All we had to do was ask
This one bus attracted another company and then another, and then the Grove was on the map. It was followed by the Big Red Buses and the rest is history.
Here is a story from January 13, 2010:
 |
| Tom Falco and Gus Moore |
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.
A follow up story here on the first buses arriving.
posted by Tom Falco at 8:30 AM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
2 Comments:
That was brilliant thank you! We seem to often get @buried” or omitted whereas Coral Gables used to be the star on the mainland. We’re so much more picturesque and way “cooler”.
Since all the never-ending construction work started up in the Grove, most of the buses have stopped taking the shortcut from Bayshore to Grand Ave that cuts through Mary Street. This has been a blessing for those of us who live on Mary Street! The buses are noisy and loud. They take up most of the narrow street. The big buses largely stopped running down Mary Street once Cocowalk got torn up. It's much better for big buses to be on wider streets. Mary Street and even Grand Avenue do not accommodate them very well until Grand hits McFarland. Bayshore, Main Highway, McFarland and 27th Avenue are much better than the narrower streets. I hope the bus companies continue to stay off Mary Street. It's full of residences! It's better for them to use Bayshore to McFarland and then to Grand. That's where all the shops are anyway!
Post a Comment
<< Home