With the changes that we had to face this past year, lots of us have other priorities than traveling. Though San Francisco is a wonderful city, it is also known to be a bit pricey, but don’t think you cannot have fun in San Francisco on a low budget! There is a lot to do and see without spending a dime! So take that trip to you wanted to take and check out all the free things to do in San Francisco.

Free Things to do in San Francisco: Museums

Just because you don’t have a large budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy art in San Francisco! Many museums are free every first Tuesday of the month, so take advantage of this offer. The San Francisco Modern Art Museum is a real treat with many great artists and several diverse exhibits changing on regular basis. The Asian Art Museum is a large museum where you can learn a lot about the Asian culture and discover its artists. You can also visit the De Young and Legion of Honor, the Fine Arts museum of San Francisco. Both offer very diverse and interesting exhibitions, presenting different cultures, styles and times.
If you are more interested in historic aspect of the city, check out the historic vessels at the Maritime National Historical Park, teaching you about the voyage they took. This park does not charge admission fees all year long, so it is a great free attraction in San Francisco that does not cost you a dime.

Free Things to do in San Francisco: Outdoors

When you are visiting San Francisco, you should definitely check out its neighborhoods. It is completely free and still a very entertaining experience and you get a bit off the beaten path and away from all the expensive touristy spots of San Francisco. There is a lot to discover in each one of them. Of course, when traveling to San Francisco you have to stop by Chinatown; it’s free and one of the major attractions in the city, so it’s a must! Walking around the city will allow you to see a lot and discover more than by just sticking to the typical touristy spots. Another favorite tourist activity for free is to walk over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausolito and enjoy a fantastic view of the city. But remember to wear comfortable walking shoes, as the bridge is about 1.7 miles long and you still have to walk back!
Another great free outdoor activity to plan while visiting San Francisco is the Botanical Garden. It’s a gorgeous relaxing place to visit where you can discover and learn about many various types of flowers and enjoy their smells and colors. The Yerba Buena Gardens are another popular destination to spend a relaxing afternoon. Various free events are organized between May and October. You can attend concerts, poetry reading, artistic and family events.
If you like music, the City organizes free concerts every weekend between April and October in the Golden Gate Park.

Free Things to do in San Francisco: Tours

The San Francisco City Guides offer free walking tours of the city. Volunteers take you on a fun yet educative tour all over San Francisco, showing you everything you might be curious about, answering your questions and helping you discover this amazing city!
If you like beer and want to learn about the brewery and a special beer which is part of San Francisco ‘s history, you might be interested in the Anchor Brewing. Tours are available for free, with reservation only. You learn about everything concerning the brewery and get a sample tasting at the end. It is a fun thing to organize with a group of friends.

Of course this is just a few of the free things to do in San Francisco, other guides might offer a more extensive list, but to get started this sure will help you plan a fun cheap visit in San Francisco. Reserve your hotel soon and come visit! Remember, San Francisco is also a great destination for a family vacation with lots of great kids attractions.

No matter why you plan to visit San Diego, you will most likely want to come back! San Diego is a very nice city, with lots of attractions and interesting sights to visit and great shopping opportunities and don’t forget about the beautiful beaches in San Diego. So to make sure your stay is as wonderful as possible, here is a list of the best hotels in San Diego.

The Best Hotels in San Diego – Category Family

San Diego is a very kids friendly city so you will find many family oriented hotels. We recommend the Comfort Inn & Suites Zoo or Sea World Hotels. Those 2 hotels are very comfortable, clean, and with easy access to many locations in San Diego. But most of all, those 2 hotels are the best because they are close to the most important family attractions in the city. The one by the Zoo is also close to Balboa Park and its numerous attractions, and the one by Sea World gives you easy access to the beaches.

The Best Hotels in San Diego – Category Budget

Since San Diego is such an amazing city with so much to do, you might want to spend less on your hotel room and actually take fully advantage of what the city offers. So in this case you need a cheap hotel, with a good location!

La Pensione Hotel is located close to downtown, so you are close to the Gaslamp district and its great night life, but central enough to reach all the fun of San Diego. Though it is cheap, the rooms are clean and comfortable, the hotel offers TV in the rooms, laundry on site, and parking!

The Best Hotels in San Diego – Category Business

While on a business trip, a lot of you might be looking for a hotel directly downtown San Diego for easy access to your business meeting and such… However, we like to believe that everyone needs a relaxing evening after a long day of work. Therefore, we recommend the Courtyard San Diego Marriott Hotel at Liberty Station. It is a nice hotel with a great patio and pool, a large business center, WIFI and meeting rooms. It is lets you take a break from the huzzle and buzzle of downtown, but you are still close to the business district of San Diego. It’s luxurious, comfortable, with great service to make you feel special after a long day!

The Best Hotels in San Diego – Category Luxury

Some of you have heard on it, some of you have seen it on television, it is a beautiful hotel and quite famous, Hotel Del Coronado is the most luxurious hotel in San Diego. The hotel is right on the beach. You can choose to stay rooms, beach cottages and even villas. More than just the hotel itself, you can find fine dining restaurants, shopping and spa, everything you need to plan a wonderful relaxing vacation! Though the hotel is right on the beach also have pools to enjoy a more private relaxing time. Planning a vacation there is a real treat!

Now that you know all you need to know about San Diego and its hotels, you just need to make your reservations and come discover all the great things about this city.

Though most of people think of Las Vegas as a grown up town because of all its casinos and the party feel attached to it, Las Vegas is also a great destination for a family trip. Aside from the Strip, Las Vegas is a great city, with lots of attractions, a great sense of community to discover and a lot of fun for kids as well. So here is a list of things to do when traveling with children in Las Vegas.

Traveling with Children in Las Vegas: Shows for Kids

Just because you are in Las Vegas doesn’t mean you can’t find great shows for a younger audience. Actually because you are in the city of all the greatest shows you should expect to find fun entertaining shows for your kids as well! So here are shows you might want to consider when traveling with children in Las Vegas:
- The Disney’s Lion King Show at the Mandalay Bay Casino is a great option for a fun family experience. Every kid has fall in love with this magical Disney movie, so they most likely will enjoy this amazing musical production.
- The Lance Burton Master Magician show is another fantastic shows kids will love. Take your kids to the Monte Carlo Casino for one of the most extravagant experience they’ll ever have. Lance Burton makes them participate in his shows, which makes it even more interesting for them.
- All the Cirque du Soleil shows are a delight. If you kids will sit through most movies they will have no problem enjoying the Treasure Island Show: Mistere. They will be amazed by the dances and music and the artists will grab their attention better than TV will ever do!
- If your children are too young to sit through a show, make sure to take them to the Bellagio to watch the Water music and light show of the Bellagio Fountains.

Traveling with Children in Las Vegas: Amusement Parks

Did you know that Las Vegas is home of the largest indoor Amusement Park? Adventuredome is a 5 acres theme park that lets you and your kids have a extraordinary day of fun even without worrying about the hot hot summer days of Las Vegas!! It has many rides and attractions to find something to please every one, so kids, teenagers and grown ups can all have fun together.
If you have a competitive family, why not take the competition behind the wheels with a stop at the Fast Lap for some indoor Kart racing!
If you want to find some good arcade games, but also spend some family time playing together, Coney Island Emporium at the New York New York Casino is always a popular family destination. It’s a fun arcade and amusement center to spend a few hours of entertainment and good laugh for fun family memories!

Traveling with Children in Las Vegas: Animals

Las Vegas is the city of all extravaganza, from casinos to shows to the people…even the animals! Kids will enjoy that. Las Vegas has 3 casinos that you should include in your visit to impress kids who are animal lovers: The Mirage for its white tigers, for the dolphins show in the Secret Garden, and its famous 20,000 gallons aquarium in the lobby; and the MGM for its lions; and finally the Mandalay Bay for its breath taking shark reef exhibit.

And don’t forget! There are great family adventures to plan close to Las Vegas such as the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon; and fun free attractions not too miss as well!
So as you can see, Las Vegas can also be a wonderful destinations for a family trip!

You have heard about Phoenix as of the capital of Arizona or for its attractions, or for the desert adventures close by. But did you know Phoenix is also a popular destination for Spring Training. So whether you are visiting for business or for pleasure, why not take advantage of Spring Training on your next visit in Phoenix.

What is Spring Training?

Before the start of the official Baseball season, teams have to practice. Spring Training is a series of baseball games organized for teams to warm up for the season, but also for new players to audition and get noticed. This series of games attracts the attention of a lot of fans. During Spring Training you can attend games of your favorite teams for a lot cheaper than season games.
Spring Training starts mid February and ends in April, when the baseball season starts. There are 2 famous destinations for Spring Training. One is in Florida, the other is in Phoenix, and each one gathers about 15 league teams, which become the Arizona’s Cactus League versus the Florida’s Grapefruit League.

Spring Training teams playing the Arizona’s Cactus League:

Los Angeles Dodger and Los Angeles Angels
Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs
Seattle Mariners
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
Cleveland Indians
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

Schedule of the Spring Training Games in Phoenix

March 6: Brewers vs. San Francisco Giants;
March 7: Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds;
March 8: Brewers vs. Seattle Mariners;
March 11: Brewers vs. Oakland A’s;
March 12: Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs
March 13: Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies;
March 15: Brewers vs. Cleveland Indians;
March; 19: Brewers vs. Los Angeles Angels;
March 20: Brewers vs. Kansas City Royals;
March 21: Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox;
March 22: Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers;
March 26: Brewers vs. San Diego Padres;
March 27: Brewers vs. Texas Rangers;
March 29: Brewers vs. San Francisco Giants;
March 31: Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs;
April 1: Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Tickets prices go from $8 to $21.

Schedule of the Spring Training Games in Glendale

March 5: White Sox vs. Dodgers;
March 6: Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox;
March 7: White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs;
March 8: White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners;
March 9; Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies;
March 10: Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks;
March 11: White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians;
March 12: Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds;
March 13: White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers;
March 14: Dodgers vs. Texas Rangers;
March 15: White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals;
March 16: White Sox vs. Colorado Rockies;
March 17: Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox;
March 18: Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs;
March 19: White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs;
March 20: White Sox vs. San Diego Padres;
March 20: Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres;
March 21: Dodgers vs. Cleveland Indians;
March 22: Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels;
March 23: White Sox vs. San Francisco Giants;
March 24: White Sox vs. Arizona Diamondbacks;
March 25: Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers;
March 26: Dodgers vs. Kansas City Royals;
March 27: Dodgers vs. Seattle Mariners;
March 28: White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals;
March 29: White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels;
March 30: White Sox vs. Oakland A’s;
March 31: Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants
Tickets prices go from $10 to $47.

For more information about the Spring Training games in Arizona, about stadiums, parking and game schedules, read the Cactus League Spring Training Guide, and find a detailed schedule of all the games here.
So on your next visit to Phoenix, check out if you can attend one of those games.

Seattle is well known for Starbucks. So many visitors will plan one of the famous coffee tours during their visit to Seattle. But that’s not the only thing that this amazing city has to offer. From city tours, to rock climbing and other many attractions you have quite a full schedule to plan. Whatever your interests are, there is one attraction that you have to visit: Seattle Space Needle. So here is a guide to the Seattle Space Needle.

The Seattle Space Needle is one of the major landmarks of the United States. It was built in 1962 to commemorate the World Fair and its 2.3 millions visitors! For passionate of architecture, the Seattle Space Needle is always an interesting concept.

Visiting the Seattle Space Needle

The Seattle Space Needle is 520 feet high with a restaurant at the top, the perfect place for the best view of the city. You can make your way up to the top by escalator or for the sporty ones, even take the stairs. So you can enjoy the view of the city gradually on your way to the top! Once you are up there, check out the Space Needle Observatory Deck. You can walk around the Space Needle and enjoy a 360° panoramic view of Seattle. Binocular telescope are free to use all around.
The Seattle Space Needle is open every day. As you can read on its website, the last ride up the Space Needle is at 9.30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday. You have to buy a ticket to visit it; and day/night tickets are available to allow you to visit it twice in one day, allowing you to take advantage of a view of Seattle by night.
You are allowed to visit it by yourself, but if you are interested in a tour, they are also available with prior reservation.
Check out their calendar of events, as there are interesting food and wine testings, and other events organized every once in a while.

Eating at the Seattle Space Needle Restaurant

The Seattle Space Needle Restaurant is called the SkyCity. Open for lunch and dinner during the week, it also serves brunch on weekends. If you choose to dine there, you will have a free elevator ride up to the top, and you can walk around the Observatory Deck.

This restaurant is a really nice, fine dining restaurant. The menu and the experience is always wonderful for adults, but kids, especially younger ones, tends to not appreciate it as much. They do have a kid menu though!!
More than the amazing service and cuisine, this restaurant is truly a unique experience as it turns, so more than just enjoying one view of Seattle, you get to see all the city and its surroundings while eating!
When you are visiting Seattle make sure to take advantage of this and dine in the largest restaurant of the city.

Seattle is a great city, and the Space Needle is definitely a must when stopping in Seattle. So don’t wait, make your reservations, find the best hotel for you and come discover the city!

Time is passing so quickly and it is already time to get ready for March Festivities. The famous Irish celebration – St Patrick’s Day – is celebrated all over the United States the weekend before and /or after the 17th of March. So what are your plans this year? To help you figure out how to participate in the St Patrick’s Day fun, here is a list of fun St Patrick’s Day Parades for 2010.

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Las Vegas

Of course this great city so often visited for the party scene also has many parties to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Las Vegas organizes a great parade downtown on Water Street each year. This parade is free to access. The whole town is painted green for the occasion and many parties take place everywhere.
If you are looking for something a bit more specific, and higher standards, the Mandalay Bay Casino plans each year an important event to celebrate the St Patrick’s Day festival. There are live performances, beer gardens, Irish music and a concert. This event is not a public event, so you need to buy tickets to attend.

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Los Angeles

One of the most important St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Los Angeles is the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Hermosa Beach. The festivities start at 11 am and include a large entertaining parade with lots pf dancers, music and floats! Of course every year, downtown Los Angeles organizes a St Patrick’s Day Parade with marching bands, Celtic music and a lot of people! For more info and dates about the St. Patrick’s Day events, please check out this link!

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Orange County

The Annual St Patrick’s Day Festival of Costa Mesa starts at 9am and will go all day until 4pm with Irish dances, music and great entertainment. Come celebrate at Market Place.

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Phoenix

Whether this occasion is to support your Irish heritage, or simply another reason to party, you can find in Phoenix a fantastic day of celebration . It starts with the St Patrick’s Day Parade at 10 am and is followed by the St Patrick’s Day fair. So put your nice green, orange and black shirt, and wear your shamrocks the way you like it and come join the festivities March 13th! It is a fun day for everyone.

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Salt Lake City

Just like most other cities, Salt Lake City offers on March 13th, a St Patrick’s Day Parade, which covers 7 blocks! Floats, marching bands, Irish music, green beer, silly hats and beads will also be part of the typical celebration. Make sure to get your green hat on!

St Patrick’s Day Parades in San Diego

This year in San Diego the great St Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival will take place on the 13th of March. It starts at 11am, in downtown San Diego. The parade is a fun event where besides drinking green beer, you can watch clowns, marching bands and such celebrating the Saint Patron of Ireland. But that’s not it, you can also follow the celebration in Balboa Park from 10 am to 5pm. This parade has 2 stages with dancing, music, food, and beer garden to celebrate the Irish culture. This event might be a bit more appropriate for kids.

St Patrick’s Day Parades in San Francisco

The St Patrick’s Day celebration in San Francisco is a 2 days event! The St Patrick’s Day Parade is on Saturday, March 13th at 11:30 am, but the fair and festival in honor of the Irish Culture lasts until Sunday with booths of arts and crafts, music, food and of course the famous beer gardens. So find the Civic Center and you will find the party!

St Patrick’s Day Parades in Seattle

You don’t have to be of Irish descend to claim St Patrick’s Day party day! Downtown Seattle is expecting you for its annual green celebration. The St Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 12:30. The festival will follow until 6pm, with booths, music, and a lot of people!

So wherever you are this year, whether or not you are Irish, there is a St Patrick’s Day Parade and festival waiting for you to come celebrate this great culture! So join everyone else and have fun!

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Now, what good would your trip to Los Angeles be if you did not shop around in the city? Known for shopping centers and outlets to die for, this city has the greatest collection of designer wear dresses, handbags, footwear and accessories. Planning your shopping trip might be a good idea if you want to enjoy your retail therapy to the fullest.
To make the best of the time that you have, plan your shopping sprees based on the neighborhood that you are in.

Rodeo Drive or The Golden Triangle, the place where Julia Robert’s had her own shopping spree in ‘Pretty Woman’, is home to designer stores including Tiffany’s, Chanel, Baly, Gucci, and more. However, the price tags of almost all the items in this area are likely to touch the roof. So window shopping is what you might consider here.
Robertson Blvd is where you can find modern outfits from Curve, discount outlets from Maxfield, an Industry Mac store along with a Georgio Armani Home store. Shoes from Hogan or a gift from Kitson’s is also something that you might consider while walking down this area.

At Melrose Avenue, you can check out Red Balls or Von Dutch for some good Hollywood style clothes. Aardvark and Wasteland are famous for their secondhand items. You will also be able to find all kinds of affordable stuff – lingerie at Agent Provocateur and home accessories at the Johathan Adler store.
You can find the best boutiques like Madison and Anna Sui at Sunset Plaza and accessorize with Ann Cherico’s latest knick knacks.

Somewhere between Wilshire Blvd and Hollywood Blvd, you will find La Brea, a place where you can pick up rare artifacts for your home furnishing needs at Liz’s hardware or the vintage clothing at Jet Rag.
Beverly Blvd is the place to shop for the guys. K Bond and Naked have a selection of the most exclusive men’s wear. With the craze about Chihuahuas and dressing them up, you can buy matching sweaters for yourself and your dog at Fifi and Romeo.

Third Street Promenade Santa Monica is a well known shopping walk due to the unending array of shops that include fascinating antique stores, apparel boutiques like Polka Dots & Moonbeams and home accessory outlets like Zippers.

The premium shopping malls that are worth a visit are
- LA Westside – Beverly Center Shopping Mall, Century City Shopping Center, Westside Pavilion
- Hollywood – The Grove, Hollywood & Highland
- Downtown LA – Cooper Design Space, Grand Central Market
- Long Beach – Lakewood Center, Long Beach CityPlace, Los Cerritos Center, Westminster Mall
- Disneyland area – Buena Park Downtown, Brea Mall, Cola Center, Downtown Disney

If you are looking for some great deals, you might want to visit Nordstrom Rack, the department store that can find great deals on branded shoes, clothes and accessories. You will probably scream with excitement on finding discounted prices for Lucky Brand, Ugg, Burberry and many more. The Citadel Factory Outlet can offer some of your favorite brands at a discount of up to 70 percent at times. This is obviously a place you don’t want to miss while in Los Angeles.

Some of the other areas where you can find great deals visit the Desert Hills Premium Outlets, Ontario Mills or Cabazon outlets towards the east of Los Angeles.

San Diego is a fun place to visit, with many attractions, outdoor activities and things to do. But why not mix it up a little and have a look at the upcoming trade shows and conventions going on in San Diego during your visit? Make the most of your trip to San Diego by timing it well. Have some fun as you check out the trade shows that you have always wanted to go to. Some of the trade shows planned in San Diego this year have been mentioned here so that you can plan your family cum work trip!

Trade Shows  and Conventions in San Diego: February

Home Improvement & Landscaping Show – From 19th February to 21st February, the San Diego Convention Center will be a place for home lovers. This is California’s largest home show that will attract more than 30,000 attendees. Check out the latest home decorating ideas or the do-it-yourself landscaping kits for your home. Better still come prepared to take home some of the great looking artifacts that you can adorn your home with!
The ASI Show – Interested in knowing about the new products that are being launched in the market? Come to the ASI show at the San Diego Convention Center. You can visit anytime between 24th February to 26th February and be the first one to know about what’s in store for the markets this year.

Trade Shows  and Conventions in San Diego: March

Firehouse World Exposition – Be prepared for any fire emergencies by being a part of the Firehouse World Expo between 28th February and 4th March. The exposition will have training sessions on managing emergency situations so that you can face the realities of the day boldly. Be there at the San Diego Convention Center to know more.
SPIE Smart Structures / NDE – The Town & Country Resort and Convention Center at San Diego will host the Smart Structures and Materials expo from 7th March to 10th March. A compelling place for anyone who wants to network with the experts in the industry, this expo is a great place to target those who control the strings of the budgets.

Trade Shows  and Conventions in San Diego: April

Composite Manufacturing Show – Being organized by Composite Manufacturing, the event being held at San Diego Marriott Mission Valley will span three days starting on the 20th of April. Check out the latest technologies and their application at the cheapest rates possible.
Gem Faire – Three days of beauty, gems and jewelry start on the 23rd of April at the Scottish Rite Event Center. Known to be the largest gems and jewelry show on the west coast, this event will showcase gems, minerals, fossils, lapidary equipment along with other designer jewelry items as well.

Trade Shows  and Conventions in San Diego: June

Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum – The Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum has been planned to discuss the challenges that technology poses for the US military services and the solutions that have been created for the hurdles. It is a forum where the technological roadmap for the military services shall be created. Held between 3rd to 4th June at the San Diego Convention Center, this is truly and expo with a difference.

Trade Shows  and Conventions in San Diego: July

Comic-Con – This is one event that you do not want to miss if you have a child who is fond of comic books (which practically includes all children). Expected to be there are comic book publishers, gaming companies, animation experts, celebrities and dealers. The San Diego Convention Center shall be the hub for autographing, gaming tournaments, SCI-FI, movie screenings and more between 22nd July to 25th July. So don’t miss this opportunity to win your teens over and be there!

Known as the media capital of the world, Burbank has a lot of things to offer to anyone who visits this city in Los Angeles County. And you do not have to empty your pockets to be able to enjoy this city as well. The city has loads to offer the casual visitor or someone who is there on a business trip that extends into the weekend. Here are some free or cheap attractions that you can visit while you are at Burbank.

- Lincoln Park, City of Burbank Park and Recreation Department or Wildwood Canyon Park - Each of these places offers closeness to nature like never before. Away from the madding crowd these parks in Burbank can help you unwind like no other place can.

- Marina del Rey Beach – A few miles off Burbank, this is a beach that you can spend a day at. While fishing may cost you approximately $25 for half a day, you can always enjoy the beach as well.

- Nickelodeon Animation Studios – If you want to experience the animated world of Nickelodeon, then you must take a trip into this live cartoon world. Spongebob and other characters will make you feel as if you have entered your television.

- Griffith Park Horse Rentals – An amazing place to go if you are a horse lover. While guided horseback rides do cost about $25 for an hour, there is no price for taking a look at the beauties.

- The Hollywood Walk of Fame – A tribute to Johnny Grant, a mayor of Hollywood, the Hollywood Walk of Fame honors more than 2500 television, film and radio celebrities. If a celebrity is being honored while you are there, you might even get a sneak peak at the rich and the famous.

- The Getty Center – This Los Angeles museum has a collection of architecture and decorative objects that you will love to see. Paintings, photographs, sculptures and more is what you can expect to see at this amazing modern museum. The museum itself does not charge an entrance fee, but if you come by car, the parking is $ 10/day.

- Brand Galleries – An interesting getaway for the locals who love to read, the park in the foothills of Glendale offers a lot to the visitor too. Large trees and a modern and safe playground, this place offers a lot of space for the kids to run around while you catch a snooze under the tree.

- The Hollywood Sign – If you have come as far as Burbank, you have to take a look at the Hollywood sign perched atop Mount Lee.

- Chemosphere – Malin House – Unfortunately you are not allowed inside the house but it is a beauty to see from the outside as well. Shaped like a flying saucer, this house is located off Mulholland and overlooks the valley.

- Dark Delicacies – A great place to experience Halloween any time of the year. Abundant with new and used scary books, this is a trip down scary lane. If you are not interested in buying a comic or a book, you can browse them for hours if you like.

- Whimsic Alley – While this is a store, it is a store with a difference. Whimsic Alley stocks the largest collection of Harry Potter branded and other magical costumes, wands, quills and cloaks.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the things that you can do once you are at Burbank. Take a drive down the roads and ask to know the events in town to make the most of your trip too.

Chinatown San Francisco is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. It is also the oldest Chinatown in North America. It was created in mid 1800’s when the number of Chinese immigrants to America increased suddenly due to the volatile political and social conditions in China. The San Francisco Chinatown that you will see is a new Chinatown that came into existence after the 1906 earthquake in which almost all wooden shacks were demolished.

Chinatown San Francisco is located in the heart of the town near Kearny District and Financial District. While walking down the main streets provides a fair amount of entertainment, straying into the alleys can be a treat. There are also various other attraction that the place offers.

Visit Chinatown San Francisco: Walking Tours

The walking tours of Chinatown San Francisco will take you to the Fortune Cookie Factory and into the famous Chinatown alleys. Waverly Place, Spofford Alley and Ross Alley are some of the popular Chinatown alley’s that you may want to go to. While Spofford has various Chinese associations and clubs, the Ross Valley is where you shall find the Golden Gate Cookie Factory. Other alleys that you can consider walking through are
- Hang Ah – This alley continues to merge into the Pagoda Alleyas it approaches Sacramento Street. It is amazing to watch the alternate Chinese and English text on the ground as you walk.
- Walter U. Lum Place – Along the west side of Portsmouth Square, this alley is host to the Chinese New Year celebrations. At the south end you can see a beautiful mural of a phoenix.

Visit Chinatown San Francisco: Other Sightseeing Attractions

While in Chinatown San Francisco, plan to visit some of these attractions too.
- Bank of Canton – This was the Chinese Telephone Exchange that was finally closed in 1949. The closure happened when the technology changed to rotary dial telephones from a switchboard one. A surprising aspect of this exchange was that the Chinatown community thought that it was rude to refer to people by numbers and therefore telephone operators memorized telephone numbers.
- Bank of America – The Bank of America building in Chinatown San Francisco is decorated with gold dragons on the columns and doors. There are 60 dragon medallions on the façade.
- Sing Chong Building – One of the first buildings that were rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake, this is a classical building that you must see.

Visit Chinatown San Francisco: Chinatown San Francisco Events

If you are in San Francisco in the next few months, you could benefit from enjoying some of these events scheduled to be held in Chinatown San Francisco.
- The Architecture of San Francisco’s Chinatown exhibit on March 6, 2010 on Clay Street
- The Art of Tea – China and Beyond on March 6, 2010 on Commercial Street
- The 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival from 11th March to 21st March
- The Children of Chinatown and Book Talk on 18th March on Mission Street
- The 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival from 22nd April to 6th May in Berkeley
- The 6th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration on May 15th on Larkin Street

Visit Chinatown San Francisco: Shopping at China San Francisco

Some interesting items that you can consider purchasing while at China town are:
- Dragon decorations, Chinese cleaver, chopstick set, bamboo steamer, woks.
- Botan rice candy, Ching kee egg rolls, oyster sauce, ginseng extract, shrimp chips, sriracha chili sauce, Chinese dried black mushrooms, bubble tea, chrysanthemum tea and more.
- Special Chinese toys like the Mashimaro.
- Ankle length Chinese dresses, Cheongsam, Chinese T-shirts, Qipao and bee and flower scented soaps and perfumes.

Oh, and don’t forget to try some authentic Chinese dishes while you are visiting Chinatown in San Francisco! It will be the best Chinese food outside of China!

Chinatown in San Francisco is a must-see spot of the city, so take your time and explore this area and get immersed in this fascinating culture without leaving the country!