California
Who: Naomi, Nathan and Ed Zucker of Boulder
Where: Alcatraz Island
Best meal: The kids definitely vote for the ice cream and chocolate from Ghirardelli Square. Grabbing some crabs on the wharf and finding a square of grass to lunch on wouldn’t be bad, either.
Best deal: Staying in Mill Valley, a 15-minute drive from San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf but away from the hubbub of the city. A stay in Mill Valley also gives you easy access to hiking Muir’s Woods and ocean viewing off Route 1.
Best time to go: Go out to the island before noon; we ended up spending more than three hours there. It’s easy to forget Alcatraz is a national park. Be sure to spend some time on a ranger tour.
Don’t leave home without: Making reservations for the Alcatraz tour online, because it regularly sells out.
