Kimpton Hotels wants to fly YOU to San Francisco, CA  for a three night stay in one of their gorgeous, boutique properties in the glorious City By The Bay (or any one of more than fifty locations nationwide, but I’m pretty partial to this place)!  SAY WHA?! Father’s Day (or anyone, ANY day) Airfare And Room Stay Giveaway From Kimpton Hotels
Disclosure: Kimpton Hotels provided the prize package for this giveaway. I have not been compensated, otherwise, and all opinions herein are my own.


“One day if I go to heaven … I’ll look around and say, ‘It ain’t bad, but it ain’t San Francisco.’”~Herb Cain

My toddler, hops in bejeweled Crocs™ and lands on the ledge that circles the Cable Car turnaround, below the brick masonry backdrop of the Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf, and higher up, Ghirardelli’s name in lights. She is after a better view.

From her new perch she ogles, with rapt attention, the conductors in sun-yellow work vests walking a Cable Car onto the turntable tracks and leaning in to push it right round the circle. The shutters click in the crowd of spectators. The queue shortens as it feeds itself onto the newly turned trolly. My daughter, awestruck beneath a majestic San Francisco sun, licks ice cream drips from her fist as she savors her last bit of cone.

The bay breeze carries the scent of baking sourdough and the wharf lends its fragrant hints of cotton candy, kettle corn and a hard day’s work at sea.

While we are distracted in the postcard moment, an errant gull, who’s been eyeing his sweet, sweet target in the grip of J’s fist, swoops down and makes his move. J starts, sharply, and watches the feathered thief return to flight with his prize, high over the palms of Ghiradelli Square, in a beeline, over the buildings, for a safe nook in which to peck at his plunder.

Together, as consolation, we make a game of imagining where that bird is going, and what he can see of The City from way up there.  She mentions, “The clock!” and I know that she means the tower at Pier One.

“How about our park?” I offer, and I can see her mind’s gears conjuring up images of the vast, green, serenity of Golden Gate Park and its themed gardens, way down below our bird.

“The bridge!!” she posits, and while I know that’s not the direction it flew, I grab my slightly less saddened daughter by the hips and hoist her high onto my shoulders and turn so we can both look out over a calm and crystalline San Francisco Bay and the “international orange” span of its iconic Golden Gate as it welcomes the Pacific into our city, its bay shores, open arms.  Both of us forgetting all about seagulls and ice cream cones for a while.

Mere words and simple snapshots can’t do justice to the famed City By The Bay, which is why Kimpton Hotels and At-Home Dad Matters (that’s me!) are going to fly one lucky winner round trip, for a luxurious three night stay in San Francisco or any one of more than fifty, nationwide, Kimpton Hotels!

This incredible prize package includes one, round trip, Southwest Airlines flight voucher, good now through Summer of 2015, and one room gift certificate for three nights at a Kimpton Hotel, good now through the end of 2015!

I can’t tell you in advance if you’ll be hobnobbing with the world famous Beefeaters in the regal lobby of the Sir Francis Drake, or having your breath taken by the spectacular sights of the newly lighted Bay Bridge from the windows of Harbor Court. Which one of their nine SF properties, or fifty+ nation wide properties, you’ll be basking in is subject to availability, but the dates of your stay are up to you!  And I can tell you that this is a once in a lifetime offer, courtesy of my benevolent, family friendly, kid tested and Dada approved sponsor, Kimpton Hotels.

So whether you have been bitten by the travel bug yourself, are in need of an incredibly unique Father’s Day gift, or live here in the area, and know someone who is just itching to come visit, click on the entry options in the raffle widget at the very bottom of this post to try your luck as many times as you can. Share this giveaway with all of your friends and increase the odds that the recipient will be someone you know.  Raffle expires June 11, 2014, so time is of the essence!

As a former Assistant Director in the Hospitality industry, I know what it means to have your highest expectations exceeded. Kimpton Hotels delivers on that promise. (not to mention their tremendous support of a local stay-at-home-dad and his two, young, daughters) I honestly, cannot thank them enough. Should you not win this raffle, this time, I encourage you to consider Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants wherever you are and wherever you may be going.

Contact me with any questions and concerns.
Good luck and Ciao for now,

Dada Mike

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Credits: Bird’s-eye photography provided by above all PRODUCTIONSCrappy editing by yours truly! To see the amazement they are truly capable of, when given proper notice, click HERE.