tal tours My husband and I gr ew up moving from one country and city to another. Our wanderlust did not end wh

My husband and I gr ew up moving from one country and city to another. Our wanderlust did not end when our childr en were born, and w e have taken them with us to places near and far. Here are tips to consider when vacationing with kids:

The best configurations for families are the eight suites; half of these have two double beds in one room and the rest have a queen-size bed. The second room in each suite has a pullout full-sized sofa sleeper. All have private bathrooms, but not all hav e tubs (only showers). All suites hav e micr owaves and small r efrigerators, but no air conditioning. Additional pluses include complimentar y continental br eakfast and a winning location just 21/2 blocks from Union Square. But remember: While it may be hip, this is a two-star hotel. Rooms are small and the building is old. At an off-peak rate of $149 the suites are a good deal for do wntown San Francisco. But suite prices hit $279 during high occupancy; they aren t worth that much.

In this one building y ou ll find mor e top-quality lunch options than in man y entire cities. tal tours In keeping with its r ole as the epic enter of San F rancisco s food scene (p. 161), the Ferry Building entails more than a biweekly farmers market and esoteric gourmet shops selling the finest-grade olive oil, rare breed pork, or exotic fungi. Many of the cit y s best restaurants have lunch counters here, with scrumptious to go versions of their sit-down fare, and other shops pr offer unusual, irresistible tal tours take-out goodies.

Chinese cuisine c omes in man y guises. If the menu doesn t state what pr ovince the r ecipes hail fr om, can y ou t ell y our Shanghai fr om y our Sz echuan? Here s a little cheat sheet y ou can use t o impress your kids.