Rengstorff House is located on the premises of the Shoreline Parklands. This is a historic…read moreVictorian house / mansion and it is Mountain View's oldest home. There is a shared parking lot. My bf wanted to do docent-led tour, but unfortunately we showed up shortly after they closed on that Saturday afternoon (they closed at noon). We walked along the outer perimeter of the estate - hoping to get some photos, but there were some people taking photos at the front of the house, so we ended up leaving. Overall 3 stars, but rounded up to 4 stars because we did not get the full experience for a fair review.

Rengstorff House was a wonderful venue for our wedding! The house and gardens were so beautiful…read morethat very little additional decoration was needed. We especially loved that there are multiple outdoor spaces to utilize for different portions of the event. The venue staff were very friendly, responsive and helpful to work with as we planned the event.

"Beautiful Mountain" Yes, indeed!…read more PSA: No dogs allowed - I had to leave mine at home. It's ok, you can enjoy this one alone! Take the drive! Yes, the road is windy and please slow for cyclists on your way up. Come along, sing a song. Dancing feet, magical retreat. Bring a friend or brave alone, it'll be worthwhile - 2, 4, or 7 miles! Our small group hiked the 7 mile loop, and had many photos stops along the way. Our leisure hike took approximately 4.5 hours. We spotted a tarantula early on the trail, other hiking groups, a backpacking group, bikers in groups and a few solo peeps. Shaded Hike & Open Space Sunny Hike: If you're wanting a shaded hike, start on the White Oak Trail located to the right of the Monte Bello parking. If you begin your hike on Bella Vista Trail, it's more of an open space with direct sunlight. Start early and enjoy! =)

Monte Bello is a hidden treasure for the Mid-Peninsula area…read more Funny thing, though. For being hidden, it's sure well known. To get there, you drive seven miles up a narrow, windy road. You're wondering if there's anything here besides big houses on tree-filled hills. Make a sharp left at Foothills Park - oops, never mind, you don't live in PA, you can't drive in here. More driving, more driving . . . and you finally get there, only to find a spacious parking lot crammed with cars. Here's why I gave it five stars: At first, it looks like typical landscape on this part of the Peninsula. But then I went down the narrow Stevens Creek Nature Trail. And ended up in a deep, dark forest with a babbling brook, pretty wildflowers, romantic bridges, and interpretive signs to explain what you're gazing at. If you felt like you got away from it all by driving up Page Mill Road, now you *really* feel like you're away from it all. Monte Bello also has a few peaks to climb up, and a backpacking camp. I'm itching to come back to try these out. I was not here long enough to really appreciate Monte Bello, but I saw enough to appreciate it a LOT. I had written about Russian Ridge that it's part of a conglomerate of Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserves that gives you a few days of outback hiking. Monte Bello is part of that conglomerate, which combines with Los Trancos (and Foothills Park, but don't tell anyone, shhhh) to give you even more wandering. And bring a lunch, because you'll be so mesmerized that you may forget to leave and get food.

Located in heart of Silicon Valley, Moffett Field is a catchall for a variety of business and…read moregovernment facilities. Its more notable residents are NASA Ames, Moffett Federal Airfield, The Moffett Field Historical Society, and a burgeoning Google presence. The field was founded in 1931 when residents of Santa Clara Country raised just under a half a million dollars to purchase the farmland to then sell it to the U.S. Government for the princely sum of $1 dollar in order to build what was then known as NAS Sunnyvale in 1933. The US navy wanted to use the base for Airship operations. Upon the death of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who was a huge proponent of Airship operations, the base was changed to NAS Moffett Field on 1 September 1933. To support airship operations the massive Hanger One was built. The Hanger which at the time was one of the largest freestanding building in the world covered a whopping 8 acres. After the tragic los of the Airship USS Macon, the navy turned control over the base to the US Army. Following WWII the navy regained control of the base and during the Cold War was one of the primary West Coast bases for anti submarine aircraft such as the P-2V and the P-3 Orion. In 1939 NACA the precursor to NASA opened up research facilities on the base including the ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex. Following the military drawdown during the post Cold War period the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) identified the base as unneeded and thus was decommissioned and turned over to NASA) The base now is run by NASA and they have actively rented out space to a variety of companies like Google etc. Lockheed martin Space Systems is collocated on the base as well as the 129th Air national Guard Squadron. There is also housing and other projects. In a nod to its Navy roots a Navy Commissary remains on the site and is open. Visitors are allowed on base with government issued ID if they have business there. In addition there is a museum on site that you can visit as well. Its hours are limited so check the website for more information. Also as a note traffic laws are STRICTLY enforced by the NASA police and that goes for bikes and vehicles so behave yourselves.

This review is based on the experience of my boyfriend being sworn in at Moffett Field to join The…read moreNational Air Guard/Air Force branch. Not to be sappy and cheesy but I am humbled to say that I am a very proud Air Force girlfriend :) It's crazy because you may just be passing by Moffett Field casually when you are driving the freeway. However, actually being on the Field itself is just a whole new experience. You will honestly never look at it the same during your casual drive, (in an AMAZING great way) once you experience being out on the Field. So many of the Airmen/women were very nice, respectful, and very informative with the process of joining the branch. They all definitely treat each other like family whether you are a new or old member. It's funny in a great way how many of them try to convince you to join Air Force as well haha! It truly was an honor being able to be out on the field and meet many Airmen/women who are serving our country. It makes me so happy knowing my boyfriend is following his dreams and now a part of such a strong/passionate branch. Shoutout and many thanks to them all for serving our country.

The Mountain View Veterans Memorial is located in Eagle Park, 650 Franklin Street. Join us every…read moreyear on Memorial Day (last Monday in May) for a wreath-laying ceremony, and again on Veterans Day, November 11th. All ceremonies start at 11 a.m. and end at 12 Noon. Free to the public and chairs provided.

1 of only 3 Public Frank Lloyd Wright sites in CA and they only allow visitors twice a year so…read morecount yourself an architecture nerd and a lucky-one if you do get a spot on the tour. Older review from before Covid, you can email hannahouse@stanford.edu for next tour dates. You can take as many pictures as you want outside but no pictures of the interior so I added some I found online. This is what makes this design unique compared to other FLW works: -Hexagons/honeycomb, back in 1936 imagine the precision that had to be done by hand to make the huge structure a honeycomb as well as small details like the stone tiles. One cut slightly wrong would have snowballed into huge misalignments. -First FLW work in non-rectangular structures -First FLW work in the Bay Area It's not as epic and grand as Fallingwater or as contemplative as Taliesin West and it is smaller than some of the US public FLW sites but it's only 1 of 3 in Cali you can see the interior of and you get a more complete picture if you can see inside/out and hear the docents anecdotes about the design and house.

Hanna House is one of the few northern California buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Located…read morein a residential neighborhood within the boundaries of the sprawling Stanford University campus, the home is currently occupied by a private party and is not open to the public. However, it once served as the official residence for the Provost where the university regularly held alumni and fundraising events and one might reasonably assume the home may someday return to it's previous semi-public stature. Although visitors are discouraged from trespassing on the property, the house has been magnificently maintained and is visible from the street below. A relatively new arrangement with the Stanford Historical Society will enable the public to tour the house twice each year. Interested parties should contact hannahouse@stanford.edu to receive information about future tour dates and booking arrangements.

Los Altos History Museum is such a hidden gem! It's tucked right by the Los Altos Library, so…read moreparking is easy and plentiful, which makes it a low stress outing. Inside, there's a rotating art exhibit that makes each visit feel a little different, plus a beautiful model train setup that is especially great if you're visiting with kids. It's the kind of thing that can keep little ones happily entertained for a bit. Admission is free, though donations are suggested, and it feels like a lovely community spot that's worth supporting. It's not a huge museum, but that's part of the charm, it's easy to pop in, explore, and leave feeling like you discovered something special.

I would highly recommend booking this museum in Los Altos for your wedding or any event, really…read more The venue is absolutely stunning for an outdoor wedding and has an indoor section too. We really wanted a cozy intimate backyard wedding vibe and that's exactly what we got here! Huge plus is my husband loves history, and you get free access to the museum for a year with a ton of other benefits once you have an event here + your donation is tax deductible. You also don't need much decor at all due to the natural beauty but we hired a decorator for the arches, stages, and table settings. Lisa will also give you a list of vendors partners you can work with just in case. Overall, she was really amazing to work with and super responsive because anytime we needed to do a tour walk through with vendors or a tour of the venue, she was there. Thanks Lisa for answering all my questions!! You can't go wrong having your wedding here. We had a spring wedding of close to ~200 folks and thank God it didn't rain but summer or even fall would be beautiful here. For photoshoot opportunities there's a ton onsite and a beautiful orchard just steps away from the museum for sunset shots. A magical day indeed.

Not much more to say that wasn't already written. This is a great place to hike. Note that no bikes…read moreare allowed which makes for a safe and comfortable hiking environment (coming from someone who enjoys cycling). They do have a lot of bike rack parking at the base of the hill, and there is often a ranger or someone at the booth, which is nice as this means someone can keep an eye on your bicycle. I really like that it's paved in a nice circular path, with ample room for people to pass each other on the path. Also, the hike has a nice mix of undulating hills and incredible views, so there's a variety along your hike. I always spot wildlife when I'm hiding, so just keep your eyes open. There is one large portable bathroom at the base of the hill, but otherwise, no other facilities (I believe no access to drinking water on the path either). As other reviewers have mentioned, parking can be quite difficult to find, even if you're willing to walk. The best thing is to get there early!

Nice place to get a decent workout in with gorgeous views of Palo Alto…read more Have to park but of a ways down from the entrance which could be street parking if you're lucky or parking at the high school. Can take various trails around the dish. It's not a very shaded hike, so should have hats/visors/sunnies ready. If you're lucky, may even see some adorable wildlife. Good majority is paved.

Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, NASA Ames research center has been a center for…read moreaerospace research sine 1939. The center located on what was Moffett NAS is home to the world largest wind tunnel in the world. It includes ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, Arc Jet Complex, among others. It continues to be a center for space and hypersonic research. Scattered throughout the base proper are countless models and references to programs past and present. In a nod to its space heritage a scale wind tunnel model of the Space Shuttle serves as a gate guard. It also was the main developer of the airborne telescopes the Kuiper and SOFIA Aside from the visitor center there is no accessign the base however, they on occasion have open houses and will allow the public to view special planes like SOFIA. Major portions of the base can be viewed from the adjacent roadways and Bay Trail

Great easy fun for kids, museum can kill an hour with memorabilia, old planes and gear, and hosts…read morejust happy someone is there to talk to

This fountain sits right in front of the Hoover Tower. It's peaceful and beautiful. You can't…read moresunbathe, but you can take tons of pictures.

Beautiful landmark on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto…read more.. My friend, Judi, and I have been friends since college time. She went away to Stanford University while I graduated from the University of Hawaii. We kept in touch over the years and when I told her that I was interested in visiting Northern California, she invited me to stay at her house. She was really happy that I wanted a tour of her alma mater and she gladly showed me around. When we passed by this fabulous fountain, I asked her about it and she didn't know anything. I looked it up on Yelp and saw photos from my friends, Ann and Stan! Yay! I believe that the fountain is named after President Herbert Hoover since the Hoover Tower is named after this US president. This fountain is so stunning in the daytime! I want to see it again in the evening!

Visited to enjoy a beautiful sunny day with a book in the Rodin sculpture garden…read more Plenty of seating in benches (sun & shade), peaceful & relaxing, beautiful blend of sculptures, people watching, and calming surroundings - all without an admission fee. Visit & enjoy the peace!

This is a great free art museum on the Stanford Campus. We visited on a Saturday so there was ample…read morefree parking in the lots right in front of the building. It's a beautiful building and well laid out, it took us maybe an hour and a half to two hours to see most of the exhibits. They have a great collection of different eras and regions of art. Many artists I've heard of thought not their most famous paintings. I really enjoyed the modern gallery too. The highlight for me was the extensive collection of Rodin sculptures including details on how he constructed the spectacular "Gates of Hell" that is replicated outdoors. I visited the Rodin museum in Paris a long time ago and this collection, while small, was still really good and informative. I also love a good Richard Serra steel sculpture and there is one outdoors on the other side of the museum from the Rodin garden.