Tara got back to the hotel a bit early and we headed out to the highly anticipated Segway Tour. She had been looking forward to this for several days and was very hyped. We split a burger at Capitol City Brewing on the way as the “Three Hour Tour” started at 6:00 and we knew we’d be starving if we waited.

At the meeting point we got instructions on how to operate our magical chariots. I was amazed at how quickly everyone got comfortable with controlling the Segways and it was just a few minutes before the whole group was ready to start the tour.

The starting point was just a couple of blocks from Ford’s Theater and that was our first stop. It turned out to be the most challenging point of the tour because of the mass of tourists gathered on the short block. I think just about everyone on the tour was asked about the Segways before we managed to get through the crowd.

From there we zipped to the FBI Building and down Pennsylvania Ave to the Capitol Building. Our guide was a teacher that worked the tours as a side job for travel money. She was cheerful and gave us lots of info about the various stops on the tour.

From the Capitol Building we moved down Independence Ave and then cut over at 7th to Constitution Ave. From there headed West all the way past the White House and up to the Old Executive Offices stopping several times along the way. When we got to the North side of the White Hose we were allowed to “play” for a while. I managed to cut one of my slalom attempts a bit tight and abruptly dismounted with no harm to man or machine (saving the damage deposit).

After the White House, we motored back to the starting point and reluctantly turned in our rides. The tour was a great way to cover a lot of ground quickly and get a feel for the city if you’d never been before or didn’t have time to walk around all day. Doing it in the evening was great since the sidewalks were mostly clear and the setting sun changed the mood of the city as we progressed.

In the future, if I’m visiting a city for the first time I’ll look for a Segway tour as an option for getting my bearings quickly and determining what parts I want to explore in more detail.

FUN!!!

Early Wednesday morning I hopped back on Amtrak and headed back to Richmond...