Pink Jeep tours is the oldest offroad adventure company in Sedona. The Pink Jeeps have been traversing the Coconina Forest since 1959. It is impossible to miss them if you go uptown Sedona. The jeeps are all painted Pepto Bismol pink!
The jeep tours range from a fairly calm trip to the Indian ruins to the trip we chose into Diamond Gulch. This trip is not for the weak of back -- it is intended to bounce you around and teach you that certain areas really should be covered on foot!
The jeep tour starts off sedately enough travelling through downtown Sedona onto the side streets that take you to Boynton Canyon. The offroad adventure begins here. To begin with, the road is merely unpaved, with moderate washboards; later you will call this the superhighway. Our guide takes us through this area for a mile or so, then takes off cross country on the Pink Jeep path. The area that they traverse is not available to the public; you can travel on their routes with permits only.
Our driver points out rock formations and talks about mistletoe and Yucca plants then suddenly wheels up over a three foot speedbump and hollers -- Yee Hah! (or something similar). We say, "You did that on purpose just to show us that you could." She laughs and says, "Just wait."
When we reach the Gulch she stops the jeep and says, "Here we are." She allows us to take pictures and then tells us we are going down the gulch -- What!? There is no road here -- not even a path -- but there are some very large boulders Are you crazy? we think. When asked by one of the passengers if she should hold on, the driver replies, "I would."
Hang onto your hats, your stomach, the side of the jeep -- definitely you camera. My husband thinks it's great fun and films the entire way to the bottom of the gulch.
Good news -- now we get to go back up the opposite side.
If you are inclined to pray, you say a quick prayer that the jeep does not flip over and land on its top as it begins the ascent.
Once at the top, we all laugh -- no problem! We are covered with red dirt and our hair has a texture that cannot be described as anything other than "unique." The "desert do" cannot even be moved with a comb; teenagers would probably identify it as something like a "bedhead" look. The views, however, are wonderful and the thrill of having done what you know you really shouldn't do: fun.
Cost for this 2.5 hour tour is $55 each.
Other Pink Jeep tours begin at $50 each.
Reservations: 1-800-873-3662.