Elaine Warner
Segue — to move smoothly from one condition, state, element or topic to another.
Segway — to do all of the above while having an enormous amount of fun. And now you can do it right here in Oklahoma City!
For those of you not familiar with “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” or even the policemen at the airport, a Segway is a two-wheeled, electric human transporter. And it’s an unbelievably cool way to get around. It was invented by Dean Kamen, who deserves to be as well-known as any rock star. Among his many other inventions is the IBOT, a wheelchair that can climb stairs.
Segway tours are becoming popular in a number of tourist destinations — I’ve Segwayed on the Plaza in Kansas City, around downtown Atlanta and in a state park in Door County, Wis. So I was excited when I saw an ad for a company called Sure Beats Walking offering Segway tours around Bricktown and the state Capitol area. I immediately called and chatted with Craig Margo, company president, and arranged for a tour, which started with a brief orientation and training run in the parking lot by the Landrun Monument just south of Bass Pro.
My daughter Zoe, who was visiting from England, was a bit apprehensive getting on, but Craig took it slow and easy, holding the handle, and after a few minutes, she was ready to solo. The trick is to let the Segway do the balancing — it adjusts to you and your body’s shifts.
I have to tell you that I’ve gotten pretty confident on a Segway — I can even take photos without getting off it — but I haven’t gotten good enough to ride and take notes. So I’ll be skipping some pertinent details about the things we passed. But this is all the more reason for you to take the tour yourself.
One of our first stops was at the Bricktown Ballpark. We cruised around the statue of Warren Spahn and posed with the buffalo on the corner, then paused for another photo op at Mickey Mantle’s statue. The street sign on the corner of Mickey Mantle Drive and Flaming Lips Alley also was photo fodder.
We headed north and crossed under the Walnut Street Bridge on Main Street. In case you’ve wondered where most of Oklahoma City’s buffalo herd went, a good portion of it is in the Buffalo Corral just east of the railroad tracks.
West of the tracks and just west of the south end of the Santa Fe parking garage, we cornered a couple of times to reach a tiny park area tucked into the garage building. It’s just a spot of space — paved — but it features a little fountain and architectural artifacts from old Oklahoma City.
Scooting west on Main Street, we passed some special visitors from other cities. Oklahoma City had its buffalo but other cities have their own icons. There was a giant cowboy boot from Cheyenne, Wyo.; a big guitar from Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; a cow from Waco, one of Tulsa’s penguins, and an angel from Los Angeles.
Where Main runs into Robinson, there’s a charming grassy area on the west side of the street. I don’t think it’s an official park — just the result of attractive landscaping — but it features a delightful tall sculpture topped with a large crow and an apple. I’d never have known this was here if I hadn’t taken this tour.
Zipping by the Colcord on Robinson, we crossed Sheridan and explored a corner of the Myriad Gardens — what a beautiful area this is — with the Meinders Garden, koi pond and colorful blooms.
Heading back to Bricktown, we stopped by the fountains in front of the Harkins Theatre for another photo. We took the long way back to our starting position, following the Bricktown Canal under I-40 and into the lush landscaping along the water. We waved and joked with folks riding the canal boats as we rode beside the waterway. It’s always fun to see what’s been added to Paul Moore’s REALLY magnum opus. The driver in the racing buggy was new to me.
Too soon our ride was over — although we’d been out for two hours. This Segway tour is a great addition to Oklahoma City’s tourism offerings, but you don’t have to be a tourist to enjoy it. Craig has five Segways, so he can take groups of up to four. Or, if you want to plan a special event, he can take groups in shifts. And he’ll arrange custom itineraries if you want. You have to be at least 16 to ride.
For more information, go to www.SureBeatsWalking.
com or call 800-755-3305.
ELAINE WARNER is an Edmond resident.
