We pile into the pink jeep with six strangers. Our driver seems a little crazy….in a mostly good way. He navigates the heavy Sedona traffic like he has done the route hundreds of times. So far so good. He tells stories as he drives. He finds them funny and entertaining. I find them hard to follow and don’t get the punch lines. This could be a long tour.

Eventually, we turn off the main road. We are now driving on a cow path. The rocks stick up wildly from the surface. I can’t believe we are driving over the large road obstacles. The jeep bumps and climbs over boulders. How can we not get a flat tire? We bounce and bump along for miles. The driver laughs with glee and I jolt wildly from side to side

The scenery is otherworldly. I forget about the bumps. Look at those mesas. The red rock against blue sky is breathtaking. At some point we pass a couple taking wedding photos along the road. We shout our congratulations. At a turn in the road we pass a guy who has parked his brand new pickup truck in a pull out. Our driver stops to take his picture. He laughs and says that google said he could use this road so he thought he would try it. I think he is crazy.

We finally stop at a breathtaking overlook. We look down into the canyon from above. Our guide tells us the rock formations are called Apache member. He uses up half of the water we are carrying trying to show us how the rocks were formed over time. Sort of interesting, but what if I get thirsty?

The driver signals that it is time to go. I find myself wishing I wasn’t on a tour. (This happens almost every time I am on a tour.) I want to sit here bit longer. I want to wander the trails. I want to lose myself in birdsong. But, I don’t want to have to walk myself back to civilization…..and this pink jeep is leaving.