Segway Adventure at Clearwater Beach

What is a Segway?

Segway is a two wheeled, motorized transport that has the unique feature of gyroscopes to help the user to maintain balance. The machine is truly amazing, checking the pressure of an individual’s footprint a hundred times a second, according to Jean Varn, owner and tour guide of The Segway Adventure at Clearwater Beach, Florida.

The inventor of the Segway envisioned them being used in droves on every sidewalk in America, but cost and legal restrictions on their use created a different reality. While they are indeed utilized as personal transports, the real surprise of the Segway’s evolution was its adoption into the tourism industry. Across the United States you will find them in use as touring devices, giving their riders unobstructed views from the comfort of a device that does all the work for them. The Segway Adventure has joined this trend, offering guided Segway tours through Clearwater Beach and the City of Clearwater.

The Segway Tour at Clearwater Beach

If you are staying at Clearwater Beach very long you will surely see Segways cruising down the beach sidewalks. The Segways rides are available from The Segway Adventure, located on the beach. The tour sets out from an alley south of the central roundabout, conveniently adjacent to Cone Heads ice cream shop and close to Post Corner Pizza. You can usually get parking right next to The Segway Adventure in the hotel parking lot for five dollars. The tour starts with a much needed training session, letting you drive around the parking lot until you are comfortable. Then it’s off to Beach Walk, the wide sidewalk that runs the length of the beachfront on the southern end of Clearwater Beach Island. After a fun spin around Beach Walk, your tour guide, Varn, takes you to the beautiful Clearwater Beach Memorial Causeway. This palm tree lined strip of land has a wide bike trail which is perfect for touring on Segways. The ride along the waterway is comfortable and beautiful, with great water views. The best part, however, is the bridge span, where you can take in views of Clearwater Harbor. Varn lets you stop to take in the all the remarkable sights from the top of the bridge. She then points off into the neighborhoods of Clearwater, where you will see some of the most historic and expensive houses in the region. The ride then takes you across the bridge into the City of Clearwater. After a spin through Coachman Park, with more views of the harbor, you will get to enter the incredible historic neighborhood Varn pointed out from the bridge. The large, old homes are very inspiring. Vern knows a lot about their history which she will share with you on the tour. The tour reaches its farthest point at a pier reaching out onto harbor. Here you will get a break that you can spend leaning on the railing, taking in the blue and turquoise waters of Clearwater Harbor. Then it’s back the way you came, allowing you take in all the great sights of Clearwater and Clearwater Beach a second time.

Experiencing Clearwater Beach on a Segway

The Clearwater Beach Segway tour might take you by surprise. The actual experience is much different than it appears to a bystander. The first thing you will enjoy is the feel of the Segway. To put it simply, they are fun to operate. The computer system is so sophisticated, it seems to respond to your thoughts rather than just your feet. The simplicity of using them leaves you with an unobstructed experience of all the goings on and activities of Clearwater Beach. You will cruise past the beach goers while music from the restaurants and pubs drifts by. Riding past the marina and down the causeway is fun. The bridge is tall enough to offer views of the entire Clearwater Beach Island, Sand Key to the south, and Caladesi Island to the north. For those who know the terrain, you might also spy Honeymoon Island, and the City of Dunedin. You will also overlook the small islands running the length of the harbor to the north. To the south, you will see a bird refuge on a mangrove island and, farther off, the popular tour boat stop of Shell Island. The ramp taking you onto and off the bridge is a spiral that tests your new-found Segway driving skills. Varn gives an interesting talk about the wealthy Harbor Oaks neighborhood, which you then get to roll through. If you like mansions and old homes, you will love this part of the tour. The Segway Adventure allows you to view the sights in a very distraction-free style. It provides a fresh view of the area along with a chance to absorb all the atmosphere of Clearwater and Clearwater Beach.

Is The Clearwater Beach Segway Adventure for You?

Is The Segway Adventure something you should do on your Clearwater Beach vacation? Well, we sure had fun! The Segway Adventure costs 65 dollars per person and lasts two hours. The Segways are enjoyable to operate, and the sites visitied on the tour are worthy locations. What is more, the Segways allow you to take in the beach and other sights in a way that walking, biking, or driving cannot. On a Segway, you are basically just standing there while you whiz along the sidewalk. Because of that, all your senses are left free to take in the experience. It is a one of a kind way to absorb the character of Clearwater and Clearwater Beach.