Tourists walk or ride into Norfolk's history

Zoom through downtown in a Segway, cruise on a bike or walk and eat. And while you’re at it, learn a little about Norfolk’s rich 400-year history.

Several local businesses have opened in recent years to capitalize on all of that history by adding some creativity to their guided tours, hoping it will allow tourists to discover the city in new ways.

Norfolk Walkabouts, owned and operated by friends Zach Mansell and Marsha Pascual, began offering guided walking tours of the Town Point and Freemason areas in April.

Similar tours he took in Charleston and Chicago inspired Mansell, a Ghent resident who grew up in Virginia Beach, to start the business.

“There is so much history about Norfolk that I never learned in school. This is an opportunity to enjoy local history and learn how pivotal events in the nation’s history shaped the city.”

Mansell said the tour takes participants “off the beaten path” and offers insights they likely won’t get elsewhere.

Starting next month,  these new paths will involve food tours, which will include visits to several downtown restaurants. Participants will get to sample specialties at each eatery while learning local history.

Culinary tourism is gaining popularity nationwide and is a fun way to learn about a locale, Mansell said.

The 1½-mile, 90-minute tours are offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays and begin outside Nauticus. Cost is $12 for adults and $8 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free.

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Another new downtown historical foot tour that also started in April is Kirk Springer’s Blue Umbrella Tours.

 He started the business after noting in his concierge job at the Waterside Marriott Hotel that many visitors inquired about walking tours.

His tourists are easily recognized because they tote blue umbrellas –  offering relief from sun as well as rain.

“Blue Umbrella Tours is a great addition to the downtown landscape,” said Erin Filarecki of Visit Norfolk, formerly the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Tourgoers walk a 1.8-mile trek, visiting downtown sites such as St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the MacArthur Memorial, Wells Theatre, Pagoda, Battleship Wisconsin and Town Point Park.

Filarecki discusses many aspects of the city’s history including the 1855 yellow fever epidemic and why Norfolk once was called “the wickedest city in the United States” (hint: it has to do with houses of ill repute).

“Obviously you can’t cover 400 years in one-and-a-half miles, but I hit the interesting notes,” Springer said.

Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Evening tours are at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Springer also accommodates tour groups upon request. Cost is $15 for adults and $8 for children 7 to 17. Children 6 and under are free.

“Most of my customers so far have been locals, and they all find that they learn something new that they didn’t know about Norfolk,” he said.

 “The response has been very positive.”

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For more adventurous spirits, tours of downtown Norfolk are offered via Segway by Segway of Hampton Roads, operated by Mark Landers, a former Apple systems engineer who started the tours in 2008.

Segways are self-balancing, zero-emissions, battery-operated personal transportation vehicles with two wheels and a handlebar attached to a platform on which the rider stands. They aren’t hard to operate, and by the end of his tours, everyone rides expertly, Landers said.

The escorted tours are 90 minutes. Landers molds the tour to fit the group: more history, more information on Segways or a combination, he said.

“Norfolk is a scenic and cultural gem. Lately I’ve been following the light-rail trail, which really shows off some of Norfolk’s unique architecture.”

Three tours operate daily – 10 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m. – at 232 E. Main St. Cost is $75 per person. Riders must weigh between 100 and  260 pounds and must be 16 or older.

Reactions have been overwhelming, Landers said.

“It’s a little embarrassing, the critiques have been so flattering.”

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For those who prefer a more traditional means of transport but also want to get in a little exercise, Go Green Bikes is a Ghent rental business with a fleet of 20 bicycles.

Owner Jennifer Warren even offers bicycle delivery and pickup service to local homes and hotels.

Helmets, locks, lights, baskets, child buggies and city maps also are available on request.

Rentals are $15 per day, $10 with Virginia identification.

Payment is due upon delivery.

 “Ghent and downtown Norfolk have made great strides to ramp the sidewalks and install bike racks, so it’s very bike-friendly,” Warren said.

For more ways to discover Norfolk, contact Visit Norfolk at 232 E. Main St., call 664-6620 or check out www.visitnorfolktoday.com.

Lia Russell, 222-5829, lia.russell@pilotonline.com