San Fran in a nut shell and on a penny...
Well, not really a nut shell, and not really a penny but pretty close. Here's how it's done: get to city at 5:30, park car in very cheap parking garage around corner from very cheap hotel (who wants $29 to park your car). Take bags to hotel, check in and drop off bags. Immediately head back out to cheap parking garage to pull car out and then re-enter in order to save more money by utilizing the after hours weekend rate. Find Old Navy, because you are in the shopping district, and buy daughter a pair of jeans since she has grown out of all pants that were brought. Search for food and find Thai restaurant offering free Thai tea with meal. Get a bowl of noddles and some curry. Eat way too much. Hop on trolley, hang off edge and feel the cold, brisk, night air chilling your face while heading to the wharf. Get off trolley and take in a deep breath in order to let the smell of fish-and-chips sink into your skin. Walk by a hundred umbrella's in each souvenir shop. Think about buying one but don't. Make way to Ghiradelli's ice cream parlor. Use coupon from visitor's guide and get a hot fudge, triple ice cream sunday. Spend way to long telling daughter how things used to be when your father would bring you to this very spot. Leave ice cream shop in pouring rain and wish you'de bought one of those umbrellas. Walk in rain looking for ATM so you can ride trolley back to hotel.
Spend the night in very nice looking but cheap, loud and bright hotel. Get used to taking key with you when you run down the hall to community bathroom.
Wake up early. Pack up and take bags to car in cheap parking garage. Go ride 32 story glass elevator at Francis Drake Hotel. Make daughter listen to you read history of Hotel throughout the last 100 years. Go get car and head back to Ghiradelli square where there is a most adorable tea shop that just had to be experienced. Accidentally, but excitedly drive down middle of China town as vendors are rolling out their goods and buying thier morning newspapers. Feel like you are in a different world for 10 blocks. Go to tea shop at Ghiradelli square and order crumpets with tea and talk in English accents about trips to the sea and beaus who have gone off to war. Walk past more umbrellas. Drive down to old fort under the Golden Gate bridge. Hike straight up to top of hill and onto bridge, in pouring rain, without umbrella. Hike back down to car, take off wet jackets, scarves and hats and turn heater on. Drive down Lombart St. Drive to Golden Gate park, find the Bison range and take pictures of Bison living in the middle of San Fransisco. Drive to Union Square and find the "Painted ladies." Realize they are not talking about women, but houses (just kidding). Head toward Market St to hook up with free way and head home. Stop for lunch at a cyber looking vvegetarian cafe, order high end grill cheese sandwich that your daughter won't like and chat for a few minutes with the server. Find out sever started the company Rockstar but got bored with cooperate world, so she sold it and went to live in some exotic country for a while and is now working here. Or something like that.
Run back to car because it is pouring rain again, open door and try to get in. Notice that lights were left on, notice that the car wasn't locked and then notice that this is not your car. Apologize profusely to the lady coming out of the cleaners asking you what youare doing. Find own car, jump in, find freeway and begin long trek home.