I have friends from all over the world who come to visit me in Palo Alto. This is mostly because I’m such an advocate for the Bay! Over the years, I’ve built a perfect little running itinerary for when someone's in town. It’s less a list than a route.
Where we start. Blue Bottle on University on a Saturday morning. I grab a matcha and we sit outside on the patio to catch up.
A walk worth taking. Gamble Garden on Waverley. It’s a gorgeous historic spot with acres of roses that is so peaceful in the morning.
A scenic drive. Out Page Mill to Foothills Nature Preserve. It has over a thousand acres of open grassland with a hidden redwood grove at the back.
An afternoon stop. Rabbit Rabbit Cream in the Stanford Shopping Center for the hojicha soft serve. The cones are small, so we usually just get two.
Where we end at sunset. The Stanford Cactus Garden. It’s a massive, historic garden that gets an incredible July light I can’t even describe.
Dinner. Oklava on University Avenue. The flatbread, the small plates that keep coming, the kind of table you close down with mint tea.
If my friends leave already planning their next trip back, I know I did my job.