Big Betsy Energy

You know when you need that extra push to help you climb a little higher? Like you start to doubt yourself for a moment and wonder if you were Insane to even try the hike as your one remaining leg shakes like a leaf in the windy Arizona landscape.

Today I rode in a big pink jeep named Betsy through the broken arrow trail in Sedona and unexpectedly became inspired by a car and her driver. I think I just wrote the script for a new Disney movie, but stick with me on this ride.

I signed up for an off-road, two-hour journey with six other tourists that promised to be thrilling and rugged. But I assumed they were exaggerating a bit as we would all be safely seated in a vehicle equipped with seatbelts, handlebars, and a bright pink exterior. We were introduced to our driver, Bonnie, who had been driving this route for over twenty-six years, and then we were off. We started on a paved suburban road that led to orange dirt that prompted everyone on board to pull out their cameras and start filming. Before I knew it, we were climbing massive red rocks at nearly vertical descents and making three-point turns near cliffs. I'm sorry, Betsy, for judging you by your cute exterior. You are one bada$$ woman.

Safe to say, I underestimated their interpretation of "adventure." Had it not been for that seatbelt, I would have been catapulted into preserved land more than a few times. When we pulled up to Submarine Rock, I saw hikers guiding each other to the top for the best view and thought, "wow, they're brave." Then Bonnie said we were hiking up there, and my knee got a little weak. Victor said, "let's just hang back and get pictures from here, no biggie." If you know me, you know that's when I said, "come on, let's go. I'm getting up there."

Bonnie asked if I wanted to try, and then hung back enough to let me do my thing but be there for moral support. At one point, the rock ledge was so narrow I would have to put one foot directly in front of the other and was told, "Don't stop moving forward around this part, trust me." Ok, don't die, got it. By the time I got to the top, all I could let out was a nervous giggle. When I got back from the tour, I immediately picked up my phone and found the tour description on the site. At the bottom of the page, beside a bullet point, it said, "Guests with limited mobility may not be able to access all of the viewpoints."