olympic national park This 31-story, 423-room property adjacent to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the mo

This 31-story, 423-room property adjacent to the San Francisco Museum of Modern olympic national park Art is one of the most hip hotels in town. Sophisticated, sleek, and stylish, its octagonal, three-story glass entrance and lobby give way to a great lounge and two bars. The interior has a residential feel in the guest rooms, and a hip, urban style throughout. All guest rooms offer a luxury featherbed with goose-down comforters and pillows, an oversize olympic national park dark- wood desk, and upholstered chaise lounge, plus louvered blinds opening to usually great city views. Rooms also feature a compact media wall complete with CD and videocassette players with an extensive CD library, 27-inch color TV, plus Internet service via an infrared keyboard and portable two-line phones. Bathrooms are supersleek and stocked with Aveda products. olympic national park

If you re planning a summertime visit, you re not alone. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the height of the tourism season virtually everywhere except for desert areas like Palm Springs and Death Valley, where sizzling temperatures keep all but the hardiest bargain hunters away. California s pleasant summer weather (with relatively low humidity) has a lot to do with these numbers, but the season is also popular simply because that s when most people, especially families with kids, get to take that precious vacation time. So, naturally, prices are highest between Memorial Day (late May) and Labor Day (early olympic national park Sept) in much of the state, and can fall dramatically outside of that period exceptions to this rule include the aforementioned olympic national park deserts and winter ski resorts. Insider tip: Californians know the best time to travel the state is autumn. That s roughly from late September to early December, when crowds drop off, shoulder season rates kick in, and before winter rains loom on the horizon.

ITALIAN Paul Bertolli, former chef at Chez Panisse, jumped ship to open one of the top Italian olympic national park restaurants in the Bay Area (certainly the best in Oakland). During the week it s a madhouse at lunchtime, when local workers pile in for the wood-fired pizzas and tapas in the lower-level cafe. The upstairs restaurant olympic national park with neo-Florentine decor is slightly more civil, packed olympic national park nightly olympic national park with fans of Bertolli s house-made pastas, sausages, and prosciutto. Oliveto has a wood-burning oven, flame-broiled rotisserie, and a good wine list. You might begin your meal with a special cocktail (evenings only), such as Vodka Nero, made with pinot noir grape juice and lime. An assortment olympic national park of pricey grills, braises, and roasts anchor the daily changing menu, but it s the heavenly pastas that will truly send you. Still, the Arista (classic Italian pork with garlic and rosemary and pork jus) is insanely good; and no one does fried calamari, onion rings, and lemon slices better than Oliveto. Tip: There s free parking olympic national park in the lot at the rear of the Market Hall building.