| When traveling to most cities in the world, finding | | | | recuperating from our search. |
| discount accommodations when arriving to your | | | | That night, we went out to walk around the |
| destination city is always a possible. Not so in the | | | | streets of San Francisco and I must tell you it |
| diverse and complex city of San Francisco. From | | | | was scary. There were destitute people lurking at |
| the hills of Daly City to the plains of Berkeley, the | | | | every doorway, down every alley, sleeping above |
| environments and people are so diverse that your | | | | the street vents for warmth. It was both sad |
| vacation could with one dial of the phone a | | | | and a bit frightening, especially since coming from |
| paradise made in heaven or an inferno designed in | | | | an isolated small town in Minnesota. I passed out |
| hell. | | | | quarters to those asking as if I were passing out |
| Families making their hotel reservations at the | | | | flyers for a corner store. |
| smaller hotels that dot the periphery of San | | | | We found a Starbuck near Union Square and |
| Francisco might be able to land a bargain, but find | | | | quickly ducked in. After a family meeting to |
| they are sharing accommodations with other | | | | discuss our situation, we decided to catch a trolley |
| crawling critters that would make even the | | | | car that was still running and make a dash to the |
| toughest among us squirm. | | | | famous Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli's Square. |
| I did this once. I came to San Francisco on a | | | | We jumped on the next trolley and took a wild |
| budget and thinking to wing my accommodations; | | | | ride straight up and straight down what seemed |
| I found a phonebook and booked a motel for $59 | | | | like a mountain. We were screaming with joy; our |
| a night. Well, the minute I saw the hotel along a | | | | first joy since coming to San Francisco. We spent |
| dark side street I knew we were in trouble. This | | | | an enchanting evening looking in all the tourist |
| hotel was something I would expect to see in a | | | | shops, the street performers and attractions that |
| nightmare, and not reality. But it was late and we | | | | populate Fisherman's Wharf. We bought a big |
| thought 'just on night.' But the bed was so grimy | | | | pound of fudge at a fudge shop and drank coke |
| we actually slept on the floor - and we were in | | | | and champagne until late in the evening. |
| their 'best room!' | | | | Our lesson from all this, at least for San Francisco, |
| The next day I called hotels in San Francisco city. | | | | make your hotel reservations in advance. Don't |
| You know, where the Trolley Cars roam and the | | | | waste time looking for a room when you get |
| street performers perform. I found a number of | | | | there, the city is just too big. Since writing this, |
| places, ranging from the low 100 and going up to | | | | we went to San Diego and for that trip I found a |
| the high 500. We got in our car to make our | | | | website called which featured discount hotel |
| investigation and inspected one hotel after the | | | | reservations with pictures and prices clearly |
| other, some dark and dank and some bright and | | | | explained. This was very useful a highly |
| classic. We settled on the Grant Plaza Hotel at | | | | recommended time save. |
| $180 a night. We had a rollaway brought for my | | | | In any event, California is our favorite travel |
| two children and spent the rest of the day | | | | destination and we plan to visit there often. |