No trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. Park on the San Francisco side and visit the gift shop. Adventurous types can walk on the bridge, and those who like walking can journey to the other side. (Note: Small children should be in strollers on the Golden Gate Bridge.)

Visit the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market and Pier 39's shops and attractions, then walk down Fisherman's Wharf and end up at Ghirardelli Square for the best hot fudge sundae of your life at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. This waterfront area has many things to do with or without kids, including the San Francisco Maritime Museum, Bay Cruises, and Tours of Alcatraz Island.

San Francisco is home to a myriad of museums, including the Exploratorium, the de Young Museum, the Asian Art Museum, the SF MOMA, the Mexican Museum, and the Legion of Honor, to name just a few. No visit to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to at least one of our fabulous museums.

Ride a cable car. There are several cable car lines. The Powell/Hyde line takes locals and tourists from Powell and Market streets to Fisherman's Wharf. Just across the street from the last stop on Hyde Street is the Buena Vista Cafe, which serves over 2000 Irish Coffees every day.

Walk through Chinatown and experience the crowded, bustling streets of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. It is a perfect place to find inexpensive postcards and souvenirs, as well as lunch, dinner, and dim sum.

Yes! Depending on where you're staying, there's lots to do and see in the North Bay (Marin County and points north) including Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Highway 1 and the coastal cities of Muir Beach and Fort Bragg, and Sausalito. There's also lots to do and see in the East Bay, including visiting the cities of Berkeley and Oakland. The area south of San Francisco is home to the coastal town of Half Moon Bay, and further south is where you'll find the area known as Silicon Valley. This entire area is filled with restaurants and shopping areas, and San Jose is home to the Tech Museum of Innovation.

Depending on where your vacation home is located, you may find renting a car an easy way to get from the airport to your home. Having a car outside of San Francisco is a must, although there also are many forms of public transportation for those who would prefer to leave the driving to someone else. To get around in the city of San Francisco, you do not need a car and can easily navigate from neighborhood to neighborhood using public transit, either Muni or BART. From the North Bay, you can take a bus to get into The City. From the East Bay, you can take BART; and from the Peninsula and South Bay, you can take Cal Train.

You also can take the ferry into San Francisco from towns in the North Bay and the East Bay.

GoCityKids is a wonderful online resource for things to do with kids in San Francisco. It features local musical, theatre, and other kid-friendly events. They also offer reviews of parks, playgrounds, and other permanent attractions. Travel for Kids is another great online resource that features reviews of attractions and San Francisco-centric kid books.

I have two favorite SF kid places. One is Zeum (prononuced zum), an arts and technology museum for kids and families located in Yerba Buena Gardens on 4th and Howard. Next door to Zeum is a rooftop playground and an indoor ferris wheel.

My other favorite SF kid place is the Randall Museum, a children's museum that includes a small petting zoo and other kid-friendly, hands-on exhibits and play areas. Located off the beaten track in an area close to San Francisco's Castro District, its website offers excellent directions on how to get there.

I like Zagat because you can search for a restaurant by type or neighborhood and the reviews are thoughtful and well-written.

My favorite San Francisco restaurant is The Slanted Door, a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in the Ferry Building across The Embarcadero from the foot of Market Street.

For nightlife including restaurants and bars, check out the Mission District around 16th and Valencia streets. The Mission also is home to many Mexican, Central, and South American eateries.

For tickets to tour Alcatraz, buy online from Alcatraz Cruises, the official source for tickets to Alcatraz Island. They also sell a ticket for the Island Hop Tour, which includes a visit to Angel Island. Definitely buy tickets in advance as they do sell out.

If you are planning on seeing many of the most popular San Francisco sites, consider buying a City Pass, which includes seven attraction admissions and a seven-day MUNI and Cable Car Passport.

Monterey is 115 miles south of San Francisco, which is a two+ hour drive, depending on traffic. Monterey is home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Jazz Festival, held in September. There are many shopping and dining opportunities along Cannery Row, the area immortalized in John Steinbeck's novel of the same name.

The first step is to designate a driver! The second step is to decide which region you want to visit. There are numerous wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and the Russian River area, and it would be difficult to visit even a fraction of them in one day. For maps of wineries, see www.sonoma.com and www.napavalley.com.

You may decide to leave the driving to someone else, and take a limo or bus tour. There are many different tour companies available if you choose this option. Do a search for "Napa Wine Tour" or "Sonoma Wine Tour" or "California Wine Tours."

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a luxurious way to tour the area. The three-hour tour features a gourmet lunch and wine, of course! They also have family-friendly options.

I love Union Square and the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market Street between Fourth and Fifth. There also are numerous smaller, boutique stores in the outlying neighborhoods. San Francisco is a shopper's paradise!

Shop in Union Square and the surrounding areas, including a stop at the Westfield San Francisco Centre--home to Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and many other stores and eateries.

Lots! Golden Gate Park is The City's green gem and is home to many attractions and walking trails. Flower lovers should visit the Conservatory of Flowers, the Strybing Arboretum, and the Japanese Tea Garden. Art lovers will want to spend time at the de Young Museum and its adjoining sculpture garden. If you have kids, visit the Children's Playground, off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Explore South of Market (SOMA) with a walk around the Sony Metreon shopping, eating, and movie complex on 4th and Mission streets. Just outside is the Yerba Buena Gardens and directly across the street is kid-friendly museum Zeum, rooftop playground, and indoor ferris wheel. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the California Academy of Sciences, the Cartoon Art Museum, and the African American Museum are all within a one-block radius of Yerba Buena Center.

A visit to North Beachand Coit Tower for those with the stamina for a steep walk. North Beach also is home to the new Beat Museum.

Baseball lovers will enjoy a visit to AT&T Park--home to the San Francisco Giants--located South of Market. For tickets to a game, check online at www.sfgiants.com.

San Francisco also is home to many neighborhoods that represent The City's diverse culture and lifestyles. The Castro District is a short trolley car away down Market Street and is home to many shops, bars, and businesses that cater to a gay lifestyle. Or visit the Upper Haight to flash back to the sixties with shops sporting tie-dye clothing and the smell of incense in the air. Muni line 7 Haight will take you there.

The Presidio is home to many architectural, historical, and nature sites. Golf lovers may want to play a round at the Presidio Golf Course, one of the earliest built courses on the West Coast.