What do you do in your spare time?

I have 4 hours of spare time in Palo Alto before flying from SFO. What should I visit?

• My friend had a conference in Stanford, and only had spare time from 6pm to his flight (which leaves SFO 10.30pm) on a weekday. I plan to show him around before sending him to the airport. Where should I take him? Problem: - There doesn't seem to be an obvious landmark in the Silicon Valley (for example, like the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty) - It slightly overlap with the rush hour when people go home from work. - Going to San Francisco probably takes too much time, given the likely traffic jam and difficulty with parking - He will have spent a few days in Stanford Univ for the conference, so showing him around the univ will be lame. - Google office might be interesting, but I'm not sure if there's anything to do other than taking pictures in the HQ. - There's not enough time or sunlight left for outdoor activities such as going to hike or to the beach - Dinner at a nice place may be a good idea, but not sure what to do with the remaining time.

• Answer:

  This is a little tricky. Some thoughts: - At this time of year, it doesn't really get dark until 7:30 or so. This means you do have time for some outdoor activity, but you'd have to rush a little. Hiking the dish is a good option, or if you have a car, you could drive to Windy Hill or Russian Ridge for views of the Valley and Bay Area. May be a little chilly, so bring a jacket. - You could go for dinner and/or drinks at the Rosewood Hotel, which is a nice space, though might not be your style. But if you want to show him where VCs hobnob, this is one of the places. If it were me, I would do one of the outdoor options, and then go for a later dinner around 8, and then take your friend to the airport.