Pink Jeeps and the Coconino National Forest

One of the fun things we did while in Sedona, Arizona, last week was zipping around the Coconino National Forest in a couple of open-air jeeps from Pink Jeep Tours. The forest is a huge (1.856 million acre) area that surrounds Sedona. It is filled with gorgeous scenery and laced with trails for hikers, bicyclists, and jeeps to enjoy (not the same trails, naturally!).

The drivers picked us up at the hotel, then buzzed along city streets until we turned off into the wilderness:

Within minutes, gorgeous vistas rose up around us:

The drivers were super. They barrelled up and down stuff like this:

You had to hang on tight, but stay loose in the spine to absorb the jolts and bumps and sudden changes of direction. It was a hoot!

We drove the "Broken Arrow" trail to a place called "Chicken Point," where we got out to stretch our legs and goggle at the scenery, below. In the photo, can you see a thin white band of rock that skirts the undulating face of sandstone? Crazy people on bicycles have cycled along this uber-narrow ledge. It couldn't believe it until I saw it on YouTube. Type in "Sedona White Line" for the unreal footage. There's even one with some dogs running around after the cyclists. 

Here's my low-tech sketch to help you locate the band. Although it goes along the width of the rock, above, it's easiest to see along this area, below:

Anyhoo, this was crazy enough for most of us:

The other jeep had a couple of teenage girls in it, and it was a blast listening to them screaming:

 If you're in Sedona, take a jeep tour out to Chicken Point. It's a heart-pounding experience.

Sometimes, in more ways than one!