Cruising around

Company offers a unique way to see Lake Las Vegas area

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By gondola, golf cart or kayak, there are several ways guests can explore the many features of Lake Las Vegas Resort. But the destination's newest mode of transportation requires no skill on the water or the putting green, as it's available to anyone who can stand upright.

Teaming up with ScenicSegwayTours.com, the Henderson resort began offering guided tours Aug. 1 on Segway Human Transporters.

The self-balancing, two-wheeled machines, each with its own misting system, run on gyroscopes and tilt sensors, monitoring a rider's balance 100 times per second to compensate for body movements, varying terrain and gravity.

The arrival of ScenicSegwayTours.com at Lake Las Vegas Resort makes the site the only guided Segway tour location in the state.

Rachel Stratford co-owns the Utah-based company.

"The bottom line is they mimic human balance," she said. "It's just as solid as if standing on ground."

With the human body as his model, inventor Dean Kamen designed Segway Human Transporters to move forward or backward as the rider leans slightly in the desired direction. To move left or right, riders turn the steering grip. The machines can reach speeds up to 12.5 miles per hour.

"For anyone who has the ability to stand upright, it's really so easy," Stratford said. "You don't think about it any more than you think about walking."

Segway tours at Lake Las Vegas Resort will take guests through the foothills of the resort. Beginning and ending at the Celebration Plaza located at the resort's MonteLago Village, ScenicSegwayTours.com guides, one for every four people, run riders through orientation and training before beginning the two-hour exploration.

Riders navigate the resort's northern shore, past the Ritz-Carlton's gardens and through the resort's Pontevecchio-style bridge, as guides provide narration on headsets regarding everything from Southern Nevada's original settlers to animal life at the resort in and around the lake.

The tour continues beyond the Hyatt Regency, into Reflection Bay Golf Club for a rest and then back through cobblestone paths toward MonteLago Village where the tour ends with window-shopping on wheels.

Cary Krukowski, director of marketing for Lake Las Vegas Resort, said they were looking to bring in a new experience for guests just as ScenicSegwayTours.com was looking to expand to Southern Nevada.

"It's a unique way to get around the resort. There's the natural environment, and the Segways can also be used to discover some of the resort's destinations, golf courses and developments," she said. "We're thrilled to be able to offer another unique experience at Lake Las Vegas Resort."

Stratford said her company considered other sites in Las Vegas, but chose Lake Las Vegas Resort for the family and nature-oriented atmosphere.

"We were looking for a great location here in Vegas, and we couldn't have picked a better place than Lake Las Vegas," she said. "When we started, the overall goal was to offer people a unique activity, a family activity. Something that was fun and safe that people would do as a family. We couldn't have picked a better environment."

Tours with ScenicSegwayTours.com cost $96 per person. Riders must be at least 12 years old and weigh no more than 250 pounds. Tours run from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (888) 467-3492 or the MonteLago Village Resort's concierge at (866) 564-4799.