Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Ever wanted to glide through a sylvan paradise, soaking up the scenery while at the same time riding a futuristic transport? Then get over to the N.C. Arboretum in Ashvegas and take a Segway tour.
The three-hour tour will set you back $45 per person, but it’s worth it. You’ll get basic training on the Segway, then you’ll hit the Bent Creek and Owl Ridge trails for some serious sight-seeing.
David was our tour guide. He was a calm and knowledgeable guide who made us watch a video, sign waivers, pick helmets, then get started on the machines. The Segways really isn’t hard to master. David gave us basic instructions, but it’s a pretty intuitive weight-balance issue once you step on a Segway. After about 20 minutes of basic skills training, we set off.
One quick note – the Segways look like a lazy man’s dream, but in fact, you’re getting a pretty good workout. You’re constantly balancing, and the standing takes a toll on your legs. Remember, too, that the tour is three hours long – consider bringing along a snack and/or some water.
David led the six of us around the arboretum’s sprawling grounds. We started out on paved roads, then hit the dirt trails, which weren’t a problem for the Segway’s fat, off-road tires. We spotted pink little wild orchids (lady slippers) and got a close up look at those nasty woolly adelgids strangling hemlock.
We stopped by Bent Creek and David threw some crumbs into the water for the trout to nibble. We saw the bend in the creek for which Bent Creek was named – it’s quite a U-turn. We got up close with a sassafrass tree, spotted wild roses and spied orange flame azaleas. And we stood quietly in a hushed white pine forest.
All in all, it was a great new twist on the old-fashioned nature walk! When we head back home to Australia later this month, I might have a look online for the best electric scooter melbourne. I can’t leave all the fun here in the US!
More about the Segway here.
Save Our Hemlocks
North Carolina Arboretum
Wow! I wish I was there.
(If that last minute deal on Delta had been just a little different—I WOULD have been there.)