ducks tour seattle This landmark hotel built in 1875, r ebuilt after the 1906 fir e, restored in 1991, r enovated again

This landmark hotel built in 1875, r ebuilt after the 1906 fir e, restored in 1991, r enovated again in 2003, and still honor ed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation is aptly named. The over-the-top decor, complete with burgundy carpeting, massive chandeliers, marble columns, and the spectacular glass-roofed Garden Court restaurant (made with 80,000 panes of glass), will make kids think they ve entered ducks tour seattle into an actual royal residence. Bedrooms, though much less grand, are sizable, and even the standard doubles are large enough to accommodate a crib. Marble bathrooms and 14-foot ceilings add to the grandeur; in-r oom refrigerators, 24-hour room service, and three restaurants, including the excellent Kyo-ya (Japanese/sushi), add convenience. The Palace Spa contains an attractiv e indoor lap pool with a glass ceiling (childr en must be supervised by someone 16 or over). Fun Facts Stump the Tour Guide

A novel set in the city can also act as a catalyst to interest older children. In Peppermints in the P arlor (Atheneum, 1980), by B arbara B rooks Wallace, r ecently orphaned E mily L uccock finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery in Golden Gate Park when she mo ves to S an Francisco to liv e with her aunt and uncle. I n Sid Fleischman s By the Great Horn Spoon! (Little Brown & Co., 1963), a 12-year-old boy strikes it rich in S an Francisco during the gold r ush after sto wing away on a journey from Boston.

4 600 St ockton St. (at C alifornia St.), San F rancisco, CA 94108. &800/241-3333 or 415/296-7465. F ax 415/291-0288. www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/san_francisco. 336 units. From $439 double; from $529 suite. Additional person $30. Rollaways and cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $62. Pets under 10 lb. welcome. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; indoor pool; health club; c oncierge; courtesy car; business center; 24-hr. room service; massage; laundry service; dry cleaning; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV/DVD w/mo vies and games , datapor t, wir eless high-speed I nternet ac cess, minibar , fridge , c offeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe, CD player, iPod dock.