company that offers ballooning lessons p. 80. If you want to do something silly with the kids, take them to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont

But perhaps you want something more traditional, and you ve reached the end of the alley. You re in luck. On the c orner at 374 Bush Str eet y ou ll find Sam s Grill (&415/421-0594), one of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco. Grab a cozy wooden booth and order charcoal-broiled fish, roasted chicken, or a simple pasta dish. Entrees range from $10.50 to $50. For more info, visit www. belden-place.com.

p. 80. If you want to do something silly with the kids, take them to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont H otel (950 Mason S t.; & 800/441-1414 or 415/772-5000) company that offers ballooning lessons for appetizers and a mild tropical storm. company that offers ballooning lessons See p. 94. Best Lobb y: I f the kids ar e into fair y tales, the Fairmont Hotel (950 Mason St.; & 800/441-1414 or 415/7725000) will leave them waiting for Princess Aurora to arrive. See p. 94. A close contender is the Palace Hotel (2 New Montgomery St., at Market St.; &415/ 546-5089); the ceiling of its historic Garden Court consists company that offers ballooning lessons of 80,000 panes of glass. See p. 86. For the most stunning lobby in town, the truly opulent, yet tasteful, Ar t D eco inspired Four Seasons (757 Market St.; &415/6333000) tops the list. See p. 86. Best If You Have a C ar: F or stays around U nion S quare, the Galleria Park H otel (191 S utter S t.; & 800/ 792-9639 or 415/781-3060) is built over a par king garage, so it won t take long to r etrieve y ours. Like all do wntown hotels, parking charges are nuts $30 per day is av erage so it s not economical to par k her e, just conv enient. See p. 72. O ne car per r oom gets fr ee indoor par king at the Cow Hollow M otor I nn & S uites (2190 Lombard S t.; & 415/921-5800). See p. 97. A spot for y our car also comes courtesy of the Hotel Del Sol (3100 Webster S t.; & 877/433-5765 or 415/921-5520; p. 97) or the Marina Motel (2576 Lombard St.; &800/3466118 company that offers ballooning lessons or 415/921-9406; p. 98). Best I f You B rought the D og: The Hotel Monaco (501 Geary St.; &800/ 214-4220 or 415/292-0100) has packages company that offers ballooning lessons for pooches that riv al anything other hotels have for kids. I don t know if ther e s an underlying message ther e.