Check Off One More

Sue & Laurie - Stone Arch Bridge in background

There's a small list floating around in my brain called Things To Do Before I Die.  I've never put the list on paper so it just sits there with things added or removed over the years.  Some are eliminated because I've forgotten about them, a few others because I've actually done them.  Two things at the very top of the list were to see the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and to ride a Segway.  Now they are BOTH checked off - Australia a couple of years ago, the Segway just this month.

When Segways first came out there was an interesting display in the Technology Building at the Minnesota State Fair.  At that time it was predicted that the futuristic Segways would become popular and widely available for the average rider - the commute of the future.  Unfortunately that didn't happen, but they can be rented, and tours are available all over the country.

Laurie and I have been talking about doing a Segway Tour for several years and this year we finally did the Minneapolis Historical Tour along the Mississippi Riverfront.   I made reservations a week or so in advance, which was a good thing as apparently 4th of July weekend is their busiest time.  We were in a group of about 15-20 people, one of three groups scheduled for July 5th.  Segways are amazingly easy to master, and our tour included a quick private lesson, a 10-minute video, and another 10 minutes to practice as a group.  Although I felt awkward at first, it soon felt as if the Segway could read my mind and anticipate what I wanted it to do.  Amazing machines!

We did a 6-7 mile, 2 1/2 hour tour of the Riverfront, with stops at a number of historic places.  Our tour crossed the Stone Arch Bridge, and we rode on bricks, cobblestones, asphalt, concrete, gravel paths, wood chips and grass.  The tour took us along both sides of the river, with a short break at the Mill City Museum for coffee and cookies.  What fun we had, and I wished our adventure would never end!  Of course I purchased a t-shirt, and we took advantage of the free passes to the Mill City Museum and the discount at a nearby restaurant that were part of our tour package.  A very memorable day!

It was interesting to see how many people stopped to watch us as we passed, many of them smiling and waving.  I wonder if they added Segways to their own lists of Things To Do?

Note: Now I know what I will do when I retire!  I'll get a job helping with Segway Tours!  Then I can get paid to ride - what could be more fun than that?