All we had to do was ask

I met with Gus Moore today, owner of Miami Tour Company and also Carlos Miller, a fellow journalist, who came to town with Gus. Both are great guys and very open to some of the changes we asked them to make to their bus tour schedule.

Gus says I convinced him to make the change to their schedule, but I think a little walk around town and the give and take between townspeople impressed him. Everybody likes us once they get to know us and see us all interact (like Mayberry and Stars Hollow -- irresistible).


Miami Tour Company is the highest rated tour company in the county. And now, starting later this week, Gus has arranged for his tours to start stopping in Center Grove daily.

I showed him around and he was enamored with our little village life, The Bookstore and Olav's Pommes and Pane Café, The Cherry On Top and Smoothie King, even Starbucks at CocoWalk, among other places, are perfect for his guests.

Gus's buses (I like the sound of that), give three to three and a half hour tours (sort of like Gilligan's Island, but without the water part) and the Center Grove is now the first pit stop on their Miami tours route.

He didn't realize that there were large bus stops right on Grand Avenue, just for tour buses. I pointed that out to him, along with all the food and drink accommodations and he was thrilled.

They loved the Windisch-Hunt Gallery, and the painted coconuts, which will go over well with the tourists as well as the small art pieces in the gift shop there, where they can be easily mailed home. AnnaMaria was more than willing to work with their schedule and be sort of a hostess for the tourists as they got off the buses if nobody is there to greet them.

Gus and Carlos both liked today's Mayfair Green Market, which was jumping when we visited.

We also stopped at the BID (Business Improvement District) office, where David Collins, Executive Director, met them, and agreed to do whatever it takes to accommodate them in Coconut Grove. So look for many new tourists in town starting soon.

Carlos Miller took the above photo of Gus and me today, Carlos writes the Photography is Not a Crime blog and Gus publishes Miami Beach 411.