FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 25, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 59
School break equals family time
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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Although I don’t recommend
timeshare purchases,
I got caught and
my ownership brought me to
Arizona. I took advantage of it
with a getaway this week.
Fortunately, my kids joined me
in Scottsdale, with my daughter
Samantha and four of my grandchildren,
we made the trip since
school was out and shared precious
Th e Scottsdale area is the land
of majestic cacti, spectacular
sunshine-fi lled days and picture
perfect landscapes. We decided
to take a road trip from our
Westin hotel to
Sedona, about 2
hours away.
We drove out to
what’s called “Red
Rock Country,”
going through the
mountains where
the landscape is
dotted with tall
cacti reaching to
the sky, and where
the earth starts to
turn a beautiful
shade of red. It took
450 million years of
“happenings” and
varying amounts
of iron oxide to create the awe
inspiring scenery.
Th e charming little town of
Sedona, with 19,000 residents
Blake with his horse on the trail
but 3 million tourists a year,
became a tourist destination
around the 1950s aft er movie
productions, like Zane Grey’s
movie, “Call of the Canyon,”
was fi lmed here. Movie stars
like idols John Wayne, Jimmy
Stewart and Henry Fonda, who
fi lmed here, wound up buying
vacation homes because
they needed to come back to
this unique land. Th e town
has become an enclave for
artists who are inspired by
the terrain.
We made our way over a
smooth winding highway, and
the scenery caught my attention,
but the kids were busy playing
music and games on their
“screens” until we hit “Red Rock
Country.” Th en we all stared in
amazement!
As we drove into the center of
Sedona, named for an early settler’s
wife, we noticed the many
shops and dining choices lining
the road, but they were all
dwarfed by the spectacular scenery
. Th e hotel concierge gave us
many choices for lunch and we
chose “Mariposa Latin Inspired
Grill.” It has an award-winning
menu that features Argentinian,
Peruvian and Mexican food, but
its setting surpasses the famous
cuisine. Th e restaurant sits in a
natural fi re, red rock environment,
surrounded by over 700
acres of wild protected land. It is
a jaw-dropping scene!
We then journeyed a mile into
Taking a break from our bumpy ride. It took 400 million years to create this
spectacular scenery!
The group after their 1 1/2 hour ride.
town for ice cream. Th e long
line to get served proved its deliciousness.
We all indulged!
Our fi nal destination was
the “Pink Jeep Tour,” an off -
road excursion along the historic
Broken Arrow Trail. Th e
tour company was created in
the 1960s by a Los Angeles
transplant who visited the Pink
Orchid Hotel in Hawaii, where
everything was pink, and decided
to rename his company “Pink
Jeep Tours.” We signed on for
the ride, but I never could have
anticipated the rough, roller
coaster ride. It was the bumpiest,
scariest ride of my life, but we
all marveled at the beauty surrounding
us.
A fi tting end to a day to be
remembered and cherished!
The three grandkids atop a rock in
Sedona
Samantha, Blake and Morgan enjoying
the scenery
In Sedona on the Broken Arrow Trail, the bumpiest ride of my life and the most
beautiful place on earth
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