It is still very hot and dry here in Sedona. The fire is still burning and it is VERY big news here. I can no longer see the smoke from Kristin's room. But the sky is hazy and I could smell the smoke in the air this morning.
Kristin told me on Sunday night that I needed to get plenty of rest because she had a special trip planned on Monday. She wasn't kidding!
When I woke up, Kristin told me to make sure to put on lots of suntan lotion, bring my hat, and bring an extra bottle of water. She said I needed these for a surprise trip. Then, right after lunch, several Jeeps showed up right outside of the room where Kristin's conference is being held. They were the funniest Jeeps I have ever seen! They are painted PINK!
If you look really close, here you can see me in a pink Jeep with Kristin's friend Susan.
It turns out that Kristin and all of the people attending the conference were going on tours of Sedona in these pink Jeeps. A few of the Jeeps went to see area Indian ruins. But the Jeep Kristin was riding in went to a place called "Broken Arrow" in the Coconino National Forest near Sedona.At first I couldn't understand why we needed a Jeep but right after we left the hotel, our driver told us we were going to be driving on a very bumpy trail. He wasn't kidding! There are no real roads on the Broken Arrow tour....only red dirt paths that looked like they have have been carved out of the side of a mountain.
The ride was VERY bumpy and I had to make sure that my seatbelt was fastened tight at all times! The Jeep didn't go very fast but the ride was really cool! It was like being on a rollercoaster.
The Jeep was really cool too! It was open with a canvas top. And, just as we started on the rocky road, the driver stopped and put the windshield down so we could get a better view. Did you know that a Jeep's windshield could fold? I had no idea!
I was sitting in the front seat with Kristin and because the windshield was folded down I got covered in lots of red dust! My mom isn't going to be very happy with all of the red dust when she washes my clothes!
We were able to stop in a few places to get a better view of the national forest. Here I am with Kristin at one of the stops on the tour.
Do you see the big cloud behind us? That's the smoke from the fire. Here's a better view.
It was really cool to see the view of the red rocks but it was also kind of scary. It was windy and we were up REALLY HIGH. I was afraid I might fall and never been seen again! Kristin made sure to hold me really tight so I didn't blow away.
During the ride, we saw lots of different trees and plants. I really liked looking at the cactus plants I could see all along the road. During our second stop, I decided to get a better look at the cactus. But, Kristin told me not to get too close. The cactus leaves have LONG needles and Kristin said the needles would really hurt if I touched one. This is as close as I got to one of the cactus plants.
Can you see the needles? I am glad Kristin warned me not to get closer.
The best part of the Jeep ride was toward the end when the driver drove us up the side of a small hill and then drove us SLOWLY down the other side. Kristin didn't go on this part because she had to take photos of the Jeeps as they were going down the hill. But I got to stay and enjoy the ride with Kristin's friend Betty. It was SO COOL!! I thought I was going to fall forward! It's a good thing Betty was holding me!
After the tour ended, the pink Jeep drove us to a nearby ranch for dinner. It was a very nice place with a small pond and another hill where we could watch the sunset. Here I am with Kristin just before the sunset.
I wasn't all that in that interested in the sunset. I was more interested in watching the fire. We had a great view of it at this location. Just before we left, the fire started to come over the big mountain. It was neat to see the flames. But Kristin told me it wasn't good to see the flames because that means the fire is spreading and getting closer to homes.
Look closely below and you can see some flames behind me.
I know there are lots of firefighters and planes trying to put out the fire. I sure hope they can get it out soon. It would be bad if someone loses their house.That's all for now. Until next time..
