we've been waking to these eerie white mornings where if feels like living inside a cloud. for the past several days, the white haze has given way to perfectly gorgeous sunny mornings and afternoons. i've been spending as much time outside with the kids as possible.

today we woke in the cloud at the top of pacific heights in the hotel drisco, one block from frisco's gold coast, a mile of magnificent mansions along broadway.

i'm sitting at a writing desk, worthy of a detective novel about the socialite jet set, breathing the  rarefied air of the super rich. it's funny, you never see the occupants of these kajillion dollar homes. not on the streets, the roof decks, the balconies, or gardens. in all the years when i used to hike up here, the only folks i'd ever see were landscapers and laborers.  and of course runners and joggers using the steep hill and stairways as an outdoor gym.

as it approaches noon, it's still completely white up here. i guess that's an easy metaphor... this hood is referred to as "specific whites," and that's exactly what it is. just around the corner is the getty compound, one of larry ellison's homes, and the heir to the levi's fortune.

we checked in yesterday afternoon, checked out our fabulous suite, then set out to walk the lyon street steps at sunset. it's slow going with nino, but parker and i raced each other up the flights. the steps are adjacent to the presidio and have a stunning view of the palace of fine arts, the yacht club, the bay, and marin beyond. even in mid-february, the gardens that surround the steps were lush and beautiful in a fussy, manicured way. when spring really kicks in it will really bust loose with colorful blooms.

cocktail hour at the hotel was civilized, even with a two-year-old drinking apple juice from a wine glass. the drisco is understated and classy, and the guests ranged from business people to families to a large group that was celebrating a gay wedding.

after wine and brie, we trekked down the steep hill to union street, (nino on dan's shoulders) drinking in the views of the bay at night. we had dinner at gamine, our friends sue and stephen's french bistro. tasty, predicable, and french, it is always a pleasure to visit them and indulge in pomme frites and a banana nutella crepe for dessert.

our suite at the drisco was ideal for a family. two bedrooms, one completely private, the other that could be secluded by closing pocket doors that opened to the sitting room, two bathrooms (both with bathtubs — a must with little kids and babies), nice bath products, three flat screen tvs (for watching the olympics in any room — go apollo go!), plenty of space, an affordable panini menu available 24/7, easy parking, and a relaxing color palette of cream, gold, and sage.

i felt like we were gentry ensconced in our own private wing of a wealthy relation's home. the drisco has that effect.

parker had her evaluation at the private french-immersion-school-of-my-dreams last weekend. she didn't want to talk about it at first, so we went to toy boat on clement street for ice cream as promised.

on the way she revealed some sort of altercation with a boy during playtime when they were furnishing a dollhouse. apparently he did it wrong, according to her design aesthetic. other than that the two were quickly separated, details were sketchy. yikes. anyway, beyond my control...

in other news, i pulled the trigger on an intense course of nucca chiropractic. it's strange, painless, expensive, and time consuming (2x per week clear across town) but i've had three adjustments so far and i feel fantastic. i ran a 5K last sunday and have had minimal pain all week. perhaps i've finally found a cure for my chronic, sometimes debilitating pain. wouldn't that be something?!

gotta go pick up the ballerinas....

one of my intentions with frisco mama is to personally check out hotels in the city to determine how child-friendly particular locations are for families, and write about them.

sunday night i was invited to stay at the argonaut hotel, part of the kimpton hotel group. it is smack in the middle of fisherman's wharf, a good location for keeping kids entertained.

parking is tricky and expensive, but dan (who has really, really good parking karma), scored a spot across from the two old-school rowing (and swimming) clubs, where the more stalwart local souls actually swim in the bay.

we checked in and the kids were immediately welcomed and allowed to dig into a treasure chest for a little gift. they chose these weird, squishy little pink pigs that feel cool when you squeeze them.

mom and dad were welcomed with — cocktails!! we gathered with other guests including two massive saint bernard dogs in front of a crackling fire in the stylish and comfortable lobby, sipping a most delicious toddy made with jim beam and hot cider. a concoction, i might add, that could take the chill off the coldest summer day in frisco.

we had dinner at the blue mermaid, argonaut's restaurant and chowderhouse. i had their signature chowder, very rich, very delish. dan had a seafood trio entree and the kids had fish 'n chips and mac 'n cheese.

our was on the third (top) floor and was tricked out in a nautical theme, with porthole mirrors and other maritime touches, and looked out over aquatic park and the powell/hyde cable car line. it was carpeted (great for little ones) and had exposed brick walls and steel beams across the ceiling, keeping with the character of the building that was built as a cannery warehouse in 1907. we had two king-sized beds, a flat screen tv, and a little writing desk. it was cozy and charming.

kimpton provides lots of other niceties for children including stroller rentals, safety kits, and activity lists. and the staff must be treated quite well, because they couldn't be nicer or more helpful.

next morning, we decided to throw ourselves into it, and embrace being tourists in our own town. breakfast was at the iconic buena vista cafe. we stuck with regular coffee rather than the renowned irish coffee for which the buena vista is famous. it is cute and old timey, and our waitress was pleasant and accommodating, splitting up orders of french toast and a denver omelet before they reached the table, (so much easier and less cluttered when serving kids...)

we wandered around aquatic park up to ghirardelli square, then put the morning's activity to a vote — cable car ride or hyde street pier ships.

the pier won, and we had a great time aboard the balclutha, peeking into the captain's quarters, the ship's galley, pantry, officer's quarters, and the much less glamorous lodgings on the crew deck. we watched a movie on the balclutha's history while sitting on burlap sacks in the ship's hold, and found a huge, orange tabby sleeping on a bunk in the bow.

outside on the pier, there are cell phone tours that can be dialed up with information on the area's architecture, history, and inhabitants. i thought that's was pretty cool and learned about the streamline moderne art deco buildings that are scattered around the waterfront. the tugboat and steam ferry were closed for various repairs, it being off-season and all, but the wharf was so lovely and quiet on a monday morning in january, making up for the closures.

i love this part of fishermans wharf. it can transport you to another time, when the maritime trade thrived here, and there is far less kitch and cheap plastic trinket shops then a few blocks to the east. it still maintains s bit of old frisco with the brick warehouses, vintage ships, the crab shacks, and the locals' swim clubs on the bay.