Pure fun on a Saturday

Isaac, I and Walter on our Segways during a stop at the American Civil War Center at Tredegar.

I'm going to interrupt this linear narrative for a moment to talk about Saturday's Segway tour of Richmond. It was the most fun I've had since ... well ... the last time I took a Segway tour.

My lifelong friend Walter and I met up in Washington, D.C., last Memorial Day weekend. Walter took the train down from Connecticut, where he lives, and I took the train up from Richmond. We took a Segway tour of the city one afternoon, and I was quite taken by the experience. When I learned that Walter was coming to Richmond last weekend, the first thing I suggested was taking a Segway tour of some of Richmond's historic spots. We took Isaac, who is the son of a good friend of ours, with us.

Segways couldn't be easier to ride. An intricate system of gyroscopes, computers and motors keeps the Segway upright. To go forward, all you have to do is lean slightly forward. It works the same way if you want to go in reverse: just lean back slightly. To steer, you use the handlebars. Segways are driven by battery-powered electric motors and can go as fast as 12.5 miles per hour. (Yes, we put them to the test. In Washington, Walter and I tried speed-racing up and down the closed-off portion of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.)

Isaac took to the Segway like a duck takes to water. Despite some trepidation on the part of his mother -- who couldn't accompany us on the tour because of a minor stress fracture in her foot -- Isaac was clearly more at home on his Segway than anybody else on the tour, easily achieving a no-hands balance standing still and fearlessly tackling Richmond's bumpy cobblestone streets.

Having a 12-year-old along with us made the tour even more enjoyable. He truly enjoyed himself and told Walter and me after the tour that he wanted to buy one of his own.

It's always good to see old friends, and the weekend with Walter, Isaac and Isaac's mother, Sally, was a treat. I look forward to the day when Walter comes back to Richmond again and he, Isaac and I can repeat a great weekend experience -- this time with Sally along for a Segway tour too.