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VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPS-
YUNIS
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ETS
m
A Break Away
For over a decade, the second
week in December
has been my chance to get
away using my timeshare. For
years, I headed to St. John’s in
the Virgin Islands, but this year
I switched to a Starwood property
in Scottsdale, the Villas
at Kierland. Having never been
there, it turned out to be a superb
selection.
The weather in Phoenix/
Scottsdale never hit below 70
degrees during the day.
It was the Caribbean of the
west, with majestic palm trees,
perfect swimming weather and
first-class service and food.
Flying into Phoenix took five
hours but when I stepped out of
the terminal, the heat warmed
my soul as I was driven to the
hotel only 20 minutes away. I
was in my room in a bathing suit
in an hour, with time to hit the
concierge desk to see what was
happening at the hotel, villas and
surrounding area of Scottsdale.
To my delight, I discovered
there was a world-class spa on
the premises. After a swim, I
took the shuttle bus to the hotel
property five minutes away from
the villas.
Although I had elected to
get a relaxation massage
titled “Airport
Rejuvenation,”I hopped into
the hot tub
whose jets
were a powerful
massage
by themselves
and I just luxuriated
in taking
in the warm
waters.
Back in my I went through all
the brochures I had
been given and chose to take the
hotel/villa’s shuttle bus to the
nearby shopping mall that had
an Apple Store.
I had heard that Apple had
come out with a watch that was
waterproof, perfect for my daily
swims back home, and also
accessed my iPhone. The store
stays open until 9 p.m. So that
was my evening entertainment.
I soon had the watch in my
hand with an “adviser” (salesperson)
helping me and explaining
that for $10 a month I could use
the waterproof watch as my cellphone.
Dick Tracy, I’ve arrived!couldn’t resist and bought a Hanukkah present.
But buying the watch only half the visit. I was then
directed to the person who
was going to show me how
to use it. I think I’ll need
Apple tutoring again and
again. There is so much
to know!
Another Day, Another
Challenge
My next day was for
doing nothing but reading
poolside with the service of a
waterboy refilling my cup and
a waiter asking what I’d like to
eat and drink! What a luxury to
do nothing!
For the evening I scanned the
pages of restaurant choices available
in the “outside world” but I
chose to stay in the hotel and eat
at and enjoy their bar manned
by a friendly bartender/waiter.
I passed another relaxing
day at the pool until my friend
arrived from New York.
We decided to go to
a restaurant rated
number one by
two concierge
services. They
were right!
T h e
M o n a r c h
opened only
a week earlier
in a new location;
it had been
across the street.
The stunning
space is the brainchild
of Christian
Lewkowicz, whose passion is
service, fine food and creating
an intimate romantic environment.
His family is involved, and
they got it right in their new
Spanish-style building. It has a
main dining room featuring a
candlelit setting with two massive,
sparkling crystal chandeliers
hanging from the 18-foot
ceilings but dimmed to create an
intimate setting. There are small
private dining rooms adjacent to
it and a spacious bar.
We chose to dine on the outside
patio seated facing the
warming fireplace, our table surrounded
by large candles and
candlelit tables beautifully set
with crystal and silver.
The prix-fixe menu offered
three preliminary courses — a
cauliflower-based soup, a salad
tossed with vegetables and a light
dressing, and then a tantalizing
filo dough crepe stuffed with
lamb … delicious!
I then chose sea bass from a
selection of 10 main courses and
my companion had a seafood
risotto with crab claws surrounding
the multiple fish
in the delicate, rich sauce.
Fortunately, we were
sharing! The sommelier
offered multiple wines at a
variety of prices to accompany
each course.
All in all, it was memorable
meal — one of my
best ever!
The next day I went to
Sedona, the highlight of
my week away. I knew I was
approaching Sedona after a twohour
drive from Scottsdale when
the deep red colors of the rocks
began appearing in the mountains.
It’s a remarkable sight to
see the color spread to every
inch of every mountain — we
had arrived!
My stepson Jon Yunis said
we must dine at Enchantment
Resort’s Che Ah Chi restaurant,
and I trust his reviews and recommendations.
He was dead on!
It was both a unique setting and
marvelous meal.
The dining rooms, one formal
with linens and the other with a
more casual menu, have 20-foottall,
floor-to-ceiling glass walls
overlooking the spectacular setting.
The meal was worth getting
lost in the mountains, because
my old faithful Waze app was
out-of-network. We finally
found our way to the restaurant
after an hour’s search. It was
worth the angst and we got there
before sunset, allowing me to
take in the scene that made me
feel the awe of what God created
in this piece of the world.
The last evening, we chose a
nearby restaurant, Elements, that
we were told had the best views of
the Phoenix Mountains and they
were right. I luxuriated in champagne
and foie gras melting in my
mouth. The dining room also had
floor-to-ceiling glass walls and
I made a mental picture of the
scene to cherish forever.
The picture-perfect week will
be one that I hope to return to.
Try it. You, too, will love the
region and its natural beauty —
a gift to us all!
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The town of Sedona
The Monarch restaurant’s
main dining room
The mountains of Sedona
The Westin Villas at Kierland