Segway tours explore Edmonton's developing downtown core

Summer is winding down, and if you haven't explored Edmonton's river valley on two wheels, now's the time to do it.

No, not on a bike — a Segway.

River Valley Adventure offers daily tours through the largest urban parkland in North America on these two-wheeled scooter-like vehicles. And starting this week, they'll be offering tours into downtown Edmonton.

Segways are an accessible way for anyone to see Edmonton's sights and sounds, River Valley Adventure owner Chris Szydlowski said.

"It'll always keep you balanced. It has no throttle or brake, you just lean forward and you go forward, if you need to stop, you just stand up straight and you stop right away," he said.

"The coolest thing is that we have grandmas, their daughters and their granddaughters all come do the activity together."

The tours first started in the river valley, combining an outdoor experience with fun facts about our city — did you know the river valley is 22 times bigger than New York City's Central Park?

The new downtown tour will take riders from the valley to the downtown core. The two-hour ride will show participants how downtown is rapidly changing.

"We're ambassadors for the city," Szydlowski said. "We talk about the history of the valley, the history of the city."