Have you ever Segway’d before?? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. If I had a lot of spare cash, I’d buy a Segway of my own – that’s how fun I’ve found them to be. If you can get a Groupon or other deal for a tour in year area…..do it! Sign up! Yesterday, my friend Thom and I took our friend Fuzzy down to Long Beach for a Segway tour using Groupons we had bought a few months ago.
But before I get to the Segway, I do want to discuss our travel to Long Beach, and our lunch in downtown. Since Thom and I live in the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach is not exactly in the hood. We could have driven down, but decided to take a more leisurely trip by taking the subway and light rail. We caught the subway at the North Hollywood station and took it downtown to the 7th Street Metro station to switch over to the Blue Line light rail….however….Metro is doing work on extending the line downtown, so all the stops there are currently shut down over the weekend (I didn’t catch exactly how long this will be going on). Metro does provide a shuttle to the Washington station on the far south side of downtown. And let me tell you….that driver BOOKED down the streets to Washington.
All in all, it wasn’t an awful trip. Yes, we could potentially have driven there faster, but we found out later that the freeways were a mess and everyone in our tour group had been scheduled for 10am (we were at 3pm) and had to call to reschedule for later due to traffic issues. We were happy we took public transit after hearing about that.
We made our way down to Long Beach for a late lunch before the Segway tour. Fuzzy and I had been downtown before and eaten at a Greek place that we really enjoyed. We checked on Yelp for suggestions, but nothing jumped out at us, plus the Greek place had a very high rating (and our prior experience)….so Greek it was. George’s Greek Café (www.georgesgreekcafe.com) has several locations in the South Bay area. They also make a killer Bloody Mary!
We weren’t starving and didn’t want a full meal, but did want more than a snack. We shared a “double dip” which had hummus and a black olive spread (basically a tapenade) with pita bread. Fuzzy had the calamari appetizer, Thom the meatballs, and I ordered the gyro appetizer. For appetizers, these plates were a LOT of food! I’m glad we didn’t order a full meal. It was all incredibly delicious though. I’ll go back another time for sure – especially if a Bloody Mary is involved.
We eventually made our way down to the Segway tour office. Thom and I had done one down in Long Beach back in January. We lucked out when we found out our guide would be the same one we had back then….Anita! We love Anita: she’s informative, fun, helpful and you can tell she really loves her job. She even remembered us.
Before you actually get on a Segway, they require you to view a safety video. Fuzzy got a little freaked out by the stickman on the video as he kept doing face-plants and back falls, dumping the Segway. We assured her that she wouldn’t be doing that as we were in a more controlled experience. Once we got on the Segways, she got more comfortable after she mastered stopping (it’s tricky for anyone their first time).
The weather was actually perfect for a tour, and late in the day seems to be a good time during the summer….it’s not blazing hot and the sun is still up when you get done with the tour. The tour takes you over the bridge from downtown to the Queen Mary. Anita stops along the way for pictures and to give some history of the harbor and the area. After the Queen Mary, you head back over the bridge, past the aquarium and onto the boardwalk. This is where you get a break to step off the Segway, get a drink, visit the restroom, and basically stretch your legs. As fun as is it, standing with your feet a set distance apart without the ability to move them around can get tedious and tiring.
The second half of the tour, Anita takes you up to the “lighthouse” to get a great view out over the harbor and downtown. Then down the boardwalk, checking stuff out and getting more history of the area. It’s funny how much people gawk at you when you whiz past them on a Segway. We even got asked along the way where we rented them. Anita handed out brochures when she could, or answered their questions.
Our two hours passed by very, very quickly, and we headed back to the shop. Since we now are more experienced with the Segway, Anita let is on a little tip: you can just rent for the two hour tour timeframe and go out on your own, even when you use a Groupon. Good to know (though I would enjoy her giving us another tour). Fuzzy wound up really enjoying it (she had been skeptical before she got on one).
Thom and I have three more Segway tours scheduled in the Southern California area. We have taken advantage of Groupon deals, and will keep our eyes out for future tours. If you’re looking for something fun to do on a weekend, or even during the week, you should check for a local tour. They really are a lot of fun. And if you can get a Groupon, even better….it makes the tour only about $35-40 on average (half price). Remember though to please tip your tour guide if you enjoyed your tour….they really appreciate that. And if you get down to Long Beach and take a tour, be sure to ask for Anita – and tell her C.J. says hi!
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