Pink Jeeps and Red Rocks

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Weather: 70s and beautiful

States: Arizona

Cities: Williams, Flagstaff, Sedona

Miles: 63

Hours: 2 hrs 48 min (driving there, through, and back)

Sites: Sedona, Red Rock PInk Jeep tours

Restaurant: 89 Agave

Hotel/Home: Lovely Little Log Cabin in Williams VRBO #1083110

Movies:

Audible: Resisting Happiness (get you thinking book- has a religious base- it is good)

This is a book that you can listen to a chapter (short) and ponder it.We are listening to it

in bits. Everyone seems to like it.



Today was a great day. We got up leisurely, had breakfast, and headed to Sedona for the day. Paul and I have been there and we like it there. We thought the kids would, too. We stopped in Flagstaff for an oil change which Ford was supposed to do at the last check up I had. Grrr. The drive to Sedona is beautiful. You travel through the mountains along switchback roads with breathtaking views. It still amazes me on these road trips how different every turn of the roads can be. The types of rocks change, the shapes of the rock changes and the trees change from one area to the next and sometimes only a few miles apart. Once you traverse the mountains to Sedona, the layered red rocks begin to frame the landscape. Where the day before we were looking into the Grand Canyon, now it feels like you are in it. It is a stunning landscape.The town emerges from the red rock nestled tightly into what the locals call their island within the rocks. It is strikingly beautiful.

We packed a lunch and had a little picnic before exploring the town. We went in and out of gift shops which Ben just did not understand. “Everything is the same in every place. Why...?” Dad, “I know. It doesn’t make sense. Come on.” After we wandered for a while, played some instruments in the street and pet some animals, we checked in for our Jeep tour which started at 4 PM. We grabbed some homemade ice cream and waited for our tour.

There were bright pink jeeps for 8; so 5 of us and 3 others. No one really knew what to expect. There had to be 10 jeeps that took off at once in different directions for different types of tours. We were on the broken arrow. We were all guaranteed a great time as everyone who gets done says they loved it. Ok, lets go. It ain’t cheap (unless I’m talking to Paul- wink). It better be worth it.

We hopped in the Jeep and headed south of town toward the towering red rocks framing the city. Our guide, Daniel, was great.Very knowledgeable of the area, seasoned in hiking, biking and off-roading expert and a funny guy. He was super friendly. He turned off of the main road toward the rocks. To the left, a parking lot. To the right, an uneven road that he informed us was to remind any drivers that were going the wrong way and would have some explaining to do to the car rental places. We bumped and bobbled over the ground as he informed us that this was nothing. We all half-heartedly laughed with a little worry in our chuckle.

Let me tell you, we had so much fun. It was some true off-roading. He drove us to the top of the red rock for some views you won’t get just walking around. You can hike it but the jeeps are fun. You bounce around everywhere. He got us on some angles that caused to get real close to our neighbors. We got out a few times to climb higher up for better views. He even said the jeeps used to drive to the tops of some of these rocks. Aww, hella no. I was already scared. The red rocks are not mountains but caused by erosion. They are continuously eroding. One end of the canyon where we were was actually connected to the other end a million years ago.

We all loved the Jeep tour. Everyone expressed their liking to it. After the tour, we went to 89 Agave for what we thought was a snack but ended up a dinner. Paul and I ate there before and enjoyed it so we ate outside overlooking the red rocks as the sun set.We ordered a bunch of chips and guacamole with bacon, some kind of Mexican pizza looking thing and salsas. I had a yummy drink that was their specialty. It was supposed to be rimmed with worm salt but they were out.Darn.It was really crushed worms. I was disappointed. Not really. As we were leaving town, the sun was just at the point where it lights up the red rocks. Stunning. Everyone stopped to watch. Gasps everywhere.

We got home after dark and started to load up the car and clean up the house. We have a long drive tomorrow, 14 hours and we want to leave by 6:30 AM. We are trying to make it to Salina, Kansas so we only have 5 hours to Columbia, MO to see our niece at Mizzou. We are so excited to see her at her school. We packed up and hit the sheets but before I fell asleep, I started reading about people who have died in the Grand Canyon which led to a murder story of a couple on the Appalachia trail. I got spooked since we are kind of in the woods (though there are houses not to far between but maybe they are murderers). I had a hard time falling asleep. Why do I do that? “What was that noise?”

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