Phoebe is a sweet little girl and looks very much like Meredith did at her age. Emma and Hannah are bundles of fun: There's never a dull moment!

We managed to work in a visit to San Diego BMW Motorcycles, a very nice shop full of great bikes and friendly people. Our stays at the Residence Inn in San Diego and the Brentwood Inn in LA were quite comfortable, and the Brentwood Inn, built in 1947, in particular is small, charming, and a bit of a throwback in the motor lodge style of motels along the old Route 66.

Along with quality time with the kids (and their kids), highlights of our trip included a stroll along La Jolla Cove, walks with Meredith, Phoebe and their Golden Retriever, Harvey, lunch at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego - La Jolla, a visit to the weekly outdoor farmer's market in Brentwood (the papusas are fabulous), a visit to the public library with Emma and Hannah and accompanying them to a swim lesson, and a very tasty BBQ dinner that Jamey and Ed cooked up, followed by an amazing apple pie from old haunt Apple Pan for dessert.

Although we had a little bit of car trouble along the way, our Land Cruiser really didn't let us down and nothing spoiled our fun.