| Take a cable car or hike up Telegraph Hill to
Coit Tower, one of the city's most recognized landmarks.
You can view both bridges from this point.
Proceed along to Ghirardelli Square for an
expensive ice cream sundae at the famous chocolate
manufactory. For dinner, check out Dante's
Seafood Grill and California Wine Bar at Pier 39. I
sampled the Rosemary Dijon Chicken ($13.50), a tender
breast of chicken basted with Dijon glaze, served over
California wild rice and sauted vegetables. My dining
companion order the Garlic Seared Prawns ($16.50),which
she declared a success. The restaurant (with floor to
ceiling views of the City) specializes in Italian
seafood, overlooking the waterfront. For a main dish,
any of the mesquite grilled fish entrees are an
excellent choice. Other entrees that looked appealing
were the Grilled Swordfish ($18.25),Pacific Salmon
($17.50) and the Roasted Pistachio Halibut ($18.50). As
the name suggests, the wine list here should be
commended. The two-page selection offers wine from
California's local wineries like Sutter Home, Robert
Mondavi and Forest Glen. Dessert here is a must. We
tried the tiramisu ($4.95), a light blend of chocolate
sauce, marscapone cheese and chocolate shavings.
We stayed at the renowned Fairmont Hotel on
Mason Street in Nob Hill. Just a cable car away from
Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Union Square and the
Financial District, this grand dame has been the choice
of world leaders and celebrities and was featured in the
popular television series "Hotel." The red and gold
lobby with grand staircase and marble columns hosts
afternoon tea socials and meetings. Be sure to check out
the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar, located on the lower
level of the hotel, where you can sit amidst artificial
indoor thunderstorms in thatched huts while listening to
a live band. We stayed in one of the suites (rates begin
at $229 per night) in the Tower. The rooms offer
terrycloth robes, goose down pillows and 24-hour room
service. Be aware the valet/garage services costs an
additional $24 per day but the convenience of having the
car brought to you upon request is well worth the extra
money and hassle-free parking at this five-diamond
hotel. Take a drive down Lombard Street between
Leavenworth and Hyde to see what locals have called "The
Crookedest Street in the World." A trip to San
Francisco would not be complete without a visit to the
winecountry. Travel north on Route 101 over the Golden
Gate Bridge and follow to Calistoga, just over an hour
from the city. Visit Old Faithful Geyser of
California on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. One of three
famous Old Faithful geysers in the world, the Calistoga
one was said to erupt every 40 minutes but while we were
there, the eruptions occurred every 15 minutes. Located
at the foot of Mount St. Helena, this natural geyser
bursts a boiling stream of water to a height of nearly
60 feet for nearly four minutes. A scientific study
sponsored by the Carnegie Institute of WashingtonD.C. is
being conducted there to document the possible
connection between the geyser's eruptions and earthquake
activity. Admission, though, is not free. it's $6 for
adults, $5 for seniors, $2 for children 6-12 and free
for kids five and under. Neighboring Napa Valley
offers more than 250 different industry and family-owned
wineries. We visited the Robert Mondavi, Sutter Home and
SterlingVineyards on Route 29. If you are looking for a
more remote, family-owned winery, visit one of the
wineries off Route 29. We went to SullivanVineyards,
which only offered three red wines, its most popular
being the merlot, having a spicy cinnamon and clove
taste with a floral finish. Another popular activity in
Calistoga are the traditional mud and mineral
baths.Travel down Lincoln Avenue and you can visit the
most popular spas. The Napa Valley Wine Train
offers visitors a unique way to tour the Wine Country.
The train takes you back to an era when railroad travel
was luxurious - brunch, lunch and dinners are served on
white linen aboard Pullman coaches. Carrying more than
300 people daily on 36-mile trips throughout 27
wineries, the train travels adjacent to the populated
Route 29. "We have the best seat in the house to
view this world renowned wine growing region," said wine
train Chairman Vincent DeDomenico. "Our ride offers a
beautiful view of the valley in a relaxed ambiance where
we pair fine valley wines with gourmet meals." The wait
staff suggested wines to complement our dinners prepared
by Executive Chef Patrick Finney, including chardonnays
from Acacia, cabernets from Raymond Cellars and
Rutherford Hillmerlot. The three-hour train ride
was not narrated, as we had thought, but any questions
were quickly answered by our server. Jackets are
suggested during dinner trains. I sampled the filet
mignon, which was tender and juicy. My dining companion
selected the salmon, a freshly prepared fillet.
Each car is decorated in mahogany paneling with
brass fixtures. If you enjoy relaxing, sipping a glass
of wine while listening to soft background music, don't
miss this one. The station is located in downtown Napa
on McKinstry Street. Now in it's eighth year, more than
600,000 passengers have enjoyed this moveable feast.
Dinner trains begin at $69.50 per person, which includes
train fare and a four-course dinner. One of the train's
most captivating features is the opportunity to watch
the chef and his staff prepare the meals in a single
kitchen car. Stay at the Silverado Country Club
and Resort while in Napa. Play golf on one of the two
18-hole courses or tennis on one of 23 courts. If you
are looking to relax after a busy day at the wineries,
jump in one of the eight swimming pools. What makes this
resort stand out from its neighbors is
thestate-of-the-art recreational facilities and
accommodations. Each guest roomis a private cottage
suite, clustered around hidden courtyards and secluded
swimming pools. The cottages surround the main mansion,
sitting on more than1,200 acres. All of the 280
accommodations are junior suites or one, two or three
bedroom condominium suites. Most have fireplaces and a
wet bar,allowing for a relaxing evening. We ate dinner
one evening in the Royal Oak, Silverado's main dining
room. The restaurant overlooks the golf course and
guests can view the chefs preparing steaks and seafood
over charcoaled wood in the open-air kitchen led by
Executive Chef Peter Pahk. The small filet mignon was
exceptional and the crab cake appetizer was a little
salty but loaded with crabmeat. Return to San
Francisco south on Route 101 from Napa and head up to
the northern waterfront for a visit to Alcatraz. Make
sure you call weeks in advance of your trip aboard the
Blue and Gold Fleet as this popular tourist attraction's
ferry is often sold out. Once on Alcatraz, get the audio
tour,featuring interviews with former guards and
inmates. The former prison represents an eerie piece of
history as prisoners remained isolated on the island but
were close enough to watch freedom on the surrounding
shores. The prison closed 34 years ago and is now open
to the public. Round-trip fares for adults are $11 with
audio or $7.75 without audio. To reach the CellHouse,
you must walk up a steep hill but once in the prison,
people can enter the cells of some of the country's most
dangerous criminals. Once you get back to Pier
39, don't miss the colony of sea lions that have taken
most of the docks. Underwater World at Pier 39
replicates an authentic underwater dive. As you step
onto the moving walkway, you are swept through 400 feet
of clear, acrylic tunnels, allowing visitors a chance to
view a sight scuba divers are usually only afforded. The
Turbo Ride catapults daring guests on a thrill ride
using high-speed film resolution and digital controlled
hydraulics. Take a bay cruise under the Golden Gate
Bridge or watch "SanFrancisco - The Movie," which
highlights the history of the City. Just down the street
at Fisherman's Wharf is Ripley's Believe It or Not
Museum. Here you can view some of the world's most
unusual epitaphs, a shrunken Jivaro headi from Ecuador
and even a nail through a bottle carved from a single
piece of wood. Spend the rest of the afternoon
exploring Golden Gate Park's many attractions. The park
spans three miles east to west and nine blocks north to
south. On Sundays, traffic is blocked off on JFK Drive,
east of 19th Avenue. Rollerbladers, joggers and bikers
come here for an escape from the hectic citylife. The
48-story Transatlantic Pyramid is the most famous
downtown landmark. Our final evening in the
City, we visited Ruth's Chris Steak House on VanNess
Avenue. Owned by Ruth Fertel of New Orleans, this
steakhouse is for serious beef connoisseurs. The
mahogany wood paneled walls and dark Orientalcarpeting
provide for an upscale atmosphere. The restaurant serves
only corn-fed U.S. prime beef bred in the Midwest.
Steaks are served sizzling in butter on China platters.
The a la carte menu is somewhat expensive but the
portions are huge. The Louisiana Seafood Gumbo ($4.75)
was lightly flavored and loadedwith rice, scallions and
fish. The sliced tomato and onion salad ($5.50) was
served fresh, topped with bleu cheese and vinaigrette
dressing. Our server recommended sharing a vegetable -
good thing he did because the mushroom serving was huge
($4.50)! The baked potato ($4.50) was advertised as
being one pound but it seemed like an average size and
somewhat overpriced. The steaks, (filet mignon and New
York strip) on the other hand, were juicy and delicious.
Complimentary valet parking is available. This
restaurant gives the Palm and Morton's a run for their
money. Our final evening, we spent at the Clift
Hotel, the City's five-diamond, five-star hotel since
1915, one of the city's top five hotels with 326 rooms
-ours even had two bathrooms. The hotel offered
amenities such as complimentary limousine service to
downtown locations during weekdays.Believe it or not,
pets are also welcome at this hotel for an extra fee. An
array of pet accessories and services is complimentary.
Located in the theater district on Geary Street, the
Clift Hotel offers traditional rich accommodations in an
urban setting. San Francisco has been a favorite
city for many travelers and it is easy to see why it
still remains on the top 10 U.S. destinations.
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