Pedal That Trolley!

The Door County Pedal Trolley was in operation – and attracting looks – last year. Submitted.

A new business that began during the tail end of last year’s season allows participants to get a moderate workout while touring local bars, wineries and distilleries. Door County Pedal Trolley Tours in Sturgeon Bay, co-owned by Steve Delarwelle and Jason Estes, will open for both private and public tours this weekend. 

The pedal trolley seats 14 and needs at least eight people to power the vehicle’s clip of four to five mph down city streets and across the downtown bridges. For those who are merely along for a ride rather than a workout, four of those 14 seats don’t have pedals. 

The owners operated about 20 tours last year, even though they didn’t open until late August. The trolley drew people of all shapes, sizes and ages.

“They’re not pedaling the whole two hours,” Delarwelle said. “Maybe 30 minutes total.”

Public tours include stops at local bars, and those who rent the whole trolley may choose their own destinations. Passengers may also take along a limited number of alcoholic beverages that are served by the trolley captain, who also steers the vehicle and fires up the electric motor when needed – mainly when traveling uphill. 

Each tour lasts about two hours. Private tours cost $400; public tours cost $35 per seat, with a 12-hour advance booking required. Social distancing is being left to private-tour customers to decide. And as for public tours? Delarwelle said it’s not easy to maintain social distancing on the trolley.