tours of the capitol Take a City Guides walking tour (p. 187) in an in teresting neighborhood. Check out the free outdoor

Otherwise, there isn t much charm to the place. One wonders what the architects who built structures like this in the 1960s were thinking, and the dreary color scheme desperately needs a touch-up. The concrete complex tours of the capitol covers an entire city block, and shares retail

Take a City Guides walking tour (p. 187) in an in teresting neighborhood. Check out the free outdoor c oncerts and ev ents at Yerba Buena G ardens Thursdays at noon and w eekends bet ween M ay and Oc tober. Take the k ids to Golden Gate Park s Koret Children s Quarter. Take a fr ee tour of the Strybing A rboretum and B otanical G ardens in Golden Gate Park (p. 176). V isit the de Young Museum. Take in the impr essive architecture, check out the main lobby, savor the view from the museum tower, contemplate Ruth Asawa s ethereal sculptures inside, and stroll through the inspiring tours of the capitol sculpture garden outside all at no c ost. Walk acr oss the Golden Gate Bridge. M osey through Chinatown. The sights and sounds of this c olorful neighborhood are a cultural experienc e many people w ould pay to have. Visit the lovely Hyde Street tours of the capitol Pier at no charge. Adults must pay $5 to board the ships, but k ids are free. The nearby National Maritime Visitors Center is a hit with adults and k ids, and it s fr ee. Hang out at Crissy F ield. Relish the pric eless vista while y our k ids run around on the g rassy hills or pla y at the beach. A scend Nob Hill. Admire the stained glass at Grac e C athedral, r egard the lobby of the F airmont Hot el, and then take in the panoramic view fr om the top floor bar of the I nterContinental Mark Hopkins tours of the capitol Hotel. Experian (& 888/397-3742; www. might allow you to board the plane if y ou experian.com), and TransUnion (&800/ have a copy of y our passport or birth cer680- 7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, tificate and a copy of the police r eport if y ou ve lost all forms of photo ID, call you ve filed. tours of the capitol your airline and explain the situation; they

For information on how to get a passport, go to Passports in the Fast Facts section in the appendix at the end of this book the w ebsites listed pr ovide do wnloadable passpor t applications as w ell as the curr ent fees for pr ocessing passpor t applications. I nternational tours of the capitol visitors can obtain a visa application at the w ebsite of the U.S. S tate D epartment tours of the capitol at http:// tours of the capitol travel.state.gov.