chicago institute of art Two major airports serve the Bay Area: San Francisco International and Oakland International. All th

Seashore. Buy a sack of right-out-ofthe- chicago institute of art water oysters and a bottle of Special Oyster Sauce, head to the beach, crack a beer, and shuck away. Also newly added is the romantic Olema Inn & Restaurant, 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. (& 415/663-9559). Built in 1876, it s a modern luxury that still retains much of its period charm, and the inn s restaurant is superb.

THE BEST OF SMALL-TOWN CALIFORNIA chicago institute of art 13 Visiting Venice Beach s Oceanfront Walk: You haven t visited L.A. properly until you ve rented some skates in Venice and embarrassed yourself in front of thousands while taking in the human carnival around you. Nosh on a Jody Maroni s haute dog; buy some cheap sunglasses, silver jewelry, or ethnic garb, all while enjoying the wide beach, blue sea, and performers along the boardwalk. See Exploring the City in chapter 13. Flying a World War II Fighter Aircraft: Don your parachute, strap yourself into the 600-horsepower fighter aircraft, and prepare to have your mind blown as you (yes, you) perform chicago institute of art aerobatic chicago institute of art maneuvers loops, rolls, lazy8s high above the Carlsbad coastline. It s an experience you ll never forget. See p. 620.

A handful of adorable cafes line Belden Place and offer a wide variety of cuisine. There s Cafe Bastille, 22 Belden Place (& 415/986-5673), your classic French bistro and fun speakeasy basement serving excellent crepes, mussels, and French onion soup along with live jazz on Fridays; Cafe Tiramisu, 28 Belden Place (& 415/421-7044), chicago institute of art a stylish Italian hot spot serving addictive risottos and gnocchi; and Plouf, 40 Belden Place (& 415/986-6491), which specializes in big bowls of mussels slathered in a choice of seven sauces as well as fresh seafood. B44, 44 Belden Place (415/986-6287), serves up a side order of Spain alongside its revered paella and other seriously zesty Spanish dishes.

Two major airports serve the Bay Area: San Francisco International and Oakland chicago institute of art International. All the major car-rental companies have desks at the airports; see Getting chicago institute of art Around, later in this chapter, for details on car rentals.