Destination: Palo Alto
Visit the Museum of American Heritage, Stroll through the Gamble Garden, Play at the Palo Alto Junior Museum
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
By Ron Reiring from Inland Empire of Southern California, USA — Palo Alto, CA train station, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71515855
Social Isolation — Day 18
I miss the simpler times when all we had to be worried about was eating Romain lettuce or using less water because of a drought. I miss being able to simply walk into a store, instead of wait in line 6 feet apart until I’m ushered in. I miss seeing the sample station at Trader Joe’s open next to the fully stocked cooler of eggs. I miss being able to go to these places I write about in articles like this.
My youngest daughter told me today that she misses school, going to the actual school. Just a few weeks ago, we would have a conversation about skipping school every time I took her in the morning. Now with the reality settling in that she might not ever go back to her elementary school again, she’s a bit sad (she starts middle school next year).
My oldest daughter is struggling with her schoolwork, as are her teachers. The daily social interactions are something she is missing, and school events like the play she practiced so hard for getting postponed and possibly canceled are weighing hard on her. She’s trying to remain in control, but it’s hard to control anything that is happening right now.
Both schools were remarkable with how well they stepped up to handle a very sudden transition to distance learning. But the newness of the situation is starting to wear off, and it feels like everyone is struggling to get their second wind now as this has turned into a marathon instead of a sprint.
Spring Break is coming up for both of them — I’m not even sure what that means anymore. What I wouldn’t give to be able to hop on the train and head down to Palo Alto for a day of play…
Destination: Palo Alto
Visit the Museum of American Heritage
Stroll through Gamble Garden
Play at the Palo Alto Junior Museum
I’ve mentioned a trip to Palo Alto before, this South Bay town has a lot to offer. This time we venture a little further from University Avenue and the Stanford campus to see a couple of smaller (free) museums and a wonderful garden.
Visit the Museum of American Heritage
351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto
Pinball exhibit at the Museum of American Heritage by Cody Tolmasoff
Invention and technology from 1750 to 1950, this modest museum tucked away a few blocks south of University Avenue is a delightful spot to visit. In the early 1960s, founder Frank Livermore discovered a passion for early mechanical and electrical devices after purchasing an old Standard vacuum sweeper in a junk shop. By the 1980s, his home was so crammed full of vintage machinery that his friends declared it “Smithsonian West,” and Frank had the idea of starting a museum. In the late 90s, the museum was offered custodianship of the current location.
Permanent exhibits offer views of an early 20th-century kitchen, 1920s general store, the Marshall Mathews Garage, a print shop, and the Ruth Bell Lane Memorial Garden. Temporary exhibits rotate throughout the year.
If you find yourself down the peninsula and want to have a little fun with the kids, free admission here makes this place one not to forget.
Stroll through Gamble Garden
Elizabeth Francis Gamble (granddaughter to the co-founder of Procter & Gamble) donated her house and locally renowned gardens to the city of Palo Alto. The garden is now run by a non-profit, and admission is free. Docent tours are available for a small fee. It’s easy to spend an hour or two wandering around the grounds here, and there are plenty of photo opportunities.
Next door you can also find the Palo Alto Lawn Bowling Club which can be fun to watch for a bit.
Play at the Palo Alto Junior Museum
Trapped in the spider's web at the Palo Alto Junior museum by Cody Tolmasoff
Currently, the Junior Museum is in the middle of a renovation. But they have some hands-on exhibits set up next door at the Cubberley Community Center. Renovations were scheduled to be complete in October 2020, but that date might change now.
When the museum is open, it features hands-on exhibits and a small zoo. This place can get crowded, especially on a rainy day, but it’s worth a visit. The zoo features a wide range of animals, from bats to bunnies, snakes, ducks, spiders, and many more. Then, once you are finished, you can find a couple of great playgrounds right outside, and you don’t even have to move your car.
Cody Tolmasoff is an author and publisher for Adventuring.in. He is a recovering programmer and a San Francisco native, raising two daughters, and regularly finding new adventures around the SF Bay Area. This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book, 52 San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Adventures, Day Trips With Your Kids!
Find him on Twitter @codyo, and read his most recent title Adventures in Getting Out on Amazon, filled with advice on successfully getting your family out for day trip adventures.
Originally published on Medium on 31 March 2020