Staff Picks
Hayward Zucchini Festival 06 Aug, 2018
Zucchinis are probably the most popular summer squash in the country, and on August 18-19, they will be celebrated at the Hayward Zucchini Festival. Read more
A Church for Everyone 02 Jul, 2018
The Stanford Memorial Church is one of the oldest and most famous interdenominational churches in the United States. Read more
It's a Kick 03 Jun, 2018
Even though the United States will not be participating in the World Cup this year, there is still phenomenal American soccer available to enjoy. Read more
Visit The Museum of American Heritage 08 May, 2018
Do you consider yourself a collector, a lover of all things that have the slightest bit of historical significance? Read more
Moneyball in Action 03 Apr, 2018
Ever since he was portrayed by Brad Pitt in the film Moneyball in 2011, Oakland A’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane has become one of the most famous and popular front office person in all of Major League Baseball. Read more
Game Developers Conference 04 Mar, 2018
If you love video games and you are thinking about entering into the fast-paced world of video game design, then you will want to attend the Game Developers Conference that is taking place March 19-23, 2018. Read more
Your New Favorite Book Store 06 Feb, 2018
With the proliferation of ebooks, Kindles, and chain bookstores, local neighborhood bookstores have become fewer in number. Read more
Hoop It Up 08 Jan, 2018
With NBA Championship runs in 2015 and 2017, the Golden State Warriors are in the midst of an incredible run of basketball that has some people using the word dynasty. Read more
It's a Wonderful Nutcracker 04 Dec, 2017
The Nutcracker by Peter Tchaikovsky and It’s A Wonderful Life by Frank Capra are two of the most popular and famous Christmas stories of all time. Read more
49ers Football 07 Nov, 2017
Fall and NFL football seem to be synonymous these days. Attending an NFL game in person is one of the most exciting experiences that football fans can have. Read more
Scaring Up Some Fun in Menlo Park 08 Oct, 2017
During the month of October, things get a little spooky around here. If you’re looking for some frighteningly fun activities that are also family friendly, we suggest you check out these upcoming festivals in and around Menlo Park. Read more
The Dragon Productions Theatre Company: Illusion and Reality at the Heart of an Evil Empire 06 Sep, 2017
Less than 15 minutes by car from the Menlo Park Inn, Dragon Productions Theatre Company brings together a vibrant ensemble of performers dedicated to providing the Bay Area community top-notch theater that is both affordably priced and responsive to its audience’s cultural needs and curiosities. Read more
AutoVino: Two Quintessential California Passions in One Unforgettable Venue 10 Aug, 2017
With its idyllic Mediterranean climate and fertile soil, California has long been acclaimed as North America’s premier locale for wine-making. Now you can indulge your love for sophisticated wines in the company of friends and another great American love, collector cars. Read more
Free Concerts at Fremont's Central Park Summer Concert Series 03 Jul, 2017
The gorgeous scenery and temperate climate here in Northern California mean that you’ll have no trouble finding outdoor entertainment this time of year. If you’re looking for a top-notch music fest, we recommend a relaxing drive down to Fremont for the Central Park Summer Concert Series. Read more
Turn It Up: Music Festivals in the Bay Area 05 Jun, 2017
If you’re looking for a music festival, then you’re in luck because summer abounds with soulful sounds in the Bay Area. Read more
The Birthplace of Silicon Valley 01 May, 2017
Indulge your inner techie with a trip to the actual spot where Silicon Valley was born: the Hewlett Packard Garage. Read more
The Ivy of the West Coast 03 Apr, 2017
One of the world’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, Stanford University, "the Ivy of the West Coast,” comprises a gorgeous campus sprawling over thousands of acres. Though you won’t have time to see it all, it’s definitely worth your time to hit the highlights. Read more
A Green Parade That Praises Spring 05 Mar, 2017
It took a while but the spirit of Ireland finally made its lucky way to California. Read more
A Black Tie and Sandals on Valentine's Day 04 Feb, 2017
California’s Baja Peninsula is a romantic melting pot of climates and cultures. Read more
A Belgian Message in the New Year 08 Jan, 2017
Have your entertainment in Menlo Park's playground and be up in time for breakfast too. Read more
Tree Lighting, Pancakes with Santa & Holiday Stories this season 28 Nov, 2016
Join the bright festivities, share pancakes with Santa, and hear to a story or two along the way. Read more
Turkey's Gone A la Carte 07 Nov, 2016
Chefs are putting their heads together with a special holiday menu of appetizers and entrees this Thanksgiving. Read more
The Spirit of the San Francisco Bay 10 Oct, 2016
Enjoy an up-close encounter with costumes, candy, and flying bats, with four days of Halloween festivities. Read more
Oktoberfest Returns 26 Sep, 2016
You would most likely agree that Menlo Park is blessed to have not one, but two celebrations dedicated to everyone’s favorite Munich invention, and by that we mean Oktoberfest! Read more
The Best of Last Century 12 Sep, 2016
Stanford University's prized collection of artwork has been recently reorganized from the ground up! See it and Irish playwright Samuel Beckett's puzzling play, Waiting for Godot, this September. Read more
Concerts of the West Coast 08 Aug, 2016
Menlo Park is working up a sweat, nestled as it is between Stanford University and the cooling breezes of the bay. Read more
California Streaming 27 Jul, 2016
Grab your spoons and loosen those belts, San Francisco Bay, the Palo Alto Summer Festival & Chili Cook-off is bringing the spice this July 4th. All the sizzle will be limited to Mitchell Park, a short car ride from our Menlo Park Inn, and beginning at the crack of noon. Admission is free! Read more
The Sound of Summer in San Francisco 01 Jun, 2016
It’s summer time in California and that means it’s time not just for some sunny summer weather but also a whole host of fun and exciting music festivals! Read more
Brush Up On California History 01 May, 2016
Do you love learning about the history of this great coast? Well, then the Museum of American Heritage is a must do while in Palo Alto. Read more
Palo Alto's Best Brunch Spots 08 Apr, 2016
Everyone loves brunch, especially Californians! Choosing between the many brunch spots in Palo Alto can be overwhelming, but I’ve narrowed it down so you can enjoy more time eating pancakes and less time researching them Read more
Go Collegiate at Stanford 04 Mar, 2016
This March get ready to go collegiate with a Stanford University campus tour. Palo Alto is a beautiful neighborhood that is home to Stanford University and is only ten minutes from our Menlo Park hotel. On a beautiful day, it’s best to tour th Read more
Perfect Landmark for Your Inner Techie 05 Feb, 2016
Your inner techie will love a trip to the Hewlett Packard Garage. Less than fifteen minutes from Menlo Park Inn, visit the historic garage where the birthplace of Silicon Valley got its start. The HP garage is a private museum where the HP founders Read more
Better at the Baylands 18 Jan, 2016
If you’re looking for a quiet patch of nature near our Menlo Park hotel, the Baylands Nature Preserve is a good start, the largest undisturbed marshland in the San Francisco Bay area, with a variety of hiking trails of different lengths that a Read more
A Very Merry Breakfast 18 Nov, 2015
While California may not seem like the place for a typical Christmas season, it certainly doesn’t stop people from getting into the holiday spirit, and you can too, by doing something good for others – and eating some delicious pancakes – at the Menlo Park Breakfast with Santa event on December 5th. Read more
Spend Some Time with A Good Book 22 Oct, 2015
If you're looking to take some time to unplug and have a quiet moment, we recommend checking out Kepler's Books, considered one of the finest independent bookstores in the country, and within a five-minute walk from our Menlo Park hotel. Read more
Farm Fresh 21 Sep, 2015
Autumn may have arrived, but that won't stop the Menlo Park Farmer's Market. Held year round, it's a treasure trove of seasonal fruits and veggies. Read more
Movies at Menlo Park 19 Aug, 2015
Throughout the month of September, spend a night at the movies with the Menlo Movies Series community event. Every Friday night, the city will be showing a film on the Chestnut Paseo in downtown Menlo Park, located just half a mile from our Menlo Park hotel. Read more
Stop and Smell the Roses 16 Jul, 2015
Sometimes you've got to relax and take things slow, and where better to stop and smell the roses than the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden? Read more
Experience the Mystery 17 Jun, 2015
Think all historic home tours are the same? Then you haven't seen the Winchester Mystery House. Owned by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, the manufacturer of the famous Winchester rifle, she used the house as an outlet for her grief upon losing her husband and child.f Read more
The Best Art Museum You've Never Seen 20 May, 2015
Even the most enthusiastic art lovers are unaware of the Anderson Collection at Stanford University. Read more
Experience Innovation at Maker Faire 01 Apr, 2015
Enter the world of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) technology and get into the local entrepreneurial spirit of things at the upcoming 10th Annual Maker Faire in neighboring San Mateo. Read more
For Fans of Film 01 Apr, 2015
If you love film, mark your calendar for the upcoming San Francisco International Film Festival. Hands down, it's your best chance to catch next year's Oscar winners earlier than anyone else or see a rare art house feature you might otherwise miss. Read more
Easter Fun 01 Mar, 2015
The only thing better than an Easter Egg Hunt? Two Easter Egg Hunts, of course! You'll have to hop to it if you plan to make both of Menlo Park's egg-cellent egg hunts, though, as they kick off simultaneously at 10 am on April 4. Read more
Meet the Brewers 01 Feb, 2015
If you're a fan of craft beer, you won't want to miss the San Jose Craft Beer Festival at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 28. Read more
A Fresh Focus on Female Photographers 01 Jan, 2015
One of the things we love about our Menlo Park hotel location is our close proximity to the vast number of programs and exhibits open to the public at nearby Stanford University. Read more
Cars and Croissants 01 Dec, 2014
If your mind starts to race when you see a Maserati race by, make your way to the next "Cars and Croissants on The Row" event on Santana Row in nearby San Jose. Read more
All Aboard! 01 Nov, 2014
Nothing cures the holiday blues better than an encounter with Santa, Rudolph or a train festooned with 70,000 twinkling lights. A Bay area holiday tradition chugs into town on December 7, when the Caltrain Holiday Train makes its Menlo Park stop at 7:45 pm. Read more
The Finery of Filoli Estate 01 Oct, 2014
If the Filoli Estate looks familiar, count yourself among the fans of Dallas, the 80s television soap opera. Its Dallas days behind it, today Filoli Estate, a popular Menlo Park area attraction, is a slice of living history. Located in nearby Woodside, Filoli sits on 654 acres anchored by a Georgian country house and an exquisite English Renaissance garden. Read more
The Science of Oktoberfest 01 Sep, 2014
This San Jose museum dedicated to all things tech gets in the Barvarian spirit on October 2 when its popular After Hours program marks Oktoberfest with a "Science and Suds" event hosted by Bay Area brewer Gordon Biersch. Read more
Art, With a Side of Fresh Brewed Coffee 01 Aug, 2014
As if it weren't enough to serve some of the best food in Menlo Park - think organic meats, house-made focaccia and farm-fresh local produce - Cafe Barrone upped the ante with art exhibits and live jazz. Read more
Windy Hill Walk 01 Jul, 2014
When we need to take a step back, get some fresh air and clear our heads, one sublime spot springs to mind. Read more
Menlo's Summer Music Scene 25 Jun, 2014
On Wednesday evenings through August 13, kick back with Menlo Park music lovers in shady and historic Fremont Park. Showcasing everything from rock to rhythm and blues, the city's popular (and free) Summer Concert Series presents the best local bands from 6:30 âÂ?" 8 pm. Read more
HELPING HANDS 01 May, 2014
Merging art, technology and medicine, the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University presents "Inside Rodin's Hands," an inter-disciplinary approach to the study of French sculptor Auguste Rodin's bronze works of the hand. It all began when Dr. James Chang visited the Rodin Sculpture Garden at Stanford as an undergrad. Read more
TIME MACHINE TRIP 01 Apr, 2014
Timekeeping has come a long way since the sundial, the Egyptians' preferred method for measuring time. For a fascinating look at the evolution of keeping time, from 3500 BC to date, head to Palo Alto's Museum of American Heritage. Read more
ARTISTS ENCLAVE 01 Feb, 2014
While exploring California's early folk art, raise a toast to Delight Merner, a talented, 1930s-era decorator with a keen sense of color. She and her husband Garfield bought land in 1929, intent on creating "a serene and beautiful workplace for artists; to encourage the crafting of handsome objects for everyday use; and to support all peasant or folk art, especially that of early California." Read more
STAR WARS SCIENCE 01 Jan, 2014
Hey, this is the birthplace of tech innovation but that doesn't mean we're without a few star-studded side effects. Head over to the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose to see "The Science of Star Wars," a fun, futuristic exhibit exploring that galaxy far, far away. Read more
CRAFT & COMFORT 01 Dec, 2013
Why not go take a stroll through Menlo Park's Allied Arts Guild and maybe do a little shopping? The Guild is a collection of studios and galleries housed in a Spanish Mission-style complex that was founded in the 1920s, as documented then by a local photographer you might have heard of, Ansel Adams. Read more
BAYOU IN THE BAY 01 Nov, 2013
Alligator dumplings, boiled crawfish, andouille and boudinâÂ?¦.yes, there's a little bit of the Big Easy right here in Palo Alto. The place, naturally, is named NOLA and it was recently voted "the hottest bar in the Silicon Valley" by Fortune magazine. Read more
PICK A PAGE TURNER 01 Oct, 2013
Do you ever long to flip through the pages of a good old-fashioned book? Believe it or not, right here at the epicenter of technological invention thrives Kepler's Books and Magazines, one of the country's most revered independent bookstores. Read more
