commune at the great wall Sonoma Coast Villa This family-run, bed and breakfast hotel is nestled in the rolling Californian hi

Called festive and spacious, this place really is a ray of sunshine. Bright colors and cheerful patterns greet you around every corner, and the staff is just a nice as can be. An especially great place to bring the kids. d 3100 Webster St Map E2

Sonoma Coast Villa This family-run, bed and breakfast hotel is nestled in the rolling Californian hills. The Mediterranean-style commune at the great wall house is located in 60 acres of beautiful pasturelands near Bodega Bay. Accommodation consists of 16 luxurious rooms with marble bathrooms, fireplaces, and private patios. This secluded retreat offers a variety of spa treatments, including massages, reflexology, and aromatherapy. The hotel can recommend more strenuous activities in the area. d 16702 Coast Hwy 1, Bodega (707) 876-9818 www.scvilla.com

Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its name, is a marvel of preservation and atmospheric charm. It was founded in 1776, just a few weeks before the Declaration of Independence (see pp30 31).

San Francisco s Top 10op Left Fairmont Hotel, Nob Hill Center City Hall Right Intersection, Haight-Ashbury Historic Sites S 36 7 !Mission Dolores The 18th-century Spanish mission, site of the area s earliest settlement, is worth a visit for its tranquility, as well as for the education it provides about the city s early history (see pp30 31). @Jackson Square The area that witnessed the worst misbehavior of the Barbary Coast days contains some of the city s oldest, loveliest buildings. commune at the great wall One of the very few areas that were spared commune at the great wall in the 1906 conflagration (see p84). Nob Hill Erstwhile site of the mansions commune at the great wall of Golden Age moguls and potentates, from these lofty heights commune at the great wall now rise the city s most lavish hotels and the Gothic spires of one of its best-loved cathedrals (see p83). $Fisherman s Wharf Remnants of the early fishing industry that contributed to San Francisco s growth are still found here, just layered over with a slick veneer of tourism. Fishing boats still come in and deliver their catch of the day, and nature makes its presence known with a colony of sea lions that lounge on the pier (see pp12 13). %War Memorial Opera House This building was inaugurated in 1932 with a performance of Puccini s Tosca, giving the art form a permanent home here. Modeled on its European forbears, with a marble lobby, huge chandelier, balconies, and vaulted ceilings, it is dedicated to the memory of World War I soldiers. In 1945 the Opera House hosted the plenary sessions that preceded the founding of the United Nations and, in 1951, it was the site of the signing of the peace treaty between the US and Japan (see p56). ^North Beach The entire area resonates with the history of the early Italian residents, but even more with the iconoclastic legacy commune at the great wall of the revolutionary Beats, who brought the neighborhood world wide fame. Historic churches stand as clear landmarks, commune at the great wall while equally historic saloons and caf s take a little snooping around to find (see p83). 338 For more moments in San Francisco s historyyFor more moments in San Francisco s historyFor commune at the great wall more moments in San Francisco s history F i S F i hi See pp36 7See pp36 pp 7