Ride the
Ducks is a site seeing franchise that offers customers a unique experience
in touring a given locale.
The tour takes place on an amphibious truck designed by General Motors
for the US Army for the purpose of providing ship to shore transport in
WW II.
The experience is generally much more than a simple tour. The tour leader
is the "Captain" of the craft, and these folks are normally very informative
and entertaining; offering stories or little-known facts about the area, songs,
witty comments and the like.
Integral to Ride the Ducks are the Wacky Quackers™, which are duckbill
shaped noisemakers-- a big favorite with the kids, and the bane of most adults.
Some of the franchises offer these little trinkets for free, while others
charge a small fee. My advice, if you're feeling particularly goofy on the
day of the tour, don't miss 'em!
Of course, what makes Ride the Ducks such a crowd pleaser, is that after you
are finished tooling around the town, full advantage is taken of the vehicle's
amphibious qualities, and it splashes-down in the local body of water, where
you motor gently along with the help of the rear propeller pushing you along
These tours are all across the country. I've been on the Seattle, Washington
tour, and highly recommend it. Perhaps there is one close to you. I know of
Ride the Duck tours in the following cities:
- Boston, MA
- Branson, MO
- Galveston, TX
- Gloucester, MA
- Hot Springs, AR
- Salem, MA
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Tampa Bay, FL
- Washington, D.C.
- Wisconsin Dells, WI