This historical landmark is beautiful. It's hidden and almost looks like it's in a middle of a…read moreforest. The parking lot is open Monday-Friday for only 30 mins. You can easily make a quick stop here or have a quick picnic in the grass area. It's gorgeous on a clear day. It's so peaceful.

Heads-up about weekend/holiday parking when the entrance gate is locked and only pedestrians can…read moreenter: I gave this place one star because I got a parking ticket--totally my fault, but it really ruined my day. The location itself is beautiful, just like everyone says. When I arrived and saw the gate was closed, I wasn't sure where to park. I noticed others parking along the street, so I followed their lead. Big mistake. There are signs that say "No Parking on Bike Lane." Please take them seriously--even if it looks like everyone else is doing it. I learned the hard way: I got a ticket. Don't make the same mistake. Be careful and park legally!

Filoli House and Gardens is one of those rare places that feels like several experiences in one…read more You can come for a peaceful garden walk, a historic house tour, a beautiful photo day, a relaxing solo outing, wedding, or a seasonal event. The property is beautifully maintained, and every area feels thoughtfully designed: from the gardens to the walking paths and indoor spaces. The estate was originally built as a private residence in 1917 and later opened to the public in 1975 as a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. It sits on about 654 acres in Woodside, with 16 acres of formal gardens, natural lands, orchards, trails, the historic house, terraces, garden rooms. It is much bigger and more layered than a simple garden visit. Filoli changes depending on the season. During the holidays, the lights make the whole estate feel magical and festive. It is not necessarily the cheapest outing: general admission and event tickets can be on the higher side (~$50). Still, it feels more elevated than a regular park or garden, especially if you take your time and enjoy the full property. There is also a café on-site, Quail Café.

Came for Mother's Day…read more Beautiful weather with gorgeous blooms! Bring a picnic blanket to enjoy the afternoon. They have wonderful popsicle flavors at the bars and some food trucks. $49/adult now

"Beautiful Vista Honoring a Fallen Policeman."…read more This is a really pleasant, inspiring Vista point. It is an honor of a CHP patrolman killed about 45 years ago, Ralph D Percival. It overlooks some beautiful scenary and it's a great place to just take a rest or have a snack. There is a concrete walkway that you can stroll around to various lookout points. There don't appear to be any facilities here however.

I've driven by this vista point thousands of times, but hadn't checked it out until a Geology class…read morefield trip in college. All I can say is that I missed out on a really nice place to stop and view the reservoir. Our professor had us look across highway 280 to the mountain range, and what appeared to be a valley that held the reservoir. She asked if we know that that depression that extended into the ocean was. Turns out, it is the San Andreas Fault. It is massive. Anyway this is a nice spot to visit and snap a few photos. It is always well kept and clean and there is a decent amount of parking.

Beautiful and quiet park that is currently run by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Phleger…read moreEstate can be accessed via Huddart County park or by a roadside lot off Skyline Blvd. The benefit of parking at Huddart (albeit with a $6 parking fee) are clean restrooms and the fact you are doing most of the uphill at the start of your hike. Hiking in from Huddart, the crowds thinned and I only saw 3 other hiking groups the whole time-unusual for a beautiful Saturday in August. The park is well signed and I took the Miramontes trail which meanders along what is now a dry creek, gently uphill to a fork (again well signed) that points you to the Raymundo or Mt Redundo trails. I veered right to the Raymundo trail which is a steady but not too steep climb through mixed redwood forest and what is now a dry creek. Would love to do this trail again in rainier years to see the creek flowing and find newts and banana slugs. Still, despite a dry year, the trails were pretty green and lush. The Raymundo trail ends and another fork to the right can take you up to Skyline via the Lonely Trail or stay straight on the Mt Redundo trail which takes you back to the start of the loop and the Miramontes trail (which is out and back to Huddart County park). I headed back on Mt Redundo and it was a bit steep downhill with some roots and rocks making for uneven footing. It also has some steep ravines so mind your step. This part of the trail was eerily quiet and not as bright, so I was happy to get back to the Miramontes trail that led me back to the more well traveled Huddart County park. Really lovely park with some of the nicest redwood trails on the peninsula. Review #49 of 100 review goal in 2021

Fantastic hike next to the more well-known Purisma Creek. We took Lonely Trail, then Raymundo…read moreTrail, then Mt. Redondo trail and back up the Lonely Trail. It was about 6 miles. There's parking on Skyline Boulevard past Kings Mountain Fire Brigade -- just a handful of spots by the side of the road. It's downhill until you get to the juncture of Raymundo and Mt. Redondo, then straight back up again. My thighs were burning up and I had to stop and rest a bunch of times. Overall, the hike too about 3 hours and 15 minutes. My favorite part was the Raymundo Trail because you hike right next to a stream. There was plenty of water in the stream, probably because it has rained recently. Actually, most of the hike was next to a stream of some sort. You could hear water the whole time which was cool. Another great thing about this hike is that it's shady the whole way. Lots of pretty redwoods to look at. There were lots of very muddy parts on this trail. Also, the Miramontes trail, which connects Mt Redondo trail to Huddart County Park, was closed, due to the rain. We ran into three other couples on the trail during our hike. Very quiet trail! Really quite a hidden gem.

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.

"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.

The Lathrop house sits in the middle of San Mateo's governmental center. Originally built in 1862,…read moreit has been moved twice, became a house of ill repute, was converted to a boarding house in WWII, and now has been restored to its condition following the residence of the first three owners. The house is now in very good condition, is being elegantly decorated for the holidays, and offers excellent docent-led tours that reveal the wonderful charm of this vintage house. Hours are limited. Plan ahead. It is definitely worth it if you are at all a history buff.

The house move in November is now May and just happened and is resting above the new foundation! I…read moretook probably 200 pictures, some of them are in here showing the move and the hydraulic system to save this beautiful historic 1863 Steamboat Gothic style house. it is nestled up against the SAN mateo history museum across the street from its former location on Hamilton Street. Once it is lowered onto the new foundation in about a week it will reopen again after about 120 days to make sure that everything is secure and safe. They also need to reattach the stairs and add a handicapped ramp. It had quite a history and it's time which you can read a lot online. One of the most prominent owners was Sheriff Joel Mansfield who was the sheriff of Redwood City for quite some time and was loved by many and buried in the Union cemetery nearby with his wife Mary. Hopefully this new location will bring more visitors and hopefully more donations to help preserve this wonderful mansion.

This fountain goes by different names including White Memorial Fountain and The Claw. The sculpture…read morewas created by Aristides Demetrios in 1964 and commissioned to honor two former Stanford students, a pair of brothers who passed away in separate accidents prior to graduating. The artist's work meant to present a constantly changing form based on the viewer's angle and the stream of water. Just like the lake I had visited prior on campus, this display was flowing with water this past weekend, the sculpture and fountain as well as the surrounding environment full of life on a Sunday afternoon. With plenty of trees, grass, and open seating in the area, it's a lovely site to just relax and appreciate the view.

Its also known as the White Memorial Fountain. Created in 1964 by Aristides Demetrios, this bronze…read moreand copper structure sits across from the entrance to the Stanford Bookstore in the White Memorial Plaza The fountain, also know as 'The Claw" was commissioned to memorialize two brother who died in accident before they were able to graduate from the University. The artist wanted to tell the story of the students unrealized potential "The tragedy of someone dying so young is that you never know what he/she might have become. The fountain is a metaphor for that. It starts in bronze-which is firm, durable and set in place. It terminates in water patterns that are diaphanous and mutable-the very reverse of anything solid. It speaks to what they might have become." The fountain is a popular spot for both visitors and student. You can find jugglers, Tai Chi Classes, and other activities going on. It also can get crowded given that it kind of the center for student life being right by the Bookstore, The Post Office, The Tressider Union, and the Old Union. As with many things on the campus, its more of a stop than a destination and is better grouped as part of a walking tour.

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!