For Jim Ervin and Dick Ries, life is definitely an adventure.
From owning a successful flower store in Westerville for 15 years, to flying for Republic Airways for another 15 (Ervin) and educating students as both the dean and professor of DeVry University Center (Ries), Ervin and Ries have seen and done it all.
For a change of pace, Ervin then worked as a tour guide at Columbus Segway for six years, so when looking to make a change in scenery, Ries and Ervin decided Sandusky was the perfect place to move and start their own segway business, Sandusky Segwave, in 2017.
“We chose Sandusky after learning about all the planning for Sandusky’s Bicentennial Celebration,” Ries says. “We have friends who are Sandusky business owners and were excited about the Bicentennial as well as the renaissance the city was going through. We could see the positive direction the city was headed in and wanted to be a part of helping make it a success.”
Operating out of the
Sandusky State Theatre from 2017-2022, the business took guests on one- and two-hour historical tours of downtown Sandusky. During this time, they were awarded Lake Erie Shores and Islands Partner of the Year, received Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence from 2018-2020 and 97% of their guests awarded them a 5-star rating. In 2019, Ries and Ervin contracted with Cedar Point to give historical tours of its boardwalk.
“Cedar Point has such a rich history, and it wasn’t being featured in their current programming,” Ries says. “We approached the Park Services Department with the idea of a historic tour of the Boardwalk focusing on the park’s evolution since its opening. Park Services understood that these tours could be a compliment to guests seeking alternatives to amusement rides and welcomed us.”
Things were rolling along (pun intended) until the State Theatre was forced to close. After searching for a new home that would meet their needs, Ries and Ervin decided to pivot their tour business.
The duo parked the segways (the fleet of 10 was sold to a Segway dealer in Michigan) and bought an 18-passenger, climate-controlled, ADA-compliant bus. With this mode of transport, they were able to expand where and when they could take tours. The team decided to expand their tour availability to include educational and recreational tours since weather and distance between points were no longer tour factors.
“When the theatre doors slammed shut, the bus doors opened,” Ervin says.
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Dick Ries greets a tour member at the Jackson Street Pier. (Photo/Kevin Lee)Firelands Adventure Tours offers ongoing and seasonal tours from its pick-up point at the Jackson Street Pier. Ongoing tours include a Sandusky-based Underground Railroad tour, as well as a Catawba Island tour, where guests can learn about its agricultural, recreational and residential history.
Additionally, guests can enjoy wine-tasting tours of three North Coast wineries where they can interact with winemakers, enjoy paired snacks and tour the premises. Soon to follow will be lighthouse tours, tours to the
Toledo Museum of Art,
Hollywood Casino tours and
National Museum of the Great Lakes.
And even though Segway tours have come to an end, Ries says they are still in contact with Events Planning at Cedar Point, as they hosted holiday lights tours throughout the month of December that ended at Cedar Point’s Sawmill Resort. The duo have other planning underway for ongoing cooperation with Cedar Point and its guests.
“Guests’ reactions have been overwhelmingly positive,” Ries says. “No other tourism opportunities highlight the rich resources available in our area.”
For information on tour schedules and to book reservations, visit www.FirelandsAdventureTours.com or call 419-734-9283.