Go Green on Guided Segway Tours of Yuma, Arizona
Visit Historic Downtown, the Yuma Crossing, the West Wetlands Park
Aug 26, 2009
Combine the increasingly popular Segway tour with Yuma tours and the result is SegwaYuma Tours, a company dedicated to showing visitors this historic Arizona town on two self-balancing wheels. It's cool, it's fun, it's green and eco-friendly, and by the end of the tour almost everyone winds up with a smile on their face and a desire to buy a Segway of their own.
SegwaYuma Green Tours
The company was formed by Steve Cook and his wife Kate. Steve was an airline pilot who used to fly 747s, but today he pilots Segways around the streets and parks of Yuma.
Why Yuma? Because he and Kate retired here, though neither of them are the kind of people to sit still for very long. Discovering Segways and discovering the history of this fascinating town on the California-Arizona border led to the founding of SegwaYuma Tours.
Besides being a lot of fun, Segways are an eco-friendly way to travel. They contain gyroscopes which are powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries. A Segway can go about 24 miles without recharging and use very little electricity.
It doesn't take long to learn to balance and operate a Segway. SegwaYuma tours include a practice session to make sure riders are comfortable with the machine before setting off on the relaxing green tours of Yuma.
Seeing Historic Yuma on a Modern Segway
The history of the Segway goes back all the way to 2001, but the history of Yuma goes a little bit further than that. The area was settled by Native Americans from the Cocopah and Quechan tribes, which still live on reservations there, and the city was founded in the 16th century by Spanish explorers.
Yuma's importance grew as the west developed because it was the first easy crossing point on the Colorado River, which flows through the town. Historic Downtown Yuma stands on the Arizona side of the river, with California on the far side. Between them is the Ocean-Ocean Highway Bridge, the first stop on the Segway tour of historic Yuma.
Looming above the bridge is the old Yuma Territorial Prison. Once a fearsome place of incarceration for the region's criminals, it is now a state historic park and Yuma's most popular attraction.
Visit the Yuma Crossing and Ocean-Ocean Highway Bridge
Steve tells fascinating stories of Yuma's past as he leads his pack of Segway riders around the town. First, though, is a lesson on how to get off a Segway and lean it against the side of the bridge.
"From here," Steve says, "we overlook the site of the old rope ferry crossing. Kit Carson crossed here in 1829, taking trappers across the Colorado River. The Butterfield Stage crossed here, bringing the mail for the first time. On our right is California, and 60,000 people crossed over the river here during the gold rush days.
"The bridge opened in 1915 as the Ocean-Ocean Highway Bridge, and you could drive from the Atlantic to the Pacific for the first time. In the 1930s during the Depression, California had armed guards stationed here to turn people away if they didn't have jobs, so lots of people settled in Yuma instead and the town really grew."
Yuma's West Wetlands Park
It's surprising to discover, in what is thought of as a desert town, that Yuma has a lot of wetlands around it. These wetlands areas are being reclaimed and developed, and the Segway tour takes in the West Wetlands Park.
"This used to be a city dump," Steve explains, "but now it's a beautiful city park with a hummingbird aviary, a children's playground, a lake, and plans to build an amphitheatre. It's popular for weddings, and there's a Bluegrass Festival here, too."
Historic Downtown Yuma
The Segway Tours end up in Yuma's attractive and historic downtown. Several buildings here have a colorful past, including the Marriage Chapel where many film stars got married in the 1920s-1940s.
The SegwaYuma office is based here, too. Just look for the big white chicken on Main Street.
Tours last about 90 minutes, and are preceded by a 30-minute lesson on riding a Segway, with safety tips and practice time. There are several tours daily, and with a maximum of six riders per tour it is best to phone in advance to reserve a place.
Free Segway Tours of Yuma
If anyone wants to bring their own Segway to join the SegwaYuma tour then there is no charge for the tour. A tip for the guide is always welcome, of course.
SegwaYuma Tours Contact Details
SegwaYuma ToursTel: (928) 342-1969
To find Segway Tours in other cities around the world, visit the website for Segway Guided Tours
Where to Stay in Yuma, Arizona
Try the Historic Coronado Best Western Motor Hotel
What to Do and See in Yuma, Arizona
For more information on what else there is to do and see in Yuma, Arizona, visit the website of Visit Yuma
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