andean travel 55 4th St. (btw. Market and Mission sts.), San Francisco, CA 94103. &415/896-1600. Fax 415/486-8101.

55 4th St. (btw. Market and Mission sts.), San Francisco, CA 94103. &415/896-1600. Fax 415/486-8101. www.marriott.com. 1,498 units, including 134 suites. $199 $349 double; $499 $3,250 suite. Kids under 18 stay free in parent s room. Rollaways and cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $52. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 3 bars; indoor pool; health club; tour desk; car rental; business center; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV w/movies (DVD in suites), dataport, high-speed Internet access, hair dryer, iron, safe.

Beard P apa s BAKERY When this J apanese chain of cr eam puffs hit the U.S., it 117 became an o vernight sensation. What s the secr et to these luscious cr eam puffs? B eard Papa s claims it could be their special 2-hour andean travel process mixing andean travel custard cream, real whipped cream, and M adagascar v anilla beans to pr oduce the filling, andean travel a pr ocess that s r epeated several times a day. Or maybe it s the ultra fresh crust. Or the interesting way the cream puffs are just a little less sw eet than you d expect them to be. Well, you ll just have to come find out for y ourselves. You can get the traditional cr eam puffs ser ved plain or dipped andean travel in chocolate on any day, but unusual fillings like strawberry, green tea, or pumpkin are strictly seasonal.

national wwii memorial Whereas do wntown hotel prices don t vary much with the seasons, M arina and Fisherman s Wharf rates

THAI Serving the best Thai in S an Francisco, Osha s first location was a funky, national wwii memorial loud-music joint in the Tenderloin, with waitresses in pigtails and hip T-shirts national wwii memorial serving up the best Thai food in town to post-partying crowds of 20-somethings. That meant we generally had to resort to getting takeout so we could order some great pad see ew for the kids (a tasty, wide-noodle version of pad Thai with no peanuts, a plus for some kids) and luscious curries for us. While the original Tenderloin location is still ar ound, and still open until 3am on w eekends, Osha s tasty Thai cuisine was too good to be r elegated to post-party munchers. Today there are five Osha locations around town, and the quality national wwii memorial remains top-notch.

Whereas do wntown hotel prices don t vary much with the seasons, M arina and Fisherman s Wharf rates climb in the summer. national wwii memorial Given the summertime fog, the price increase has less to do with the best time to visit San Francisco national wwii memorial than with when most families take their v acations. If you buck the tr end and come in the late winter , you ll save money.

63 P owell St. (bt w. Ellis and M arket sts). & 415/982-6168. P izza $3.50 $3.75 per slic e. AE, MC, V accepted on orders over $30; otherwise, cash only. Mon Sat 10am 10pm; Sun 10am 8pm. Muni: Powell- Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car to Ellis St.

See the Fast Facts appendix national wwii memorial at the end of this book f or information on hiring babysitters. When a hotel says it provides babysitting, it really means it has a list of recommended agencies that provide bonded, screened caregivers. It s up to you to make the arrangements, national wwii memorial which ideally should be done in advance.

pictures of the vietnam memorial Children generally lo ve riding on the streetcars and especially the cable cars. Inside the Muni/BAR

Children generally pictures of the vietnam memorial lo ve riding on the streetcars and especially pictures of the vietnam memorial the cable cars. Inside the Muni/BART underground stations, keep y ourself and y our kids away from the edge of the platform. O n cable cars, y ou ar e not allo wed to hang body parts out the side, despite myriad photos showing people doing just that. I t s an excellent way to get hur t the minute a truck or a bus passes by. Jumping on or off a moving cable car is equally dangerous.

ITALIAN For a taste of old San Francisco, head to this ne w joint on the corner of Washington Park. Although it opened its doors in 2006, DiMaggio s will transport you back a half-century. The polished decor includes deep rich mahogany walls, gener ously siz ed plush leather booths, stunning Ar t D eco chandeliers, and, best of all, hundr eds of black-and-white photographs of old S an Francisco. You ll see photos of Joe and Marilyn (circa pictures of the vietnam memorial 1954) here, snapshots of besuited locals in fedora hats there, pictures of old baseball games around the corner. The dim lighting and stately bar make D iMaggio pictures of the vietnam memorial s feel quite adult, but the space accommodates all sor ts of diners; the booths can easily fit a family of four and then some. I ve seen other kids here who clearly enjoyed the experience. In keeping pictures of the vietnam memorial with the old-time theme, por tion sizes are definitely not nouv elle. While the menu contains enough new influences to keep it interesting, the servings are so generous I recommend sharing. The pork chop is large enough to feed two, and the potato gratin accompanying it measur ed a good 5 inches pictures of the vietnam memorial acr oss. Salads like the tomato salad with shaved fennel and fried goat cheese are well executed, but not exactly a light start to a meal. The gnocchi and smoked chicken in cr eam sauce is as rich as y ou d expect it to be, and twice as big. Nonetheless, desserts like the dreamy Frangelico cheesecake with a rich hazelnut cream are good enough to make r oom for.

hop on hop off washington dc map If you want to have a nice meal with proper table service downtown without breaking the bank , c ome

Wi-Fi is available throughout San Francisco, and most of its hotels also offer dataports for laptop modems, and a fe w thousand hotels in the U.S. and E urope now offer fr ee high-speed I nternet access using an Ethernet network cable. (You can bring y our o wn cables, but most hotels

Finally, we do have some dodgy neighborhoods y ou might consider av oiding. The Tenderloin (p. 53) isn t great, although it is home to a huge immigrant population hop on hop off washington dc map that manages to live side by side with drug addicts, hookers, and v agrants. E venings are par ticularly r ough; daytime is okay.

Taylor s R efresher (1 F erry B ldg.; & 866/328-3663) comes in a close second, with burgers made fr om all- natural, local beef , topped with a tasty secret sauce and garnished with lettuce and tomatoes fresh from the Farmer s Market. See p. 125.

If you want to have a nice meal with proper table service downtown without breaking the bank , c ome t o Belden Plac e. This alley in the F inancial Distric t, bordered by Kearny, Montgomery, Pine, and Bush streets, is lined with moderately priced restaurants cooking up French, Italian, Catalan, and other Mediterranean far e. The lane is patr onized b y plent y of business people , but the outdoor tables and colorful banners hop on hop off washington dc map lend an informal feeling, so don t hesitate to bring the kids. Stroll on over and take your pick from the following:

kykuit tours 1300 C olumbus A ve. (at N. P oint St.), San F rancisco, CA 94133. &415/771-9000. Fax 415/771-7006.

1300 C olumbus A ve. (at N. P oint St.), San F rancisco, CA 94133. &415/771-9000. Fax 415/771-7006. www.holidayinn.com. 585 units. kykuit tours $199 $244 double; from $350 suite. Kids under 18 stay free in parent s room. Rollaways $10; cribs fr ee. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Self-parking $39. Amenities: 2 restaurants; coffee shop; heated outdoor pool; exercise room; concierge; business center; gift shop; room service (limited hours); babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; laundr omat on sit e; executive-level rooms. In r oom: A/C, TV, high-speed wireless Internet access, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.

Westin St. Francis Overrated The historic St. Francis Hotel, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake, is a v eritable hubbub of activity. With its location just acr oss from Union Square and steps away from serious shopping, downtown theaters, and the cable cars, the hotel s expansive lobby has always been a convenient meeting place for tourists, walking tours, friends taking tea, and the occasional elementar y school gr oup on a field trip to ride the glass elev ators to the 27th floor. Travelers under 12 r eceive Westin Kids Club backpacks with age-appr opriate pr omotional items like light socket co vers and sippy cups. Rooms are outfitted with comfor table Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath and good linens.

harlem band tour 1075 California St. (at Taylor St.), San F rancisco, CA 94108. &800/227-4683 or 415/474-5400. Fax 41

p. 118. Closer in tone to an E nglish village teashop is Lovejoy s Tea Room (1351 Church St.; & 415/648-5895), often filled with ladies having a t te- t te and little girls practicing to be big girls. See p. 148. Best O utdoor D ining: The v ery best outdoor dining area belongs to the Park Chalet (1000 G reat Hwy.; & 415/ 386-8439), which opens onto an expansive garden at the western edge of Golden G ate P ark. I n fact, with glass walls and a glass ceiling, the whole restaurant feels like you re outdoors. harlem band tour See 15

1075 California St. (at Taylor St.), San F rancisco, harlem band tour CA 94108. &800/227-4683 or 415/474-5400. Fax 415/ 474-6227. www.huntingtonhotel.com. 135 units. From $315 double; from $540 suite. Kids 5 and under stay free in parent s room. Rollaways $30; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $39. Amenities: Restaurant; harlem band tour bar; pool (16 and over only); spa/exercise room; concierge; courtesy car; room service (6am 11:30pm); massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV/DVD w/movies, fax, wireless high-speed Internet access, kitchenettes available, hair dryer, safe, CD player (on request), iPod dock.

visit the capitol building 701 Post St. (at Jones St.), San F rancisco, CA 94109. &800/533-6533 or 415/673-2600. F ax 415/92915

Taylor s Refr esher Finds AMERICAN/HAMB URGERS visit the capitol building This must be what diner food tasted like 50 y ears ago, when co ws still r oamed pastures and a tomato still tasted like a tomato. Eating here made me understand how diners got to be so popular in the first place. The hamburgers, made with local, naturally raised beef , are mouth- watering, and the sweet potato fries were a hit with my kids (I ordered them without the chili powder). Even the cherry tomatoes on the garden salad were sweet and delicate, not the tasteless, hard-skinned variety one expects at a typical diner. Then again, this diner isn t exactly typical. The first, and still existing, Taylor s Refresher was established in 1949 in the heart of the Napa Valley, with plenty of nearby family farms to draw on for fresh, local ingredients. This site, housed in the F erry Building, takes advantage of the neighboring Farmer s Market for its raw materials. visit the capitol building D espite the gourmet touch, the food still

701 Post St. (at Jones St.), San F rancisco, CA 94109. &800/533-6533 or 415/673-2600. F ax 415/9291535. w ww.beresford.com/arms. 95 units. $119 $129 double; $140 $159 Jacuzzi visit the capitol building suit e. K ids under 12 stay free in parent s room. Rollaways $15; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $24, oversized vehicles $35. Amenities: Access to nearby health club ($10/day); laundry services; free Internet access in lobby. In room: TV/VCR, dataport, minibar, hair dryer (upon request), iron.

42 program that offers such services as a dedicated 24-hour toll-fr ee number ( & 888/ 879-4273) for customers with special travel needs; special car featur es such as swivel seats, spinner knobs, and hand controls; and accessible bus service. visit the capitol building Organizations that offer assistance to disabled trav elers include visit the capitol building MossRehab (www.mossresourcenet.org), the American F oundation for the B lind (AFB; & 800/232-5463; www.afb.org), and SATH (Society for A ccessible Travel & Hospitality; &212/447-7284; www.sath. org). AirAmbulanceCard.com is no w partnered with SA TH and allo ws y ou to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency.