building the washington monument Ritz-Carlton Teddy Bear Teas for children always sell out, especially if y ou can only attend on a w

The M ark H opkins, named after the founder of the Central Pacific Railroad, opened in 1926 and r emains a San Francisco landmark. The hotel is v ery family-friendly, providing a teddy bear and a backpack of kids amenities for 2- to 11-y ear-olds, as well as kids menus in all the r estaurants. (Ask about the Kids in Tow program when you make a reservation.) With advance notice, the hotel will rent strollers or other baby paraphernalia for you. Guest rooms are classy and plush, with fine fabrics and maple furnishings. Views from the upper floors are unsurpassed. The big news for families is the recent opening of the hotel s Club I nterContinental, located on the lobb y floor. An additional $60 a day per two adults and $15 per child (for young kids they may waive the additional $15 charge) grants you access to an enter tainment and food lounge. B ig kids will lo ve the lounge, where they can choose from more than 50 DVDs at TV Central, peruse a collection of teen magazines, building the washington monument listen to XM satellite radio on wir eless headsets, or play boar d games. The plethora of food including baked goods and fr uits for br eakfast, lunch snacks at noon, high tea with mini sandwiches in the afternoon, and a sweet dreams offering of milk and cookies in the evening means you ll take care of at least one daily meal for the family, making the club s daily access charge well worth considering. You get access to the club at no additional charge if y ou stay in a suite at the standar d rate.

Ritz-Carlton Teddy Bear Teas for children always sell out, especially if y ou can only attend on a w eekend. The holiday teas star t after Thanksgiving, but y ou can make r eservations beginning in August; call &415/773-6198.

Tango Gelato Finds ICE CREAM Like the U.S., Argentina has had its fair share of Italian immigrants and, as a r esult, has a delicious array of gelaterias. F ortunately for San F ranciscans, one enterprising Argentine made his (v ery long) way up nor th and opened building the washington monument a gelateria in Pacific Heights. In addition to recognizable Italian flavors like nocciolo (hazelnut) and amaretto, you ll find luscious South American favorites building the washington monument like dulce de leche, an ultrasw eet caramel concoction, building the washington monument and coconut. You ll also find other Argentine specialties, such as alfajor cookies.