destinlee

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to post a warning about a tour we just took. We went on the Hummer Affair Jeep Eater "SUN SET" tour. I believe we paid about $90 a person.

This was so disappointing. First of all it is nothing other than a dangerously rough ride. I'm a young guy and so was everyone in the party and it was ROUGH. one of the guys in the group pulled a back muscle on the trip and ended up spending $300 on massages before we left.

Also, wouldn't the term "Sunset Tour" make you think they take you to some beautiful area and you get to see the sun set behind the red rocks?

Nope, that just meant that we got back after sunset. we never saw the sunset.

We were driven over a ROUGH road and taken to 1 spot that we didn't even bother taking pictures of because the view from our room was better and this place had high tension wires all over so you couldn't take a pic without having the wires in the pics.

I even mentioned it to the guide and he said " yeah that is the problem with this area".

We thought that since it was a Hummer we would get to go to higher, more remote places to get a better view. That was very far from the truth.

It was nothing other than a very long annoying, rough ride that none of us would ever do again.

Save your money and take the pink jeep tours.

Destin

Malesherbes

I'd much rather do all of it on foot, but here's the online description of your tour: "Extreme 4x4 Adventure. This is for the thrill seeking individual wanting a Sedona experience like no other. This will be the most unforgettable experience of your vacation. Our trail is the most extreme 4x4 tour in Arizona, offering many blood pumping obstacles to conquer while enjoying the majestic Red Rock Canyons". Aside from the sunset, it sounds as if you got what was advertised, no?

destinlee

Well to us we took the "blood pumping obsticles" as climbing the red rocks to see a "majestic view". It was actually man made looking piles of dirt in an open field that you could not see any majestic views. Not to mention he drove over the bumps at 30 mph and the regular driving was 50 mph.

The only "majestic" valley view was the 1 stop we made with the high tension wires running all over.

destinlee

Well to us we took the "blood pumping obsticles" as climbing the red rocks to see a "majestic view". It was actually man made looking piles of dirt in an open field that you could not see any majestic views. Not to mention he drove over the bumps at 30 mph and the regular driving was 50 mph.

The only "majestic" valley view was the 1 stop we made with the high tension wires running all over.

There were 3 of us (all in our 20's) and not one of us would take the trip again.

I mean when i go to Hawaii and take a blue water rafting tour, yes it is more exhilerating and fast but it is not wreckless and we still manage to see beautiful sights in very secluded spots that a regular boat wouldn't be able to get into.

This trip we "thought" would be exhilerating in the sense that we would climb the red rocks to places that the jeeps wouldn't be powerful enough to get to and would have a breath taking view.

The trip offered none of that. We were all happy when the trip was over.

We honestly thought that since it is in Sedona, the focus would have been on views of the red rocks and an awesome sunset, and not a wreckless trip through a field with man made moguls.

Just thought I would voice my opinion.

Destin

JennyJJJ

I agree with you 100%. We also were misled with the tour thinking it was able to take us to places that other vehicles were unable to get to. it is as descibed by Destinlee, nothing more then drving fast through mounds that did appear to be man made. (I should say driving over)

The view was such a disappointment. Our Hummer would drive so close to the brush in the field that you couldn't hold on because the branches were whipping inside. So you had to choose between getting your hands cut from the branches or to hold on while he flew over the mounds.

Even my teenage kids thought it was not a good trip.

I highly advise again the Hummer affair.

Jenny

janisj

Sorry you were disappointed - however it seems you got exactly what the tour description says.

From the brochure it certainly does not sound like a sightseeing tour to me. It sounds like an off road "E Ticket".

You apparently read between the lines and assumed "Our trail is the most extreme 4x4 tour in Arizona" meant some sort of lovely views. What it sounds like to me -- a bumpy, rough, semi-dangerous ride. exactly what you got.

JennyJJJ

PS opps Typo allert! I meant to say "I advise AGAINST the Hummer Affair" lol

KMK

I dunno - having gone 4-wheeling myself, both in Moab & here in Alaska, in Jeeps & Land Rovers...extreme to me doesn't mean, "Run at a bumpy road as fast as you can". I mean, if the vehicle was going 50 mph, the terrain obviously wasn't complicated. To me, I would expect "extreme terrain" to be technically complicated terrain - tight turns, navigation through boulder fields, narrow areas near the edge of cliffs. Not blasting along with abandon, shaking your fillings lose - that's not 'extreme adventure,' that's 'extreme discomfort.' And, yes, ANY sort of 'extreme' tour in a scenic tourist area, I would STILL expect to see scenery as part of the package.

I'd be disappointed, too, destinlee. Thanks for the warning.

greenrph

LOL It amazes me why when a person posts a comment that is his opinion, why people who probably either haven't been on the tour start defending the tour and basically calling the person who posted the comment a liar OR they are just employees of the tour trying to protect their jobs. I don't get it.

Well, now it is time for my 2 cents for what it is worth. I have been to Sedona 6 times and have taken about every tour there is.

When a company states "Our trail is the most extreme 4x4 tour in Arizona" any clear thinking adult would envision a boulder/rock climbing, cliff hanging, stream crossing, etc. type of trail. Not mogul after mogul after mogul that Yes they do appear to be man made.

This was the worst tour I took also. the "sun set tour" package was also not a truthful statement as there was no view of a sunset. This is a tour in an open field with brush. The "majestic valley" as they said was nothing like the views you can see right in town. there were large power lines everywhere.

Our guide made it a point to stop at shrubs and tell us about each one in an obvious attempt to waste time.

I am curious as to the 2 people who were saying we all got what we signed up for, have those two taken this trip? I would bet not. You can't sit and read a brochure and compare it to the experiences of those of us who have dished out $90 to take this "adventure".

Hummer Affair leads you to believe that this is a great adventure with great views and that you will go places that jeeps cannot get to and see a beautiful sunset.

It is wreckless trip through a field of moguls to stop for 10 minutes to look at a small valley criss crossed with power lines that you will see no sunset and have to make a decision of either holding on or having bloody hands from the branches.

I also would suggest looking for a jeep tour company. There are several that offer great tours that DO offer views, sunsets and you don't get off the vehicle with pulled muscles and no pictures.

we also took zero pictures on this trip. So we spent $400 for the fare and the tip and would never do it again.

And YES I speak from experience, I have taken 4X4 trips in NM, AZ, Alaska, Africa, Colorado and this was by far the worst and most misleading trip.

greenRPh

Malesherbes

Interesting first post! Actually, no one did what you are suggesting. No one said it was an employee of a rival company writing, no one called anyone a liar. I said from the description online, it sounds like you got what was advertised, and it did! If you were on manufactured rocks, no, you did not, but the direction this thread took suddenly, and with this long first post, now it really is sounding suspicious!!

BeachBoi

This is not Destinlee's first post.

greenrph

Wow, LOL now this has turned into a real battle ground here. I am bowing out on this one. I was just trying to defend Destin. Now I am acting "suspicious" LOL

Bye all means maleherbs...take the trip. You will love it! LOL

BeachBoi

Oh I see..The "first post" was referring to green not destin.Please accept my MHA for any transgressions that are deemed undeserved.

dfrostnh

KMK is right, an extreme 4x4 tour would have required great driving skills on extremely difficult terrain taken at a crawl. For one thing, it's too bad many people assume a Hummer can go places a jeep can't. I loved the Pink Jeep tour I went on in Sedona. The views were wonderful and it wasn't that bumpy. We crawled over a couple of obstacles. I think destinlee got gyped and I'm glad he posted a warning to others who might consider taking this trip. "Blood Pumping obstacles" requiring technical driving skills are taken slow and there must be plenty of them in the area. I say the ad is misleading.

Sunshinesue

Well, regardless of what the online description said, Destin was very disappointed with the trip and was kind enough to warn others who might be considering it. I appreciate your effort, Destin. Thank-you.

starrsville

I also appreciate the post. I loved the Pink Jeep tour. When I've read posts on this board to consider Hummer tours, the IMPLIED reason was that a Hummer could go places a Jeep couldn't navigate. My INTERPRETATION was Pink Jeep Broken Arrow type landscape pushed up a notch - or two or more. I would have EXTREMELY bummed to spend $90 for the type of Hummer adventure the OP describes. Thanks for letting us know.

I also agree that those who are disagreeing with the OP should fork out $90 for the tour and then report back in. Don't understand how someone can discount a poster's OPINION without experience. Just doesn't seem fair.

janisj

No one discounted his opinion. It was simply stated that the tour description in the on-line brochure says in so many word it is bumpy, w/ blood pumping obstacles.

He didn't enjoy the tour - neither would I. But I wouldn't book it in the first place w/ words like "extreme", "blood pumping" and "thrill seeking". And it does appear to have been a "sunset tour" since they were out after sunset.

My point was that tour brochures whether a Hummer Affair, or a 19 day tour of Europe specifically say what they provide, and it is important to understand what is and, more importantly, isn't said.

(A tour that says "see such and such" means one sees it from the moving bus, while "Visit such and such" means the bus actually stops and you get off to visit.)

I didn't say the tour was enjoyable - only that the description is exactly what was provided.

karens

Destinlee - I would have interpreted the brochure like you did.

I like to mountain bike, hike long distance and like to think I can handle "thrill seeking". Not quite sure why being jarred over rocks is "unforgettable", except if you hurt your back, like you described!

jlm_mi

janisj - I understand your postings, and I do agree. But, the key thing here is to consider what the reading of that description would mean to someone who had never been on the tour, nor spoken to anyone who had. Certainly you should be able to see that something called "sunset tour" would lead someone to believe that they'll have sunset views on the tour. No, the company didn't lie, since they were out during sunset. But their description is misleading on the expectations side.

It's not false advertising, just misleading, and destin posted warning people about what their terms used in the advertisements really mean. He didn't suggest they should be jailed for lying, or anything. Just that they got something quite different from what they expected.

janisj

Actually the "sunset" part is the least troublesome for me. I have been on sunset cruises/tours (on the Thames, Seine, Tahoe, SF Bay, New Orleans and so on) All that usually means is you will be out at dusk. It doesn't necessarily mean you will see a glorious sunset, or scenic views or anything. Just that you are out when the sun goes down.