We arrived in Mexico City in the early afternoon. We were all getting kind of hungry, so we decided we would eat around 5:00 PM. Prior to that, we would make a few stops at different places and maybe a snack would be in order. We started in the City Center, where I knew we would find plenty of things to do an look at. Centro Historico; as it is called, can accommodate over 100,000 people at any one time; so I am told.

Over the years, Centro Historico has been home to protests and governments overthrown, rally's and  fights among the people. On a more positive note, it is home to some of the most beautiful buildings, churches and museums that I have ever seen. We decided to do the museums which would be an educational and relaxing thing to do prior to dinner.

It is always amazing to me how ancient city's like Mexico City have come into fruition. Who were the architects of the 16th Century Spaniards. What was their thought process. And how did they rally the people and get them to work long and tireless hours to make this place what it is; a true gem in the history of South America; or Southern North America, I guess.

As we toured the City Center square, I decided on Bistro Mosaico. This place seemed to have not only a Mexican, but French flair as well. I reasoned that this would be a wonderful place to try both true Mexican and French Fusion. The combination of two countries. I ordered pate as an appetizer, which the kids had only had one other time at a restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their father after a meeting that he had. The enjoyed this succulent duck liver on both crackers and homemade bread. The menu needed to be translated to us, but looked absolutely amazing. Having enchiladas and burritos and chimichangas, we were all stuffed by the time we left. Finally we enjoyed fried ice cream to top it off.

I found suitable accommodations for the evening and we laid down to rest.

The beds and bedding at "The House of Love" or "Casa Amor" were amazing. I intended to get a line item by line item list of what Silvio had purchased when he returned from Italy. Silvio and his lovely bride spend the summers in or near the Tuscan Region of Italy, and that is why they rent the Villa in Coronado Beach. I just happened to be the current; and hopefully future, key holder for the moment; and perhaps for many summers to come. Have I mentioned that once.

Well, I love this place. After only two weeks, it has become intoxicating. The beach is immaculate and not overrun, the house is immaculate and on a corner of a "not" busy street. My children have accommodations fitting of royalty, we have room for all the company we need and NO room for those we do not want, and I can relax here. Whew! That was a mouthful!

At any rate, our third week was about to begin. I suggested another history lesson. Since we all had our passports, why not slip down thru San Diego into Tijuana, Mexico, and just see what is going on these days. To the best of my knowledge, Mexico is at peace internally at the moment. Sure, there are gangs and guns and fighting, but "citizen vs. BIG Government" is currently at bay.

That Friday, at the end of the third week, we ventured across the border and into Mexico.I suggested staying a few days and going to Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Monterrey and Mexico City. Certainly we would find some cultural and historical events and places to learn a bit about Mexico.

What I have always appreciated about Brady and his short, but sweet, vacations was that he was always able to provide us with "fun facts" along the way. Not only was he handsome and intelligent, he was knowledgeable. He knew many things about many places and the World in general. In fact, in our hometown, we could barely go to a restaurant where he hadn't at one time dated a waitress who still did, or who had worked there. He liked to eat, and the waitresses always seem to like him. I wonder why.

After crossing the border, I decided we would drive directly to Mexico City to start our few day tour of this politically unsound (historically speaking), but beautiful country.

We spent everyday of the first week at the beach and ate out occasionally. We found a local pizza place that we enjoyed, a local Chinese place (a staple for sure), and for me a local brewery and wine bar. It was not as if I would sneak out on the kids for an evening cocktail; however, when I needed to unwind from thoughts of Brady, I retreated to either my local brewery or wine bar. The Gas Light District in San Diego also had plenty to offer, and we  would frequent it often throughout the summer.

In the second week, Isabella decided that she wanted to visit the San Diego Zoo. This was amenable to Liam and I, so we went on Tuesday. It seemed like a good day to meander slowly and catch the best of what the zoo had to offer, as most people besides mother's without jobs would be at work. No summer vacations/breaks for the weary. I can remember distinctly how hard it was to get Brady to even take a week off from his job. He enjoyed it, and it provided for a wonderful living for me and the kids.

The zoo lived up to expectations. As they always said in the movies, "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my"! We even had a decent meal there and it took us from opening until 6:00 PM that evening to catch all the attractions, brief seminars and the animals, of course.

We decided to go out to eat to the Cheesecake Factory that evening; one of my household's favourites. We have a system that may seem uncanny, but now that I have let out the secret, I feel sure that others will be doing it. At the Cheesecake Factory, you eat your desired dessert first. This way, if you have leftovers from your meal, there is plenty of ways to reheat the item(s) to your satisfaction. Cheesecake in the fridge overnite; however, just does not have that same, fresh taste, the next day.

Retreating to the patio once again, we would spend just about every nite there in the evenings at what I called "Casa Amor", or "House of Love". It would become my Italian Villa of Love for the summer, and perhaps many more to come.

I was able to score a beach rental for the summer at a costly, but not unfair price. I had paid for three months, and because of the length of my stay, the owner cut me a break. I had shared with him a little about my story and why I needed a beach rental, and he felt sympathy for me; cutting the price by thirty-three percent since I would pay in advance for the entire summer.

We arrive at the home on the corner of I Avenue and 7th Street early the next morning to meet the owner. Silvio was raised near the Tuscan Region of Italy and had immigrated to the United States at eighteen. Not unlike many, he came with ten dollar in his pocket, started a business and became an American homegrown millionaire. If you have ever read the book, "The Millionaire Next Door", this was Silvio. He owned a butcher shop, he explained; and had expanded to seven locations in thirty years in the business. His wife, Maria, had been an interior designer after raising their three children and did well herself. Along the way, they had bought several homes at deep discounts with cash in the several downturns in the real estate market near Coronado Beach, and hence; did well in their investments and there business.

After touring the home with Maria and having had her give a brief history of the home and its amenities, it was time to move our things in for the summer. Liam was the first to be unpacked and fully ready with a bathing suit on. He stood in the kitchen drinking a water, impatiently waiting on the "ladies" to unpack. After about another fifteen minutes, Isabella and I donned our suits and gathered a few items to eat and the necessary items like sunscreen and we ban walking toward Coronado Beach.

Typically rated one of the top beaches in America, it is not as heavily commercialized as one might think. The price of the real estate for the summer, and hence the affluence of the people who frequent keep the "riff-raff" out. Over time, the beach population has gained in numbers of course, as the rating has increased, but the normal crowd still flocks in each year expecting things to be mainly unchanged.

We stayed the afternoon at the beach until 5:00 PM the first day; not wanting ti wear ourselves out, and then retreated to our Italian Villa for some dinner. Liam had stated it was his nite to cook. A short trip to the store was in order, and then it would be London Broil, asparagus, cous cous, and red-skinned potatoes cut into steak fries for dinner. A long winter's nap, or summer's nap I guess, and some discussion beforehand on the patio before bed was in order.

Once finished with our flight, and Grand Canyon National Park, we found a place to lodge for the evening and tomorrow we would make the trip into California. It would be an easy run across I-40 for most of the way and then South for a few hours upon reaching California.

The drive had been as fun and as calm as I could never have imagined. It seemed as if Isabella and Liam were enjoying every step of the way, every leg of travel, every hotel and outing that I had planned. Somehow, I just knew in my heart that the next twelve weeks were going to be days, weeks, and certainly; a summer to remember.

Coronado Beach is close to San Diego, California, so there would be plenty to do in the evenings in addition to the beach. It has a lot to offer like the zoo, and other attractions. While the beauty of the California beaches would be our main focus for the summer, we would have a plan for the next twelve weeks; each week, for something fun and educational to do. So far, I had even done an excellent job in providing the children with a history lesson here and there. The Oklahoma City bombing, the Arch in St. Louis, the history of baseball, the Indian Tribe responsible for the Skywalk...all of this was adding to the value of the plans I put in motion.

We arrived at Coronado Beach about dinner time. We had stopped for a small bite of lunch earlier in the day around 1:00 PM, but it was now nearing 6:00 PM, and we were all famished. We did it! We had trekked nearly three-thousand miles in a matter of days en route to our beach destination for the summer.

I was hungry for Mexican that evening, so I pulled the "trump card" or the "longest straw"; so to speak, and we pulled into the parking lot of Miguel's Cocina. My favorite are the Enchilladas, as is Isabella's, and Liam usually just gets something with flaming steak that comes to the table at about five-hundred degrees. We were careful to eat every morsel that evening, and wasted no time.

After dinner, we would stay one nite in a hotel before checking in to our beach house for the summer. The Hotel Coronado is possibly one of the most historic hotels on the West coast, and it is definitely a prized location in California.

We all retreated to our rooms, and would sleep soundly until we were ready to get up. Somehow, I just knew that Liam and Isabella would awake not long after sunrise, brimming with excitement for the place that I had picked to be our home for the summer.

One more stop and then finally a ten hour drive into California. Grand Canyon National Park is where we would land. I had planned to take the children to both the park and the Skywalk over the Grand Canyon, as it was just a few years prior to our trip that it was built. Logistics would determine which we would venture to first, and the surprise for this detour was one of great measure. I would charter a plane and fly us thru the Grand Canyon.

We decided to go to the Skywalk first. The images alone from this point are unimaginable; they have to be seen with your own eyes to believe them. As we gazed over the expanse of the Grand Canyon and its floor, I wondered how I would ever regain the hole that was in my soul over the loss of Brady. It was like the pit, basin and vastness of the Canyon were equivalent to the depth and breadth in the pit of my own stomach and heart. As I cried, Isabella held me and said nary a word. She simply understood.

After wiping away the tears, Liam came to console me as well and gave me a hug that I knew all too well...it seemed as though he had the same embrace that his father did. Once I regained my personal composure I motioned for them to head back to the Suburban. We drove about thirty minutes down toward the bottom of the Canyon in order to arrive at the hanger. We chartered a plane that afternoon, and saw the Grand Canyon as many would like too, but so few have. At that very moment as we were in flight, I cried again but felt an uneasy, but steady calm feeling as somehow I knew Brady was with me on that plane. While ethereal, and unrealistic really; it seemed clear to me that I felt his presence in a very clear fashion that day. He was indeed; with me!

Upon landing, we drove to Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. We spent the day hiking and found a nice spot for a picnic lunch in the early afternoon. It was the kind of day that is so relaxing...the breeze in your face and hair slightly, but the warm sun on your back. I had made sandwiches on bagels, had a small serving of antipasto, some five bean salad in a lit vinaigrette, and some grapes. To go along with our grapes, I opened a bottle of Chambourcin; a grape that grows well in France and ironically the State of Maryland, and the kids had bottled water. I had needed a drink that day to calm my nerves, as the events leading up to this calm lunch in the National Park were more than even my antidepressants and my Abilify could handle.

As I drove, I looked in the rear-view mirror while sipping on a iced-caramel frappacino and wondered how long the children would sleep. I saw the large sign for Albuquerque and that meant that we were now less than ninety minutes away.

Enter Albuquerque, New Mexico. As I drove into town in the black Suburban, I saw heads turn as if I were the FBI rolling up for a sting operation. I suppose I get that more often than I realize, but today it was most noticeable. "Did they somehow know I was from out of town", I wandered? At any rate, as I pulled into a local restaurant and placed the Suburban in park, the children awoke.

We were all famished at this point and an early lunch at about 4:00 PM seemed appropriate. We had driven nearly nine hours that day.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company would be the spot for lunch and then I had a surprise that started promptly at 7:05 PM. Any guesses? Calzones seemed like an appetizing choice and we all ended up ordering one. They are a bit more filling than pizza and I tend to enjoy the mountains of marinara enclosed. Isabella and Liam both had a hard time deciding, so we each ordered two and decided to take one along in a box for a snack at a later date.

Shortly after dinner, I took the kids downtown close to our evening excursion. Did anyone get the right answer? Isotopes Baseball! That's right; good ole baseball. Liam was a three-letter sportsman, so I knew without a doubt that he would enjoy the game. Bella; being the good sport that she is, would either enjoy the game as much as the rest of us, or at least act like she did. That is the way she was raised by Brady. We were; however, lucky enough to attend on an evening when they gave away hats to the first 5,000 fans and additionally had fireworks after the game. These things in combination; if nothing else, would make it memorable for Bella.

The Isotopes beat the pants off of the Las Vegas 51's that evening and from there it was just a short drive to the hotel. We stayed that evening at the Casas de Suenos hotel, an Inn of sorts with only twenty-one rooms. Quaint and quiet, it was like a Spanish lullaby wrapped in the accommodations of a hotel/inn as we laid down to sleep that evening.