This weekend we went on an ad-ven-ture(!) in San Diego.  Taro planned the Saturday afternoon/evening there and it was a complete surprise.  I was allowed a few guesses – horseback riding, ATVs, bicycles – but I did not figure it out.  I was close, but not exact.  The plan was almost revealed when he received a phone call over the car bluetooth system, but I plugged and covered my ears, surprisingly hearing absolutely nothing!  However, before we arrived to San Diego, I figured it out – segways!  We saw them when we were in Boston and thought they looked both fun and extremely dorky.  So now, we were going to look like super cool dorks.

Taro booked our segway tour with Another Side of San Diego Tours.  On our segway tour of La Jolla, we had a personal guide, Ike, help us learn how to ride the segways, take us around the coves and beach, and show us the neighborhood and sights of La Jolla.  The whole experience was definitely one of a kind and yes, a lot of people turned to see what we were doing.  Some people smiled and waved while others yelled not-so-kind things and said, “Who needs  a helmet?!?”  I wasn’t a fan of the helmet either, but at the start of our ad-ven-ture, I almost died.  Here’s my story.

At the start of the tour, we were going down a narrow sidewalk on a decline.  I was riding along comfortably until my segway turned slightly to the right and I just panicked.  I was heading straight towards a car – of all cars, a Lexus – and I forgot what I was supposed to do.  I couldn’t stop the segway so I did the next best thing…I jumped off!  I was surprised I held on to the contraption (If I didn’t, it would have smashed into the side of the car.) and felt like a. an utter idiot and b. scared for my life!  After that, I had a really hard time and Taro kept on saying, “Come on.  It’s like snowboarding!”  I am sure Ike thought there was no way I could possibly snowboard (and I am really good at snowboarding, too!) with such uncoordinated skills on the segway.  Regardless, I made it through the tour at lightning fast speed.  In my eyes, I was super fast, cruising at the top speed of 12 miles per hour.  In Taro’s eyes, I was a grandma and super slow.  Either way, I understand why a helmet is required.  I didn’t crash, but Ike told us stories about how people have clipped cars and experienced worse than what I did.

Our tour lasted 2 1/2 hours and really, after the first hour, I felt better about being on this mad device cruising around town.  I am sure if I didn’t have that crazy near death experience, I would have been better.  When asked if I would do it again, I said yes and supposedly, the Gas Lamp District tour is much more popular and historically interesting.  So one of these days, we will definitely do that tour and I will feel much better riding the segway since I now better understand how it functions.

Ike was an amazing tour guide; he not only provided water and snacks, but he took photos for us and made me feel comfortable riding the segway.  When I struggled, he would give me a hand and he was always encouraging, positive, and had a smile on his face.  That definitely made things a lot easier, especially when Taro was spinning wheelies on his segway!

Thanks again, Ike, and Another Side of San Diego Tours for an interesting way to explore La Jolla!  Oh, and thanks, Taro, for planning a fun-filled Saturday.  I heart you, nerd.

Caution: Pedestrians and Cars Beware – Andrea on Segway!

At our first stop, we saw seals, kayakers, and snorkelers.  I wish I was able to snorkel with the seals!

Our awesome tour guide, Ike:

This was the first time I ever saw baby seagulls.  Pretty cute and fluffy, don’t you think?

After that, I was on the go again!  Remember, lightning speed. (I was too uncoordinated to take photos of Taro riding the segway, hence only photos of me or the two of us, thanks to Ike.)

The seals were hopping out of the water.  I loved watching them scurry onto the beach!

At the end of our tour, we had “seg-legs,” a term for how your legs feel once you get off – stiff, actually a bit sore, and strangely tired despite the lack of walking!