rick steves spain itinerary However, if the kids ar e old enough to be 65 studying civic history or even architecture, I recomme

Koh Samui & The Monkey THAI Thai seems to be the ne w Chinese, with spring rolls and pad Thai having taken the place of broccoli beef and cashew chicken as favored take-out fare. But if you want a break from the typical Thai food you find most places these days, come to K oh S amui. Combinations sur e to whet y our appetite include crushed sesame scallops in yellow curry sauce or pumpkin curry chicken. Certainly, you ll find plenty of familiar menu items, from green papaya salad to green curry chicken. For the kids, order the wok-tossed noodles with peanut sauce or ev en some of the satays. As long as y ou steer clear of anything mar ked with an asterisk (for spicy), the kids will be fine. Be sure to order the fried bananas for dessert. The Monkey part of the name refers rick steves spain itinerary to the attractive shop next door, which sells Thai antiques.

Perhaps it was inevitable that I would attend college in the Bay Area, so that weekends could be spent exploring San Francisco with roommates and friends. Upon graduating, I was off again: I wor ked at a ne wspaper in B razil, wr ote for the Associated P ress in Germany, earned a graduate degr ee in N ew York, and was then based ther e while I worked to promote investment overseas. In between rick steves spain itinerary travel to far corners of the ear th, I met my soon-to-be husband, a nomad like myself. Although we moved to Seattle, my international job kept the fr equent flier miles multiplying until the bir th of our first daughter, when all the travel came to a screeching halt.

However, if the kids ar e old enough to be 65 studying civic history or even architecture, I recommend hopping on a M arket Street streetcar and heading rick steves spain itinerary to the Civic Center , built in the grand Beaux Arts style following the devastating 1906 earthquake. Simply walking ar ound the impr essive buildings including the SF P ublic Library s main branch, the Asian Ar t Museum, and City Hall is enough. Your kids may be inter ested to kno w that the dome of City H all is taller than the U.S. Capitol building. Note: I f it s late in the day befor e y ou leav e S oMa, skip this stop. The Civic Center gets dodgy at night.

INDIAN This is the best Indian food we ve found in the city. It took us awhile, and a fe w meals where our girls ate little mor e than baked naan, puffy poori bread, and rice, to find some non-star ch items on the menu that wouldn t be too spicy for them. The secret is to or der creamy dishes like chicken korma, cooked in a mild yogurt sauce, rick steves spain itinerary and simply explaining to the waiter that you want no additional spice in it whatsoever. It usually works, and despite the absence of chili peppers, the dish is still so delicious that even we adults enjoy it. Other delectable dishes for grown-ups include the saag gosht, lamb with cr eamed spinach, and the wonder ful meats baked in the tandoori oven. As it s located in the Haight, Indian Oven is a low-key spot, but it s refined enough to include white tablecloths and v ery attentive staff who will kindly help ne wcomers to Indian cooking navigate the menu. Located on a corner , Indian Oven has two full walls of windows, making it a light-filled, w elcoming space. We like to sho w up early, before it starts to fill up, and we ve always seen another family or two introducing their own kids to this varied and wonderful cuisine. 233 Fillmore Haight St. (at Waller St., 1/2 block south of Haight St.). &415/626-1628. www.indianovensf. rick steves spain itinerary com. H ighchairs, boost ers. Reser vations rick steves spain itinerary ac cepted. M ain c ourses $8 $16. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5 11pm. Muni: No. 6-Parnassus, no. 7-Haight, or no. 71-Haight-Noreiga rick steves spain itinerary bus to Fillmore St.