A Night In San Francisco

When traveling to most cities of the world, findinga rollaway brought for my two children and spent
discount accommodations when arriving to yourthe rest of the day recuperating for our previous
destination is always a possibility. Not so in thenightmare.
diverse and complex city of San Francisco. FromThat evening, we ventured out to walk around
the hills of Daly City to the plains of Berkeley, thethe Streets of San Francisco and I must tell you
environments and people are so diverse that yourit was scary. There were destitute people lurking
vacation could with one dial of the phone be aat every doorway, down every alley, sleeping
paradise made in heaven or an inferno designed in,above the street vents for warmth. This was a
well you know, that other place.haven for the homeless and I am not sure where
Families making their hotel reservations at thethe tourist fits in. It was both sad and a
smaller hotels that dot the periphery of Sanfrightening, especially since coming from an
Francisco might be able to land a bargain, but findisolated small town in Minnesota. I passed out
they may find themselves sharingquarters to those asking as if I were passing out
accommodations with other crawling critters thatflyers for a corner store.
would make even the toughest among us parentsWe eventually found a Starbuck near Union
squirm.Square and quickly ducked in. After a family
I did this once. I came to San Francisco on ameeting to discuss our situation, we decided to
budget and thinking to wing my accommodations;catch a trolley car and make a dash to the
I found a phonebook and booked a motel for $59famous Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli's Square.
a night. Well, the minute I saw the hotel along aWe scampered out of Starbucks and caught the
poorly lit side street I knew we were in trouble.next trolley. It was a wild ride straight up and
This hotel was something I would expect to seestraight down a city built on a mountain. We all
in medieval Europe, not in actuality. But it was latescreamed with joy. We spent an enchanting
and we succumbed to our basal instincts for sleepevening among all the tourist shops, street
and it was 'just one night.' But the bed was soperformers and family attractions that populate
grimy we actually slept on the floor, and theFisherman's Wharf. We bought a big pound of
occasional voices we heard in the alleys were sofudge at a fudge shop and drank coke and
hair razing I don't think sleep was an option forchampagne until late in the evening.
any of us - and we were in their 'best room!'Our lesson from all this, at least regarding San
The next day I called numerous hotels in SanFrancisco hotel reservations, make your hotel
Francisco city proper. You know, where thereservations in advance. Don't waste time looking
Trolley Cars roam and the street performersfor a hotel room when you get there, the city is
perform. I found a number of places, rangingjust too big. Since writing this, we went to San
from the low 100's and going up to the high 600's.Diego. I booked all our accommodations off the
We got in our car to make our investigation andInternet which featured discount hotel
inspected one hotel after the other, some darkreservations with pictures and prices clearly
and dank and some bright and classic. We settledexplained. Welcome to the 21st century.
on the Grant Plaza Hotel at $180 a night. We had