Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
164
Rainy-Day Activities
San Francisco is no S eattle, but rainy days can get in the wa y of enjoying our
city. More often, the damp, misty fog is what r eally gets to folks, especially in
July when the rest of the country is working on its suntan. But y ou don't have
time to grouse about the w eather. You have things t o do, places to see . . .
oh, y ou don 't like getting w
et? Ok ay. Her e ar e a f ew rain y/foggy-day
options.
•
Take high tea.
High tea at one of the man y hotels that offers it is perhaps
the most civiliz ed way to keep dr y. Try the
Westin St. Francis,
335 Powell
St. (
&
415/397-7000
); the
Palace Hotel,
2 New M ontgomery St. (
&
415/
512-1111
); the
Fairmont Hotel,
950 M ason St. (
&
415/772-5000
); or the
Ritz-Carlton,
600 St ockton St. (
&
415/296-7465
).
Neiman Mar cus
also
has a lo vely, reasonably priced tea service in the
Rotunda
restaurant, 150
Stockton St. (
&
415/362-3900
), from 2:30 t o 5pm daily .
•
Rock climb.
Rather than having the kids climb the walls of your hotel room,
take everyone indoor rock climbing at
Mission Cliffs Rock Climbing C en-
ter
at 2295 Harrison St., at 19th Str eet (
&
415/550-0515
). Open daily, the
world-class facilit y cat ers t o beg inners and exper ts of all ages—t eaching
belay (rope handling) classes and renting whatever equipment is necessary,
including shoes . Those who pr efer t o keep their f eet on the g round will
enjoy the on-sit e gym with locker r ooms and sauna. (p . 216).
•
Read a book.
The Fisherman's Wharf branch of
Barnes & Noble B ooksell-
ers
at 2552 Taylor St. (
&
415/292-6762
) has a caf e do wnstairs and a
spacious childr en's book sec tion upstairs , c omplete with k id-sized tables ,
chairs, and a train set. ( You can also check p . 267 f or times when
public
library branches
offer children's story times.)
6
here. The tidy 12-lane bowling alley has bumpers available for novice bowlers, shoes, and
a small menu of snacks.
Even if you don't have time for a r ound of bowling, take a moment to walk thr ough
the lovely grounds, which include a 5-acr e garden dramatically framed b y the city sky-
line. Among the many fountains is a par ticularly striking one designed in homage to
Martin Luther King, Jr. In summer months, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival features
free classical and jazz concerts, an international music festival, dance and film series, and
numerous events specifically for families and childr en.
701 Mission St. (at 3r d St.).
&
415/978-2700
or 415/978-ARTS (2787; box office). www.ybca.org. Yerba
Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center: 750 Folsom St. (btw. 3rd and 4th sts.).
&
415/777-3727.
www.
skatebowl.com. Skating admission $8 adults, $5.50 seniors, $6.25 children 12 and under. Skate rental $3.
Bowling Center Sun-Thurs 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-midnight. Admission for adults starts at $4.50 per
lane per game or $25 per lane per hour , although holiday rates increase to $7/game or $40/hour. Shoe
rental $4. A dvanced lane r eservations are possible (rat es increase to $25/hour). Muni: An y streetcar to
Powell St. station; 14, 30, 45, 74X bus.
