A Texas businessman is looking to provide a new mode of transportation for Haines tourists who aren’t interested in cycling and don’t want to splurge on a rental car.
Alex Stock will launch his business “Tour de Scooter” this spring. Stock is looking to rent storefront or commercial property near downtown or near Port Chilkoot Dock, where he will rent 10 small scooters with 50cc engines to cruise ship passengers.
He has tentative plans to use the lot between the post office and the Quick Shop.
Scooters would allow tourists who are interested in exploring on their own the luxury of venturing out beyond the fort, Dalton City and downtown, Stock said.
“They would still have enough time to take the scooter out to Chilkoot or run up the highway a little bit. They are not going too far, but they are experiencing much more than they would be able to,” Stock said.
Stock first visited Haines in 2013 and returned this summer. Scooters would also allow tourists to reach shops that sit on the outskirts of town, like a west side consignment shop Stock took a liking to during his last visit.
While sitting near the dock enjoying a halibut sandwich this past summer, Stock watched seemingly confused tourists wander around the area.
“They had no idea what they were doing. I thought it was really a shame that they could only walk so far,” Stock said. “The people coming off these Holland America cruise ships were of the age they couldn’t take a bicycle and they didn’t want to rent a car. My father is that age. He is still physically fit, but he isn’t interested in the bicycle and he definitely isn’t interested in renting a car for two or four hours.”
Stock is working on permitting with the Haines Borough and hopes to be open by May 1.