studio tours la Generally, you ll be fine if you arrive at the airport 1 hour befor e a domestic flight and 2 hours

For some reason, the whole communal aspect of dim sum seems t o make my kids more adventurous. Waiters come with plates of food and everyone seated decides whether or not t o go f or it. When a plat e is plac ed in the middle of the table, you re all in on the fun of tr ying it together. Of course, it helps that we ve figured out what w e think our k ids will like and ha ve learned t o avoid anything that c ould truly shock them. I m passing this k nowledge on t o you with a list of dim sum that most first-timers will definit ely enjo y. And if y ou see fresh-steamed asparagus, snow pea shoots, or any other vegetables being offered, order them as w ell. They are all ex cellent.

The S errano is one of the mor e family-friendly options in the neighborhood. The richly colored Spanish Revival lobby isn t overwhelmingly large, and cozy seating under a beamed ceiling is arranged in small groups. During the complimentary evening wine reception, a tarot card reader drops by to entertain. As at most Kimpton hotels, one TV channel is dedicated to y oga, and a complimentar y yoga basket is available. Guests can borrow games from an extensive game library to play in the lobb y or in their rooms. In keeping with the whimsical theme, y ou ll find yo-yos, studio tours la mini Etch A S ketches, and car ds, all for a fee, in the minibars. Another unique per k for y oung families are complimentary strollers and booster seats. Check the w ebsite for family and pet packages. The building dates from the 1920s, although it was entirely renovated in 1999. Rooms are lushly designed with warm colors and patterns, double-paned windo ws, and small, well-stocked bathr ooms. D ouble-doubles ar e too small for a family of four. I nstead, consider studio tours la a queen delux e with a connecting double-double (best for large families); an executive king with a bed, sofa bed, and large marble bathr oom; or a suite. The suites have a king-size bed and king-size sofa bed, each in its o wn room. Corner rooms have views and are a bit more spacious. The hotel s Ponzu restaurant serves breakfast and tasty Asian-inspired dinner dishes.

Generally, you ll be fine if you arrive at the airport 1 hour befor e a domestic flight and 2 hours before an international flight; if you show up late, tell an airline employee and she ll probably whisk you to the front of the line.

(p. 177) and travel to Monster Park. There is no simple way to handle strollers on either buses or str eetcars, although, with the ex ception of the F-M arket cars, streetcars ar e mor e spacious. I f y ou ar e

tissue paper balloons Companies that have offices downtown include Avis, 675 Post St. ( & 415/8855011; www.avis.com); Budg

Companies tissue paper balloons that have offices downtown include Avis, 675 Post St. ( & 415/8855011; www.avis.com); tissue paper balloons Budget, tissue paper balloons 5 E mbarcadero Ctr. ( & 415/433-3717; www. budget.com); Enterprise, 222 M ason St. (&415/837-1700; www.enterprise.com); Hertz, 325 Mason St. (&415/771-2200; www.hertz.com); and Thrifty, 350 O Farrell St. (&415/788-8111; www.thrifty.com).

Francisco s steepest str eets, giving y ou a good sense of the city s photogenic, hilly topography. You ll pass right b y the Cable Car Museum (p. 178). I f it s past 10am, take a moment to check it out. It s free and quite interesting. If it s closed, perhaps you can take a detour there later when you are in Chinatown.

aerostar balloons to call the hotel dir ectly and find that it had one room left (a suite, which didn t fit into the I

to call the hotel dir ectly and find that it had one room left (a suite, which didn t fit into the Internet s standard room category) that could be had for a steal. M oreover, aerostar balloons folks in-house can pr ovide the most detailed information about the hotel and the specific r oom type y ou may be interested in. You can also tell the hotel agent that y ou ar e trav eling with childr en and inquire about special offers they may have.

The newest addition to S an Francisco s collection of luxur y hotels, the S t. Regis is decidedly sleek and modern, although the liberal use of rich ex otic woods such as arrestingly beautiful slabs of Mozambican hardwood for the guest room doors and exquisite aerostar balloons Polynesian-inspired artwork using Australian lacewood in each guest r oom keep the place feeling warm and w elcoming. The hotel also boasts $3.5 million wor th of art pieces, which could be like a free museum tour for your kids throughout the hotel s common area. The limestone and marble bathr ooms with deep-soaking tubs and separate showers featuring dual shower heads are divine, and many r ooms have lovely views of Yerba Buena Gardens. For families, aerostar balloons a good configuration could be the king r oom with an interconnecting double-double room. As an extra luxur y, the St. Regis s Rem de spa, sure to become a destination in itself , customizes each treatment to the client in ques tion.

1430 Haight aerostar balloons St. (btw. Masonic Ave. and Ashbury St.). &415/252-5917. www.bluefrontcafe.com. Highchairs. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $5.25 $9.75. MC, V. Sun Thurs 7:30am 10pm; Fri Sat 7:30am 11pm. Muni: No. 6-Parnassus, no. 7-Haight, or no. 71-Haight-Noreiga aerostar balloons bus to Masonic Ave.

(North Beach, $$, p. 127) Mario s Bohemian Cigar Store (North Beach, $, p. 129) Pasta Pomodoro (Marina/Cow aerostar balloons Hollow/ Presidio National Park, North Beach, Japantown/Pacific Heights/ Presidio Heights, The Castro/Noe Valley, The Richmond/Sunset, $,

capitol building washington dc facts Rates star t at $3.10 when y ou enter a cab. After the first one-fifth of a mile, rates are 45 for e

Children generally lo ve riding on the streetcars and especially 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 capitol building washington dc facts 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.

Rates star t at $3.10 when y ou enter a cab. After the first one-fifth of a mile, rates are 45 for each additional fifth of a mile as w ell as for each minute capitol building washington dc facts of waiting or traffic delay. If you take a cab fr om the airport to do wntown, a $2 S an Francisco Airport exit fee is added to the far e. The approximate fare from the airpor t is $30 to $45, depending on wher e y ou re staying. According to one of the companies I contacted, taxis ar e not r equired capitol building washington dc facts to pr o- vide infant or child car seats. I f you hire a town car (for example, capitol building washington dc facts to bring y ou and your kids from the airport), they should be able to pr ovide one, but be sur e to ask when you make your reservation.

San Remo Hotel Built in 1906 by Bank of Italy (later Bank of America) capitol building washington dc facts founder A. P. Giannini, this charming I talianate Victorian originally housed I talian immigrants, among others, made homeless after the ear thquake and fire. These days, European travelers and vacationing families on a budget ar e happy to find the S an Remo. An unabashedly old- fashioned capitol building washington dc facts pension, the period furnishings, bev eled glass, and Victorian detailing take y ou back to a bona fide slice of S an Francisco that s all but disappeared. The bedrooms, which look like they w ere decorated b y someone s grandmother, are small and quaint. R eminiscent of European boarding houses, r ooms have no phones, televisions, or en suite bathrooms. Guests share one of many polished and tidy r estrooms down the hall.

harlem band tour Consult a pharmacist for minor health matters your hotel can dir ect you to the closest dr ugstore.

Just because your cellphone works at home doesn t mean it ll wor k else where in the country (thanks to our nation s fragmented cellphone system). It s a good bet that y our phone will work in major cities. But take a look at y our wir eless company s co verage map on its w ebsite harlem band tour befor e heading out T-Mobile, S print, and N extel ar e par ticularly weak in rural areas. If you need to stay in touch at a destination wher e you know your phone won t work, rent a phone that does fr om InTouch USA (& 800/8727626; www.intouchglobal.com) or a r ental car location, but beware that you ll pay $1 a minute or more for airtime.

Bring a current, go vernment-issued harlem band tour photo ID such as a driver s license or passport. Keep your ID at the ready to show at check-in, the security checkpoint, and sometimes even the gate. Childr en under 18 do not need go vernment-issued photo IDs for domestic flights, but they do for international flights to most countries.

Francisco s steepest str eets, giving y ou a good sense of the city s photogenic, hilly topography. You ll pass right b y the Cable Car Museum (p. 178). I f it s past 10am, take a moment to check it out. It s free and quite interesting. If it s closed, perhaps you can take a detour there later when you are in Chinatown.

Consult a pharmacist for minor health harlem band tour matters your hotel can dir ect you to the closest dr ugstore. Walgreen s has thr ee locations with 24-hour pharmacies: 3201 Divisadero S t. at Lombar d S treet in the Marina District (& 415/931-6415); 498 Castro S t. at 18th S treet in N oe Valley (& 415/861-6276); and 1189 P otrero Ave. at 24th Street (&415/647-0368). If

airlink tours and travel Note: Remember that many banks impose a fee every time you use a card at another bank s ATM, and tha

Note: Remember that many banks impose a fee every time you use a card at another bank s ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions (up to $5 or more) than for domestic ones (wher e they re rarely more than $3). I n addition, the bank fr om which y ou withdraw cash may charge its own fee. To compare banks ATM fees within airlink tours and travel the U.S., use www.bank rate.com. F or international withdrawal fees, ask your bank.

Rose Pistola ITALIAN Rose Pistola didn t start as a family-friendly r estaurant, but perhaps its location in North Beach meant it had to get better at accommodating tourists who may have their kids in tow. That s good news for you, as it means you can enjoy the delightful offerings at this upscale Northern Italian establishment without feeling stressed about how the staff will react to the little airlink tours and travel ones. Your bigger worry will be getting a table at this ev er-crowded hot spot, so make r eservations or arriv e early. The hot and cold antipasti may be the best thing on the menu: zucchini chips, r oasted chili and garlic shrimp, and shaved artichoke salad are among the choices. Main courses highlight fish, pastas, and pizzas, and rotisserie grilled meats are also on offer.

ITALIAN A perennial favorite among in-the-kno w locals, L Osteria seems to hav e as many people lining up outside as ar e actually airlink tours and travel seated inside. Once you have gotten a table, you ll appreciate the authentic, rustic feel in the cozy dining room. The terrific Italian dishes, which rank among the best in North Beach, include such delightful dishes as crepes filled with saut ed porcini mushrooms, ham, and b chamel sauce; and succulent skewered lamb marinated in ginger, rosemary, and garlic. If the kids are apt to be noisy, this tiny place may not be the best choice. 519 Columbus Ave. (btw. Union and Green sts.). &415/982-1124. www.losteriadelforno.com. airlink tours and travel Reservations airlink tours and travel not ac cepted. Highchairs. Main courses $5 $19. No cr edit cards. Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sun 11:30am 10pm; Fri Sat 11:30am 10:30pm. Closed Tues. Muni: Powell-Mason cable car to Union St., and then walk 2 blocks east, or no. 30-Stockton bus to Union St., and then walk 1 block east.

JANUARY bark at one another most of the y ear, Anniversary of the S ea Lions Arrival but January is the month they arrived at at PIER 39. Sure, you can watch these PIER 39. (They came for the herring in pinnipeds loll ar ound, sunbathe, and 1990.) Toward the middle of the

washington dc trolley map The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes a summary list of major conventions and tra

(p. 177) and travel to Monster Park. There is no simple way to handle strollers on either buses or str eetcars, although, with the ex ception of the F-M arket cars, streetcars ar e mor e spacious. I f y ou ar e

Now walk or take the P residio-Go shuttle to Richar dson A venue and F rancisco Street. washington dc trolley map There, transfer to the no. 28-19th Avenue washington dc trolley map bus. Take it to the corner of F ulton Street and 19th Avenue; then walk east to the de Young Museum (p. 179). Many areas of this terrific museum, including the main lobb y, to wer, and sculptur washington dc trolley map e garden, are free to visitors. You may want to go first to the cafe for a quick lunch (see Take a B reak below). Then head up to the Tower, which affor ds gr eat vie ws of northwest S an F rancisco and the P acific Ocean, vistas y ou won t hav e seen fr om Coit Tower. From there, you ll also get a bird s ey e vie w of the astounding living grass roof the California washington dc trolley map A cademy of Sciences, your next stop on the tour.

on the street for any length of time. Legal street parking spaces do exist; they are next to unpainted curbs and usually are accompanied b y meters. Yellow, white, gr een, and red curbs are all off limits; the ex ceptions ar e commer cial z ones (the y ellow curbs), which are open to cars after delivery hours. Pay attention to the signs liberally posted on the streets. Be very aware of tow-away zones. You cannot park on most streets do wntown betw een 4 and 6pm without r unning the risk of having y our vehicle towed. washington dc trolley map And never park in front of a driv eway. O therwise, A utoReturn, an independent contractor for the City s towing washington dc trolley map ser vices, may take y our v ehicle to its storage lot at 450 7th S t., between Harrison washington dc trolley map & Folsom streets. If you return to your parking space but y our car isn t ther e, check with A utoReturn online at www. autoreturn.com or call & 415/553-1239 to see if it s been to wed or mer ely stolen. It s likely been towed, and that means you get to visit City Tow to pay the fine and the storage charges. S uch a misadv enture will r un y ou a minimum of $244 (most forms of payment accepted).

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes washington dc trolley map a summary list of major conventions and trade shows on its website, www.sfvisitor.org/convention. It s wise to check it out before you cement your travel washington dc trolley map dates, just to find out if you re likely to be competing with your orthodontist or attorney for a hotel room.