When we awoke the next morning, we understood why The Views Inn Sedona was so named. The view from the inn was spectacular.

Nick and I  awoke early, and we took a walk  to look at the  nearby shops. Only one shop  was open, a bakery that  featured  muffins. We texted Carla and Nicholas. Carla joined us there, but Nicholas wasn’t ready to eat yet. After breakfast, a shop opened selling items imported from Mexico. We stopped in and were charmed by the shop’s contents. We bought a decorative bowl and a piece of wall art.

We had no plans of our own for the day, but  my cousin recommended that we go to Slide Rock State Park. A few hours later, we got ready for the fourteen mile drive from our inn to the park.

As we were driving, Nicholas was ready for food. In fact, we all were. We thought that since we were in the Southwest, the Mexican food would be good, so we stopped for lunch at Javelina Cantina. A javelina, also called a peccary, is a small pig found in Central and South America as well the Southwest. I didn’t take notes on Nicholas’ and Carla’s orders, but Nick and I shared grilled salmon with rice, avocado, mango and black beans,  which we enjoyed very much.
Slide Rock State Park is another Arizona gem. Once inside, we walked along, taking in the beautiful Southwestern  scenery. Many families were enjoying their afternoon outing there. We didn’t get as far as the natural water slide, but we enjoyed  watching people jumping off the cliffs into the water.

Everyone left  the park at closing time, so the drive back to the inn was very slow because of all the traffic. Nicholas wanted to try a Japanese restaurant that was across the road from our inn for dinner. Unfortunately, it was closed and would remain so for the next few days, due to a lack of propane. The owner of the inn told us that there was a Chinese restaurant about a ten minute walk from the inn, called Red Chopsticks. There we enjoyed fried rice, fried shrimp, barbecued ribs and spicy noodles.

After the meal, we were given fortune cookies. My fortune was this: “Your existence has  a positive  contribution to humankind.” Wow!  I joked that  my fortune should have been given to the person who discovers a cure for cancer. My children responded that I had made a significant difference to lots of children because of my  years of teaching. I was touched. I replied that most positive contribution that I have made to humankind is both of them.

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