The Little Rental Car That Could

In order to get from Phoenix to Sedona, and in order to drive around Sedona, I needed a rental car.  I felt a little uncertain about arranging for a car - the only times I've had a rental car in the past was when someone else made the reservation.  Usually, I'm taking shuttles or catching a ride with a friend or family member.

When I went on-line to reserve a car, I was somewhat shocked by the prices, especially the amount of taxes involved in renting a car.  I ended up paying about $280 for a Chevrolet Aveo from Budget Rent-a-Car with unlimited mileage (October 6-12).  Over 1/3 of that was in taxes and fees!

Note:  The coordinated rental car logistics at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport are great.  Other than having to listen to a sales pitch for renting a more powerful car, taking out extra insurance, etc., both pick-up and return went very smoothly.

Something Alarming.  Driving north to Sedona in late-afternoon commuter traffic took a little extra time, but my Aveo was performing just fine.  A short distance out of Phoenix, I stopped at an In-N-Out for a hamburger.  The burger was delicious, the restroom was clean, and everything was great - until I got back into my car.  When I put the key in the ignition, the car alarm went off, and I didn't know how to stop it.  I grabbed my cell phone to call my sister for her suggestions.  She didn't have much more experience with car alarms than I did, but she did have one idea - it might have something to do with locking/unlocking the car doors.  After some experimenting, and setting the car alarm off a couple more times, I finally mastered this advanced technology and headed back to the freeway.

Can I Do This Myself?  Toward the end of my stay in Phoenix, I noticed the gas tank was almost empty, so I pulled into a gas station to fill up.  "Oh," I realized, "I have to pump my own gas."  (In my home state of Oregon, pumping your own gas is against the law.)  Opening the little door to access the gas cap was no problem, but then I couldn't get the gas cap off.  I fiddled with it for a few minutes with no success.  Finally, I asked the driver of the car behind me if he could take it off for me.  Of course, he opened it immediately!  Fortunately, I managed to pump the gas, pay with my debit card, and get a receipt with no further delay.

Schnebly Hill Vista.  One afternoon, having no definite plans, I decided I would drive up Schnebly Hill Road to the "not-to-be-missed" vista.  I knew the road was only paved part of the way, but I was willing to give it a try.  I found the correct turn off the highway, confidently driving the Aveo until the pavement ended and I saw the sign "Schnebly Hill Vista, 5 miles."  Five miles on unpaved road?  Well, I was still ready to give it a try - after all, I could always turn around.

As I drove along, every curve in the road brought a beautiful new view of the rocky landscape, but I was starting to feel anxious.  This unpaved road was not gravel or dirt - but rocks.  Hard, uneven, and sometimes sharp rocks.  Occasionally, I saw another vehicle - most of them jeeps.  Should I turn back?  I wanted to see the "not-to-be-missed" vista.

I checked the gas gauge, checked the temperature gauge, and prayed the spare tire was good.  I proceeded slowly, driving about 10 mph most of the way.  Watching my odometer to see my progress, I waited and waited to see each number change.  Sometimes the road was fairly even, but other times it seemed like there was hardly any road at all.  I gave up trying to stay on my side of the road and concentrated on finding the least rugged route, telling myself that - if I got into trouble - I could hitch a ride with one of the jeeps.

Note:  These two smaller pictures give some idea of the drive up; look for the horizontal markings to see where the road took me.

Reminding myself that I could always turn around, I kept going - a little farther, a little farther.  Finally, after what seemed like hours, I was there.  Wow!  Schnebly Hill Vista was absolutely stunning.  I could literally see for miles, and I was truly glad I had not missed it.

For better pictures of the Schnebly Hill Vista, look for sites such as www.takemytrip.com/07sedona/07_13a.htm.

The Little Rental Car That Could.  I drove slowly back down Schnebly Hill Road, stopping from time to time to take a picture, usually from the car window.  What a relief when I reached the paved road!  And what a sense of accomplishment - I had never done anything quite like this before.  For the rest of the day, and into the evening, I continued to marvel - at the beautiful views I had seen, at my determination to reach this goal in spite of my anxiety, and the Aveo's performance on the rough road.  Had this drive been a smart idea?  Maybe not - but the cost of the rental, the unexpected car alarm, the difficulty in opening the gas cap - all of these seemed unimportant when I realized I had been driving The Little Rental Car That Could.

Stay tuned for more on my Sedona Soul Adventure.