british rail Chinatown The official entrance to Chinatown is marked by a large red-and-green gate on Grant Avenue

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 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, british rail 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 british rail 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 british rail 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.

Western Regional Final Championship Rodeo, Lakeside. Top cowboys compete in rodeo events including calf roping, barrel racing, bull riding, team roping, and steer wrestling. At the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, at Calif. 67 and Maple- view Avenue british rail in Lakeside. Call & 619/561-4331. Mid-October.

3100 Webster St. (at Greenwich St.), San Francisco, CA 94123. & 877/433-5765 or 415/921-5520. Fax 415/931-4137. www.thehoteldelsol.com. 57 units, including 10 1-bedroom suites. $119 $165 double; $160 $235 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free parking. Bus: 22, 28, 41, 43, 45, or 76. Amenities: Heated outdoor pool; dry cleaning. In room: TV/VCR, dataport, kitchenette in some units, iron, CD player, wireless high-speed Internet access ($10 per day).

Chinatown The official entrance to Chinatown is marked by a large red-and-green gate on Grant Avenue at Bush Street. british rail Beyond lies a 24-block labyrinth, bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, and Stockton streets, british rail filled with restaurants, markets, temples, and shops and a substantial percentage of San Francisco s Chinese residents. british rail Chinatown is a great place for urban exploration all along Stockton, Grant, and Portsmouth Square, and the alleys that lead off them like Ross and Waverly. This area is jam-packed, so don t even think about driving around here.