Explore the expansive Gettysburg battlefield on wheels with Segway Tours of Gettysburg
The Gettysburg Segway Tour is an active and eco-friendly way to explore the battlefield in Gettysburg. Step on the Segway device and cover an impressive amount of the battlefield in a short time.
While the park is accessible by car and foot, many tourists dislike the interruption of vehicles or the burden of walking through such a large area. The Segway is an excellent compromise between these two options. Since it doesn’t require gas, the Segway is also friendly to the environment and produces a minimal amount of noise.
You should reserve your place in the Segway tour as spots do sell out. It’s free to reserve a Segway and you can do this online or on the SegTours website. There is no fee for reservation; if you are unable to keep your reservation, kindly call and cancel as soon as you are aware of your inability to attend.
The tour begins in the SegTours parking lot. You can find the parking lot by looking for “The Reliance Mine Saloon” sign, which also usually contains a banner announcing the tour location. When you arrive, simply check in at the kiosk. Multiple staff members will be there to assist you at check in. Once you’ve secured your helmet (included in rental), your tour guide will assist you in basic Segway operation.
From there, your guide will keep hold of the Segway, helping you navigate the impromptu cone-weaving training course set up in the parking lot. Once you’re confident enough, she or he will observe as you operate the Segway. When you are comfortable controlling the machine, the guide will move on to assist other members as you practice.
Once all tourists have been assembled and trained, your tour guide will provide an audio unit which hangs around your neck on its own lanyard. The units contain earpieces which hook over the ear much like a Bluetooth device. Throughout the course of the tour, your guide can speak to you via this device; this is especially important because the guide provides safety notifications and warnings throughout the tour. The pre-recorded guided tour information also plays through this device. The voice on the recording is that of a “Licensed Battlefield Guide,” a professional designation intended to ensure accurate information on battlefield tours.
SegTours offers two tours and a “Segway Experience” for those interested in the Segway but not the historical tour. The tours vary in time and cost. In addition to the safety gear and audio equipment, your tour cost includes bottled water and snacks kept in a special cooler on the guide’s Segway.
The tour guides are also sure to take digital photos of everyone on the tour. SegTours uploads the tour photos to the publicly-accessible Flickr account. Once home from vacation, you can access the account and view your photos. This also minimizes the hazardous practice of taking photos while riding the Segway as an inexperienced rider.
Posted by Tara M. Clapper
