding process as seamless and easy as possible which we truly appreciated. The grounds and buildings at the Arts Guild alone are so beautiful, it made the ambiance even more special. The food overall was good and their lamb chop appetizer is outstanding. We got so many compliments on the signature drinks we picked - Paloma and Gin Hugo Spritz. Gustavo the bartender made them so good! I'd also highly recommend using their preferred DJ company called Big Fun DJ. Woody was our DJ, and he did a great job with the music and was very personable and easy to work with. This place is truly a hidden gem, and would highly recommend if you are considering this place for your wedding venue.

This is a nice place to come and walk around for about 15 minutes. I love gardens and they had a…read morewalkway adorned with roses and roses in a courtyard with a fountain. There is a restaurant but it's kinda pricey. I think this place is more for special events but they have a couple of artist stores there. I even saw a cat roaming around, maybe he lives there. For a garden I wouldn't come out of my way for it but it's worth stopping by if going to the nearby Stanford shopping center

This is an easy-to-miss horse sculpture, made of bronze and metal with the simple appearance of…read moredriftwood pieced together into a lovely work of art. A similar art piece can be found at the Cantor Arts Center as part of a series by the artist, Deborah Butterfield, however Butternut, named after its color, is easier to access and view right in front of the Stanford Hospital, with tables and seating in the vicinity as well. Free self parking (up to 2 hours) is available in the Pasteur Visitor Garage, hidden underground. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but the sculpture is worth some attention if you're in the area.

Butternut is a public art installation location on the ground of the Stanford University medical…read moreCenter. It is the work of artist Deborah Butterfield. This is the 3th or her Horse series that can be found on the Peninsula with the other being in the Cantor, and of all places in the middle of nowhere in Mountain View. Deborah Butterfield began sculpting horses back in the 1970's. She started with sticks and clay, but soon progressed to scrape metal. She later moved on to cast bronze. She selects individual pieces of wood and then creates the bronze cast. The wood/bronze is then used to create the horses. A native of San Diego, California, her art can be seen in museums around the country. From the artist: ""The lines of the branches do not simply outline the forms of horses, they create the contours through an accumulation of simple or energetic lines that seem to build up from within. This is three-dimensional gesture drawing, and the result is both skeletal and muscular." The sculpture at first glance appears to be driftwood with all of its detail, but when you touch it and feel the cold hard metal its shocking everything even though I know what to expect. There is a stark simplicity to the sculpture as a whole from a distance, but the intricate details of the casting and the complexity the small shapes form are shockingly complex. The sculpture is about 40 feet from the sidewalk and up a slight hill. There is nothing around and I have to admit I spent a good 30 minutes enjoying both the relative quiet and the sculpture from different angles. I am always fainted by the works. Cast in bronze, they really look like driftwood. Despite being somewhat skeletonized, they appear to be alive. Up close the intricate detail reveals itself. Each angle brings a new view and you can find yourself gazing at it for a long time. Butternut as noted is close to the new Stanford Hospital. In and of itself it is not a destination, however, given its proximity to the Cantor, and numerous other art installations, it is best part of a multi stop trip.

Sail Sculpture is an outdoor art installation located in the city of Mountain View, California…read more Located on Garcia Avenue, it is the work of artist Burke Rutherford. It is located near Intuit Corporation Building 4. As a side note you never see Intuit bikes abandoned but I digress... Rutherford, who was born in Utah, and moved to California in his youth, studied art extensively in Europe. His work which is primarily seen in North America, ranges from huge outdoor installations to small tabletop designs. Its seems very hard to pin down a particular style and he seemed content to dabble in a vast multitude of them. He passed away at his home in Mexico in 2015 From the artist: 'There is noting more gratifying than to see people, young, old, and even blind, enjoy your work, touching and feeling the sculpture as it truly should be experienced" And indeed, before I did my research, I was compelled to run my hand down the face of one of the triangles. I normally do not do this but I'm happy to see this was his intent. The sculpture consists of three abstract, curved triangles position close together. The effect is very cool, and from some angles you may only see one, or all three, but you are drawn into the symmetry and differences of each piece. This kind of art significantly interfered with my bike ride as I was really reluctant to leave the sculpture. It really drew me in. If I had a lawn chair and a decent pilsner in quantity, I could spend hours just staring at it. Sail Sculpture is really off by itself. There is a variety of activities to do within a few miles, and this is better as a stop than a destination. There is a nearby installation I have already review, Ling The Lang and Buzzcock, so there is more than afew to see int he immediate vacinity. There are also several installations int he immediate area I have not gotten too, so stay tuned

Spiffy is a wonderfully run studio. Jeffrey, the owner, and Victoria, the instructor, are both…read moregreat. I really appreciate the welcoming, lovely community--it's been a joy to join as a member. The facilities are excellent, and the space is clean and well organized, with good lighting. The glaze selection is fantastic, and the turnaround time for firings is quick. Everything runs smoothly. I highly recommend this studio!

Literally could not recommend Spiffy more. I took a hand building class when they first opened and…read morethen switched to Intro to Wheelthrowing a few months after. I was absolutely hooked! Ended up taking Intro to Wheelthrowing twice, once with Victoria and once with Jeff. They are both amazing and I learnt a ton from both of them and their different styles. This studio has the best atmosphere and is super welcoming. It's a great environment to develop your skills and members appear to range widely in skill level/experience. I just moved away from the bay area and honestly this studio is one of the things I miss most. Highly, HIGHLY recommend

What to do after brunch on Sunday in Palo Alto? Head to the Foster! Parking is a breeze, the…read moreadmission is free, and the experience works for all ages! As a dabbler in watercolors, I was transfixed--some of these paintings are huge--and he does not use photographs! As an educator, my mind was brimming with opportunities to integrate his work into humanities and human geography classes. The Foster website has excellent resources. This is a must see if you are in the area!

This turned out to be one of my favorite stops, especially when I'm in between appointments in Palo…read moreAlto. I knew in advance that on Thursdays (2nd & 4th weeks only), the public street parking in front of the building was off limits for street sweeping/no parking between 7am-11am, so I got very lucky pulling up in front at 11am sharp. Nice. Easy walk. The Foster Museum was very simple, decent, positive, and relaxing environment filled with gorgeous nature views/sketches/watercolor artworks by the U.K. artist, Tony Foster. Good feeling here. Free admissions and good customer service staffs. You can just walk in or register online. There's a tiny gift area not far from the public restrooms. I signed the guestbook at the end of my walk. Good place to hang around/includes unlimited paper, paper/pencils/samples/etc. If you like to sketch and get some creative inspirations, all the nature artworks in the gallery is definitely a good place to start. Not huge, but perfectly quite and calm for art lovers. You can request for an orientation and/or tour as desired. Great first impression during first visit. It's the positive feeling I get from observing the energy and various colorful artworks. Simple and stress-free. Good value/free admissions is totally worth the 1-2 hours here. They also host art classes too, but I will need to take time to browse around online. Good vibes. Staffs are friendly inside. Hidden place. Love it.

The front desk man who checked me in took really good care of me and was very kind. His name starts…read morewith an M it's hard to remember but I think it's Mirki forgive me if I'm wrong but his smile and friendliness made my one night stay a very pleasant experience. He had such a kindness about him give that man a raise $$$$!! The valet parking man who also brought my luggage up to my room was kind as well. My room was nice, great bathtub and of course the bed was a dream and I slept better than I had in a month! Next day went to the spa. Clean zen and great tea. Overall 10 stars I will be back!

We stayed at the Four Seasons for one night and had a really great experience. The service was…read morefantastic and felt genuinely personal. Ariana, who checked us in, was super nice and even remembered our names throughout our stay, which was a nice touch. The fitness center was great and had both Peloton bikes and a Tonal. The pool wasn't huge, but it was still a nice place to relax. They also had great amenities for kids and dogs, which made the stay feel very family friendly. For parking, you can self park for $30 instead of paying $50 for valet. Just keep in mind that the self parking is outside and there isn't any shade. We also really enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant. They have a tea experience in the cafe as well, which was a fun little experience. Overall, a really nice stay with excellent service and thoughtful amenities. We'd definitely come back.