Bay Area Attractions & Things to Do in Palo Alto & Mountain View

When you stay at our Mountain View hotel you'll be within minutes of major Bay area attractions. Interesting things to do in Palo Alto and Mountain View include a visit to the nearby Computer History Museum; tours of a 160-room Victorian Mansion built by the widow of the Winchester rifle manufacturer; or head to the coast and try your hand at surfing lessons in Santa Cruz. You'll find all these Bay area attractions and more.

Winchester Mystery House -

A tour of this mysterious 160-room Victorian Mansion in nearby San Jose is one of the more interesting things to do in the Mountain View Bay Area. The house was built by the Winchester Rifle manufacturer's widow, who had had so much money at her disposal she kept adding on to the sprawling mansion, http://winchestermysteryhouse.com.

Stanford Shopping Center -

Shopping at this 140-store upscale outdoor shopping center on the campus of Stanford University is high on the list of things to do in Palo Alto. Shop at anchor stores Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Nordstrom or at high-end boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Juicy Couture, Cartier and more. This popular Palo Alto attraction is located just a few miles up the road from our Mountain View hotel, http://www.simon.com/mall/landing/841/.

Downtown Palo Alto -

Head just two miles up the road and take in the upscale shops, boutiques and restaurants in downtown Palo Alto. Walk University Avenue and discover everything from high-end restaurants to juice bars to a restored movie palace that shows classic movies and still holds pre-movie organ concerts, http://www.destinationpaloalto.com.

Downtown Mountain View -

Walk along Castro Street, downtown Mountain View's main drag and you'll discover teashops, bookstores, coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants offering everything from Indian to Thai to tapas. Shop for local foods at the weekly farmer's market, which takes place near the Caltrain station.

Sunset Magazine Headquarters -

Tour the gardens or take in cooking demonstrations or lawn concerts at Sunset Magazine's headquarters in nearby Menlo Park. The 3,000-square-foot test garden provides the latest ideas for home gardeners and is the inspiration for more than half of the magazine's photography. Self-guided walking tours are available Monday through Friday, www.sunset.com/garden.

Computer History Museum -

Discover how Silicon Valley became Silicon Valley with a visit to unique Bay Area attraction. Take in exhibits, lectures and take home computer related gifts and gadgets at this museum located in downtown Mountain View near Google headquarters, http://www.computerhistory.org.

Paramount's Great America Theme Park -

Head for some family fun at this nearby Bay area attraction where you can get your thrills on nearly a dozen rides, cool off in Boomerang Bay or visit KidZville with 18 rides especially designed for younger kids, http://www.cagreatamerica.com.

Santa Cruz -

Head to the coast and this university surfer town where you'll find big waves, a quaint boardwalk, breathtaking sunsets, beaches, bicycle rentals, wineries, state parks and an old-fashioned roller coaster among other things to see and do in this Bay area town, http://santacruzca.org.

San Jose Sharks Hockey -

Visiting the Bay area during hockey season? Take in a San Jose Sharks NHL game at the Shark Tank, a.k.a. HP Pavilion. During power plays you'll hear the familiar Jaws theme urging Shark players along, http://sharks.nhl.com/.

San Jose Earthquakes -

Take in a Major League Soccer game at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara where the San Jose Earthquakes play. The Quakes as the team is known, have won two MLS championships and are currently building a new stadium near San Jose Airport, http://www.sjearthquakes.com/.

San Francisco Giants -

The 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants play in scenic AT&T Park in downtown San Francisco. Getting to a game is easy and stress-free. Catch the train in downtown Mountain View and you'll arrive in San Francisco just one block from AT&T Park, http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=sf.

Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose -

Travelling with the family and looking for a great destination for the children?  Look no further because the Children's Discovery Museum will open up your kid's minds with the many exhibits and daily information sessions.  Be sure to bring lunch because once you are finished exploring the museum, you and your family can relax in the adjacent park.  http://www.cdm.org/