posted by the LauderBLOGGER on www.sunny.org
September 17, 2007

Friday afternoon, Gwendolyn and I were ready to try something different. What we found was – well, a find. We took a tour of Birch State Park on a Segway. Maybe you’ve seen those two-wheel gizmos that look like some kind of motorized scooter you ride while standing? Anyway, some very nice people operate a new sports-activity business at Birch, the first concession permitted at this park in 22 years. Called M. Cruz Rentals, they rent out Segways and high-quality bicycles for now. Soon, they’ll offer in-line skates, canoes, kayaks and a lot more, including healthy food such as smoothies.

Our tour started when owner, Brent Wysocki, gave us a brief lesson on Segway technique. These are sophisticated machines, each with five gyroscopes and a separate transmission for both wheels. But they’re also easy to ride after the first few minutes, relying mostly on the transfer of body weight. More importantly, they’re a total blast! What an excellent way to see a place like Birch, which is a beautiful Fort Lauderdale oceanfront park. Segways move at more than 12 miles an hour at top speed but also can go off-road to slowly rumble over grass, dirt trails, sand, bumps and trees roots with no problem at all. They can spin circles on a dime, which gives surprising maneuverability. Gwendolyn and I were amazed at the technology and just how much fun that technology is to use.

Once we felt comfortable on our Segways, Brent led us on an hour-long tour of the park. We began by rolling through a grassy field filled with large iguanas warming themselves in the late afternoon sun. Some of these lizards were more than 60 years-old, thick and dark with spiky head crests. Then we followed the paved road, often taking our machines up to top speed, feeling the cool sweep of wind against our skin and laughing at the sheer unexpected delight of riding these things. We saw raccoons and many more iguanas and a massive “lofty fig” tree, as its called. Brent took us on a narrow trail among the woods and beside tropical lagoons and near mangroves that looked like the natural South Florida of long ago. I’ve been to Birch State Park many times, but I saw it from a new perspective on that Segway. When our ride was over, we hated to leave. You couldn’t ask for a more likeable tour guide or a more interesting way to view the park. Brent or other family members also will take you along the beach or Intracoastal Waterway if you like. It’s a memorable experience and I can’t wait to try it again. For information, call 954-235-5082 or visit www.mcruzrentals.com. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

For more of the LauderBLOGGER's musings and occasional abusings, please visit his archives on the Greater Fort Lauderdale Visitors and Convention Bureau web site.