A green corner in downtown

I didn't expect to find a porch swing waiting for me in a halcyon public garden in downtown Palo Alto, but the little Museum of American Heritage is like that.

I've written about the museum before because I like its quirky gazes back at the past, from the history of cash registers to the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair. Today, for the first time, I rambled through the museum's garden and enjoyed a respite from my day. It reminded me of the quote about New York's Central Park being the lungs of the city. Everyone needs a green place to breathe.

Inside, in a room made to look like an old general store, I read an aging pamphlet titled "Mrs. John Cameron Swayze's Book of Household Hints." Apparently nails will go into wood much more easily if you rub soap on them first. Who knew? But this one takes the cake for most useful tip: "Try waxing the inside of your ash trays, and the ashes won't stick."

Pictured: The historic Williams house, which houses the museum. Photo taken from the museum's website.