rick steves spain itinerary Purchase a r oll of quar ters f or the met ers and keep them in the glo ve compartment so that y ou

Purchase a r oll of quar ters f or the met ers and keep them in the glo ve compartment so that y ou can take advantage of an y str eet spac es y ou re lucky enough t o enc ounter. Depending on how long you plan to stay in the cit y, you may want to buy a $20 or $50 elec tronic car d that fits in nearly rick steves spain itinerary all SF park ing met ers. These can be pur chased at man y drugst ores, har dware st ores, some str eetcar stations, and elsewher e. You can also buy them online at w ww.sfmta.com. Between 4 and 6pm, park ing is pr ohibited on major cr osstown roads and pretty much an ywhere do wntown. Star t cruising the F inancial Distric rick steves spain itinerary t, Union S quare, Nob H ill, or S oMa about 10 minut es bef ore 6pm and get ready to pounce on the spac e of y our choice. Take the first park ing spot that s within walk ing distanc e of y our destination. (And by walking distance I don t mean two doors down; I mean more like 4 blocks.) Street parking spaces are usually spoken f or before they are actually available. Watch for people walking toward cars with keys in hand and for brake lights turning on. Wait for the space to open up and take it. Pay close att ention t o str eet sig ns. I n some neighborhoods , park ing f or non-residents (those without a cit y-issued sticker on their bumper) is limited to 1 or 2 hours. If park ing plac es suddenly seem widely a vailable, check the sig ns. I t ma y be street sweeping time. Meter maids parade along the str eet writing $50 tickets just before the sweepers show up. Once the machines have rumbled by, you can safely rick steves spain itinerary park. Curb your car s wheels when park ing on a hill: turn them t oward the curb when facing do wnhill and a way fr om the curb when park ing uphill. Although this won t actually contribute to your finding a park ing place, rick steves spain itinerary it will help y ou retain any that y ou have found. It will also keep y ou from getting rick steves spain itinerary a ticket. Be g rateful f or park ing garages and use them. Cit y-owned garages ar e cheaper than privat ely o wned ones. Sometimes, the old park ing k arma just isn t w orking. I f valet park ing is available, take it. I t s w orth it t o a void a headache. have the right-of-way , as do pedestrians, whether or not they use intersections and crosswalks although if they don t, they re at risk for a jaywalking ticket or worse. On Market Street, one lane is ex clusively for buses. A void driving on M arket S treet anyway, because the way the lights ar e

pool deck, wher e guests gather in the late afternoon for a r efreshing dip after a day of 79 shopping or sightseeing. Connecting rooms are available, as are rooms with two queen- size beds. Club Rooms also have sleeper sofas for added value, and rollaways are only $10. The Daily Grill, the hotel s on-site restaurant serving American comfort food, is o verpriced. Since you ll be right downtown, you can find better food close by.

Coinciding with Valentine s D ay in mid-February, P IER 39 hosts Tulip- rick steves spain itinerary mania, featuring mor e than 39,000 tulips throughout the pier. The amazing diversity in siz e, shape, and color is something to behold. Visitors are welcome to join complimentar y landscaping tours each day at 10am. Call&415/ rick steves spain itinerary 705-5500 rick steves spain itinerary or visit www.pier39.com.

342 Howard St. (at Fremont St.). &415/908-3900. www.townhallsf.com. Highchairs, boosters. Reservations recommended. Main courses $10 $19 lunch, $19 $29 dinner. AE, MC, V. Mon Fri lunch 11:30am 2:30pm; Sun Thurs dinner 5:30 10pm; F ri Sat dinner 5:30 11pm. Muni: An y str eetcar on M arket t o Fremont St., and then walk 2 blocks south.