On Anna Maria Island, Meet Tour Guide Extraordinaire, Casey
As a 15 year old, I had the privilege of touring Europe with one of my closest friends. This was a dream I had and felt if I could take a trip of a lifetime like this, even at such a young age, I would be able to take it and use the experience to enhance my life. While trekking around Europe,
I became close with my tour guide for the remainder of the trip. I admired her and never forgot her story. Since then, I believed this Kansas girl would become a tour guide at some point in life. Who would’ve known that the Universe would hold on to that 15 year old’s vision for yet another 15 years until one day the opportunity came.
When I was first invited to ride along with my friends on a segway, I thought, hey this is fun! The more I learned, the better I became. I realized that my childhood dream of being a tour guide had come to fruition. In a short time I went from being a tail runner in the back of the group, handing out fliers, to being the lead tour guide on Anna Maria Island. Within a couple years, I was able to acquire the business. For nearly 10 years, I have been segwaying as a lifestyle and taking guests on adventures discovering Anna Maria Island.
My goal is to show you not only an awesome, fun and safe experience segwaying, but to explore Anna Maria Island in a unique way. Giving you the opportunity to attune to nature, to rekindle the spirit of your inner child. Just like when you arrive on the island, you adjust and begin to slow down. Same on our tours. We stop to smell the jasmine in bloom, we explore paths following the mangroves, find gopher tortoises along a hidden beach path, spot an osprey in their nest, or observe the kite surfers catching some wind over Tampa Bay. No matter where we adventure along the water on Anna Maria Island we are sure to have spectacular views rolling through some of the most peaceful areas where only native plants and trees are found.
Whether you are visiting for the first time or have lived here for 20 years, we are sure to show you an island experience that you will remember. We offer a variety of adventures from segway tours to walking meditations through the nature preserves. Our most popular is the two hour Bean Point Adventure where we explore about 9 miles round trip with breaks and photo ops along the way. One of the most common questions I get asked is, “Is this easy to learn and what about balance?” Segways are very easy to learn. It takes about 5 minutes to begin feeling comfortable and confident. Our guides take time for proper training so that you can roll out feeling ready for the experience. We’ve trained thousands from ages 14-90, and nearly anyone can segway effortlessly. They are operated primarily with the four gyroscopes under the footpads, so you really have to do nothing more than stand up tall, relaxed and comfortable. Lean to steer is how you segway. So it’s virtually effortless, and no balancing required.
If you are looking for a bucket list adventure, an activity for the perfect date, or a family friendly excursion, you’ll not want to miss the number one tour on Anna Maria Island with Zegway by the Bay Tour Company. We can take up to 6 riders at a time and tours are offered daily. Visit ZegwayByTheBay.com to learn more or call us at 941-565-2082.
That’s how we roll on Anna Maria Island!
Photos from Zegway By The Bay.