Steve's Segway Tours, Chicago

For Steve, "tour guide" is more of an identity than a job title. He believes that a guide's enthusiasm and expertise is the most important part of any tour—therefore, he trains each of his staff members personally, teaching them how to inject humor and entertaining stories into their spiels. His strategy is successful enough that many guests remember their guide's charisma just as vividly as the experience of riding a Segway for the first time.

Of course, the Segways themselves aren't an afterthought. Steve employs the i2 model, which makes turning easier because it's controlled by leaning rather than a throttle or a surly donkey tied to your handlebars. Riders take a thorough lesson before they head out on one of several tours. Three-hour tours take them by the lakefront, Museum Campus, and Buckingham Fountain, as well as through Grant Park. There's also an architecture tour, a Haunted Chicago Tour, and an evening fireworks tour during Navy Pier fireworks season. Return customers hoping for a more thrilling ride can schedule a red-key tour—during which guests are allowed to drive the Segway at its top speed—or a competitive scavenger hunt.