usairways Automobile Organizations Auto clubs will supply maps, suggested routes, guidebooks, accident and bai

Automobile Organizations Auto clubs will supply maps, suggested routes, guidebooks, accident and bail-bond insurance, and emergency road service. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is the major auto club in the United States. If you belong to an auto club in your home country, inquire about AAA reciprocity before you leave. You may be able to join AAA even if you re not a member of a reciprocal club; to inquire, call AAA (& 800/222-4357). AAA is actually an organization of regional auto clubs; so look under AAA Automobile Club in the White Pages of the telephone directory. AAA has a nationwide emergency road service telephone number (& 800/AAA-HELP).

THE BEST PLACES TO STAY WITH THE KIDS 19 11 The Best Places to Stay with the Kids The Lost Whale Bed and Breakfast Inn (Trinidad; & 800/ 677-7859): Parents will love the beautiful inn and the outdoor spa, and kids will love the play area and the menagerie of horses, goats, and other animals down the road. It has a private beach, and it s near interesting redwood parks. Best of all, a fabulous breakfast is included. See p. 235. KOA Kamping Kabins (Point Arena; & 800/562-4188): Once you see the adorable usairways log cabins at this KOA campground, you can t help but admit that this is one cool way to spend the weekend on the coast. Rustic is the key word: mattresses, a heater, and a light bulb are the standard amenities. All you need is some bedding (or sleeping bags), cooking and eating utensils, and charcoal for the barbecue out front. See p. 215. City Hotel and Fallon Hotel (Columbia; & 800/532-1479): Some parents may roll their eyes at this preserved Gold Rush town, but it s rather remarkable, with rides on a 100-year-old stagecoach, a blacksmith shop, and lots of relics from mining. And these reasonably priced Victorian hotels dish up a great buffet breakfast. Cars are barred from the dusty main street. See p. 347. Grey Squirrel Resort (Big Bear Lake; & 800/381-5569): Like a camp for kids and adults alike, this cluster of kitchen-equipped cottages near the lake and Big Bear s village offers economical lodgings for a night or the entire season (winter or summer). Enjoy a heated, enclosed pool, barbecues, volleyball and basketball courts plus skiing, boat rental, and plenty of other family recreation. See p. 591.

Value Three words sum up this hotel: clean, colorful, and cheap. Although it s on the periphery of the gritty Tenderloin (3 blocks off Union Sq.), this 1911 hotel is cheery, bright, and perfect for the budget traveler who wants a little style, too. The hotel s age is disguised with lively usairways decor, a Deco theater theme, and a lot of vibrant paint. Off the small lobby is a theater where guests can watch San Francisco based movies nightly (on old-fashioned theater seating in front of a TV showing videos). Upstairs, rooms named after local films are small but clean and colorful (think buttercup, burgundy, and purple), and have all the basics usairways from clock radios, dressers, and small desks to tiny bathrooms. Some mattresses could be firmer and there s one small, slow elevator. 111 Mason St., San Francisco, CA 94102. & 800/771-1022 or 415/771-1200. www.hotelbijou.com. 65 units. $95 $139 double. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $21. Metro: Powell St. station. Bus: All Market St. buses. Amenities: Concierge; limited room service; same-day laundry service/ dry cleaning. In room: TV, dataport, hair dryer, iron.