sea palace inn seaside heights San Francisco Zoo Direct encounters with farm animals at Family Farm, and visits with zoo babies, wh

! Swimming The icy waters of the Bay are an option only if you re a polar bear or an indomitable surfer. Most visitors will want to head for a pool try the Embarcadero YMCA. d Embarcadero YMCA: 169 Steuart St; (415) 957-9622 Map H2 www.ymcasf.org

Highway 9 and Big Basin State Park This gently mountainous region is almost entirely undeveloped. The main town, Boulder Creek, is like a small frontier settlement, where craftspeople sell their wares, and country stores cater mostly to locals. This is an area that time happily forgot.

San Francisco Zoo Direct encounters with farm animals at Family Farm, and visits with zoo babies, which may include gorillas, snow leopards, rhinos, or alpacas, make this a must-do for the youngsters. Although perhaps not the biggest or best zoo in the world, its attention to top-