picture of the capitol building washington dc p. 69. The elegant infinity pool at the St. R egis (125 3rd St.; & 415/2844000) is so inviting, par

p. 69. The elegant infinity pool at the St. R egis (125 3rd St.; & 415/2844000) is so inviting, par ents will want to go for a swim ev en when the kids have had enough. S ee p. 87. The San Francisco Marriott (55 4th St.; &415/ 896-1600) has an indoor pool, which isn t elegant, but is big, clean, and open from 6am to 11pm. See p. 87. Best Outdoor Pool: As you might have guessed, picture of the capitol building washington dc the competitors for this honor are fe w. Ar ound U nion S quare, the award goes to the Handlery (351 Geary St.; & 800/843-4343 or 415/7817800) for a small, heated pool in a pleasant patio. See p. 78. Among F isherman s Wharf hotels, the Hyatt at Fisherman s Wharf (555 N. P oint St.; & 800/223-1234 or 415/563-1234) fields far and away the nicest picture of the capitol building washington dc pool. S ee p. 90. The Hotel Del Sol (3100 Webster St.; &877/433-5765 or 415/9215520) wins for the best poolside decor , with palm tr ees and a hammock, but the pool itself is miniscule. See p. 97. Best I n-House E ntertainment: picture of the capitol building washington dc The Top of the Mark at the Mark Hopkins InterContinental (1 Nob Hill; &800/ 662-6455 or 415/392-3434) is terrific for drinks, views, or weekend dinner and dancing. I f the kids ar e old enough to leave tucked in bed in a room downstairs, you ll have the pleasure of going out for a nice evening without v enturing far fr om your temporary home. See p. 95. At the Hotel Bijou (111 Mason St.; 800/7711022 or 415/771-1200) a tiny in-house movie theater shows a nightly double billing of filmed-in San Francisco movies, so you can round out your day of sightseeing with a lo w-key ev ening activity. S ee

(p. 175), a stunning glass str ucture o verlooking a garden with thousands of flowers out front. If it s still open, y ou ll enjoy the Conservatory s collection of unusual and exotic plants. O r y ou could head straight across JFK D rive to the Car ousel and the Koret Children s Quarter, a very large, very creative playgr ound wher e y ou can thank the kids for their patience all day and let them loose for a while. O ther lovely places in the par k located behind the de Young in the opposite dir ection fr om the playground are the J apanese Tea G arden, Botanical Gardens, and Stowe Lake.

4 INEXPENSIVE Golden G ate Hotel This charming 1913 E dwardian bed-and-br eakfast sits on a relatively quiet block, close to the cable car lines and within walking picture of the capitol building washington dc distance of N ob Hill, Union Square, and Chinatown. The cozy rooms, decorated with white wicker furniture, antique bur eaus, and floral prints, hav e either two twin beds or one queen and space for little else. At most, you could squeeze a crib into the queen room. Families often choose from one of the two do wnstairs rooms, picture of the capitol building washington dc which share a common bathroom. One room has two double beds, and the other has a double and a twin. F amilies of four stay for $125 in summer and less in the off-season. Another off-season bargain picture of the capitol building washington dc is a room with a queen-size bed that connects to a tiny r oom with two twin beds all for as little as $180. (In summer, the rate is much higher.) The queen room has a bath, and ther e are additional shared tubs and toilets in the hall.