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Microvacation
Oct. 23rd, 2008 08:08 pmI took myself on a microvacation today, in the period of time between when I put the little guy on the school bus and when his school day ended. The two-hour drive through winding roads that changed from New York to Connecticut most obviously because the gas got much cheaper over the border was perfect in that New England smack-in-the-middle-of-fall way. Those colors are the big payoff for living around here the rest of the year. A stretch of Route 95 and a bit of college roadtrip nostalgia as I drove by the exit for Lighthouse Point, outside New Haven, lead me eventually to Guilford, CT, and to a little costume shop that also rented Segways.
After a few minutes in the parking lot practicing "oh crap I'm falling no wait it's fine", a friendly guy took me and a couple who were there for a birthday treat around the historic town, in a little line like schoolchildren or ducklings, all whizz-buzz down the sidewalk, stopping for dog walkers or quick hellos to all the people in town whom the guide knew.
Once you get used to it, riding a Segway is the most like just thinking you want to be somewhere and getting there that I've ever experienced. The gyroscope works on very small shifts of your center of gravity, just shifting weight from your heels to your toes, and so it feels like you are barely making the movements once you are used to the balance. The scooters go around ten miles an hour once you get going, so they're pretty zippy. And I just enjoyed being able to go tour houses built in the 1600s (the oldest stone house in New England, actually) with a contraption invented in 2002 so much. The weather was perfect, crisp and clear and not too chilly since I'd actually dressed right. And unlike most other sporty sorts of tours I've been on, hiking and boating and the like, I didn't end up being the goofy, clumsy one who slowed everyone down. I actually was able to do this as well as anyone else there. That was incredibly satisfying to me.
If I had an extra $5700 lying around, I'd definitely get myself one of these. I'd do all of my local errands on it and zoom along the bike paths anywhere I could manage. As it is, I'll have to go somewhere interesting and rent one again sometime next summer.
Maybe you can come with me.
After a few minutes in the parking lot practicing "oh crap I'm falling no wait it's fine", a friendly guy took me and a couple who were there for a birthday treat around the historic town, in a little line like schoolchildren or ducklings, all whizz-buzz down the sidewalk, stopping for dog walkers or quick hellos to all the people in town whom the guide knew.
Once you get used to it, riding a Segway is the most like just thinking you want to be somewhere and getting there that I've ever experienced. The gyroscope works on very small shifts of your center of gravity, just shifting weight from your heels to your toes, and so it feels like you are barely making the movements once you are used to the balance. The scooters go around ten miles an hour once you get going, so they're pretty zippy. And I just enjoyed being able to go tour houses built in the 1600s (the oldest stone house in New England, actually) with a contraption invented in 2002 so much. The weather was perfect, crisp and clear and not too chilly since I'd actually dressed right. And unlike most other sporty sorts of tours I've been on, hiking and boating and the like, I didn't end up being the goofy, clumsy one who slowed everyone down. I actually was able to do this as well as anyone else there. That was incredibly satisfying to me.
If I had an extra $5700 lying around, I'd definitely get myself one of these. I'd do all of my local errands on it and zoom along the bike paths anywhere I could manage. As it is, I'll have to go somewhere interesting and rent one again sometime next summer.
Maybe you can come with me.
