duck boston p. 80. If you want to do something silly with the kids, take them to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont

ZA Pizza Finds PIZZA On a tree-lined section of Hyde Street along the cable car route, this is a favorite neighborhood gathering spot. Families can hang out at the counter of this tiny establishment and watch a game on TV or take a seat at one of the fe w indoor and outdoor tables. The thin-cr ust pizzas, named after luminar y characters, include the Pesto Picasso, with roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh pesto; duck boston and the Popeye the Greek, with spinach and feta cheese. We eat at ZA several times a year, but I kno w my family would pr efer to go ev en more often. Two salads ar e also on the menu, but the house salad wins out o ver the plain-tasting Caesar.

It s worth checking your options flying into either airpor t, as y ou ll sometimes find a cheaper or mor e convenient flight duck boston arriving in Oakland. The Oakland airport also often enjo ys better w eather than S an Francisco, wher e flights can be delay ed due to foggy conditions or be r elegated to circling the skies while waiting for an available runway. The great news at SFO is the beautiful ne w I nternational Terminal and the BART extension.

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) for appetizers and a mild tropical storm. See p. 94. Best Lobb y: I f the kids ar e into fair y tales, the Fairmont duck boston 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 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 duck boston 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 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 for pooches that riv al anything other hotels have for kids. I don t know if ther e s an underlying message ther e.

If y ou plan a longer visit, consider bucking the hotel options altogether and lodge in a house or apar tment. Agencies offer furnished apar tments for stays as brief as 4 nights, and some I nternet sites offer home ex changes with families in other cities and countries. I ve listed some of these agencies duck boston and sites below.