S
ilicon Valley is the hub for
business on the West Coast,
so it’s no surprise that
travel to the area is
booming. While much
business travel is pretty mundane,
it doesn’t have to be. When you
want to add a little pizzazz to your
trip, Palo Alto is the place to do it.
In the heart of the action, Palo
Alto is the ideal hub, whether your
business takes you to LinkedIn,
Google, Facebook or the thousands
of tech companies that dot the San
Francisco hills.
While most business travelers are
members of a car rental company’s
frequent renter program, and that
provides some perks, no rental car
experience I’ve had beats the
Silvercar experience. When I landed
in SFO, my car was pulled into the
rental car bay area, and a
gentleman greeted me, loaded my
luggage and explained the features
of the Audi A4. All the standard
rental paperwork is done via app
and all that is left to do on check
out is for me to scan the QR code
off the car with my phone and I’m
off for Palo Alto.
While there are many standard
hotel chains dotting the Silicon
Valley landscape, kick it up a notch
at the Westin Palo Alto. Smaller
than many Westins I’ve stayed at, I
love the courtyard outside my room
and the fact that I can enjoy
breakfast in bed or in the
courtyard before I have to head to
meetings. The hotel has a fitness
center and for business travelers
like myself who abhor checking
luggage, the workout clothes
lending program means less stuff I
have to pack and I still get in my
daily workout.
Palo Alto is the home to many tech
businesses and of course, Stanford
University. This means that the
downtown area hums with activity
and there is no dearth of
interesting restaurants to choose
to hit for happy hour or dinner.
One of the best happy hours in the
area is Nola. This eclectic eatery
has multiple bars, each with its
own personality, and all fitting into
the New Orleans food and flair the
restaurant is known for.
I believe that travel is never the
time for chain restaurants, so I
head for one of the newer
hotspots, Tacolicious. This Mexican
outlet has been open a bit over a
year, and it’s already gained quite a
local following. The noise was
nearly deafening when I walked in,
but at the table it quieted down.
Happily, its high energy buzz
wasn’t lost. I’ll admit that Mexican
food is not my favorite ethnic eat,
but the grilled squid Veracruz had
me singing a different tune. This
flavorful, spicy dish with just a bit
of kick showed me that Mexican
doesn’t have to mean “smothered in
yellow cheese”.
If you’re looking to wine and dine
associates, MacArthur offers an
elegant backdrop for traditional
American cuisine. Alternatively, try
something different with the new
INDO Restaurant & Lounge, which
features great ambiance paired
with flavorful Asian dishes.
Hands down, my favorite attraction
in Palo Alto is the Cantor Arts
Center at Stanford. On Thursdays,
this free museum stays open until 8
p.m., allowing professionals to bask
in an impressive collection of art,
including the Rodin Sculpture
Garden. The Rodin collection is the
second largest grouping of the
sculptor’s work outside of Paris.
Getting fit on
the Dish
After work, if you don’t want to
hit the Westin gym, get out in the
beautiful Bay weather and do the
hike that locals do, The Dish. For
fitness freaks, this hike should
really be called a walk, because it
is an easy four-mile paved loop. It
does afford views of Palo Alto and
the foothills, and you can see the
telescope that used to signal the
NASA Voyager Program.
When you have to travel for
business, why not enjoy what free
time you have with a great hotel,
great eats and great activities?
Palo Alto is the place to be for
techie travelers.
Palo Alto in style with Silvercar’s Audi A4