Bay Area 5: Stanford and Palo Alto

During the final leg of my week-long stay in California, I greatly enjoyed a couple days at Stanford University, which I had never visited before. I was given an hours-long bicycle tour by a fantastic tour guide, and pretty rapidly determined that it is a gorgeous campus:

But, buildings aside, there was another surprise awaiting me:  the Arizona Cactus Garden, which is on campus. Turns out it is a hidden treasure–one that not many Stanford students even know exists because it is in a more secluded area, hidden behind a grove of trees. When we arrived, we had the garden to ourselves, with only the occasional lizard and woodpecker to distract our attention from the cacti.

The final treat was a stop in Palo Alto at the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, a lovely oasis full of gorgeous flowers. It was truly a memorable visit.

Tags: Arizona Cactus Garden, cacti, California, campus, Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, lizard, Neomarica caerulea, Palo Alto, Stanford, Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford University, Sunflower Velvet Queen, Twelve Apostles, Walking Iris