My very first conversation for this magazine was titled “We Live Where You Vacation,” and highlighted activities in the area that may seem catered to tourists but can—and should—be embraced by locals. This past June, I had the opportunity to play tourist in the Ponce Inlet area on a Segway experience and want to share some of the highlights!
Daytona Segway is a locally owned and operated scenic Segway tour with three current routes: on the beach in Daytona Beach, in Ormond Beach’s Central Park, and now through the town of Ponce Inlet.
While I’ve visited the lighthouse and jetty in Ponce before, I had never done so while cruising along on a full-body balance machine!
READY, SET, SEGWAY
The tour began by meeting the owner, Steve, in the parking lot of Down the Hatch restaurant (4894 Front St., Ponce Inlet), where he gave me and my five friends a tutorial on the Segways. We practiced stepping onto the machines, balancing, and using our arms and upper bodies to lean into the turns and steer.
After a few laps around the parking lot, we were ready to ride around town! Steve led us to nature overlooks to spot local wildlife, down shaded city roads, past historic landmarks, around the lighthouse, and out onto the beach and jetty areas.
BEST PHOTO STOPS
We got the hang of riding over a variety of surfaces, including boardwalks and sand, and we stopped for plenty of photo ops along the way.
My favorite stop was near the Ponce Inlet dog beach, where we enjoyed simultaneous views of the lighthouse and sightseeing boats floating through the inlet—all while a cool breeze drifted in off the ocean.
We had a great time on our tour, and I would recommend it to anyone in the area—no matter how well you think you know the sights!
BOOK YOUR DAYTONA SEGWAY EXPERIENCE
Information about the tour we took, along with the other two routes, can be found at DaytonaSegway.com. You can view video examples of the tours (which may even include a familiar face!) and book your own experience.
Enjoy your Segway into a new adventure!
Lives in Daytona Beach with her husband, three daughters, two housemates, and a “doug” (dachshund- pug mix dog). She loves exploring and promoting the food, shops and events that Daytona has to offer. You can follow her local adventures at @CassGoAroundDaytona on Instagram.
Have a story idea for Cassie? Reach out to her directly at Cassie@ECCToldMe.com — she’d love to hear from you!
