Theresa: Welcome back to Living the Could Life, where we talk about real travel for real bodies. It’s the kind of trips you can actually take, not the ones influencers pretend to float through and show their wonderful bodies and new outfits. We’re not quite like that. Today, we are heading to South Beach, part of Miami, that’s in Florida, but it’s not the version you get from a brochure. We’re talking about exploring it with tours by locals and why having a local guide can completely change your experience. Robert: And we’re not just talking about someone who knows the area. We mean people who live the culture, understand the history, and can point out the tiny details you’d walk right past, especially on an architectural tour, which is one of the most underrated ways to understand this part of Miami. Theresa: And that is so important. I’ve taken other tours. I was actually on a tour from a cruise ship where the guy just said: “On the left is the ocean,on the right are the mountains.” This advice applies to other tour companies or touring guides as well. Back to South Beach. It’s one of the places where you can really get along on your own. You can walk. It’s very walkable. You can take the free trolley. You can take a bus. There’s Uber and other shared ride services. But to really get a good look at the area, it helps to have a guide or to have done a significant amount of research. So when you go on your own, it’s likely you might miss 80% of the local interesting architecture, the local facts about South Beach. A lot of people there, they go just to go swimming, go to the beach, sunbathe, hang out, eat, drink, and party. With the local guide, you get the stories behind all the neon, the Art Deco, the families who’ve owned and operated restaurants and hotels for years, and the preservation battles behind the Art Deco district. Robert: And let’s be honest, South Beach can be overwhelming. Crowds, heat, parking, noise. A local guide cuts through all that. They know the shady spots to stand in, the quiet corners, the clean bathrooms, the places where you can actually hear yourself think. Theresa: And that was definitely good for us, especially for me. When I don’t see well, it was nice to know where I can go find a restroom or find a place in the shade. And this is another good reason to hire an independent, private tour guide. So something very important is tours by locals. That’s their guides. You’re not just getting some random person who watched a YouTube video or an influencer Instagram to tell you about South Beach. Our guide was licensed, experienced, and the guides build their own itineraries. So we took an architectural tour, which was sponsored by Tours by Locals for us, so that we could share it with you. So the first thing to do is head to toursbylocals.com and search South Beach or whichever area you’re visiting, because Tours by Locals is in many different cities. In fact, we are planning a trip to Italy and we wanted to check out some castles and it’s not easy to get to by bus or transportation. So Tours by Locals was an option for us, although we found in the end, because of our castle itinerary, it was just easier for us who sometimes go off on tangents, not only on this podcast, but when researching and we decided, oh, we should just rent a car for that day, which was frightening, and it still could be frightening, but we’re in a rural area, so there’s no Ferraris on the highways running you off a cliff or anything like that. So we look for a private guide. Some are very good. For many of them, you can create a custom tour for yourself. But sometimes, you know, we don’t want to be with somebody when we argue and complain about the driver and our backseat drivers and things like that. We have a specific object. So in that case, we should reconsider. But we did see some excellent walking tours in the town and this is in Bergamo. They look really interesting and I will say by looking at Tours by Locals, and maybe this is kind of not what they really want you to do, but you can get an idea of highlights of a town, and walk it or explore it on your own, especially if you know you’re only going to have like 10 minutes here or 20 minutes there. So it’s always up to you. But back to our South Beach experience and how to find a tour by Tours by Locals and Robert’s going to explain that. Robert: Let’s walk through the booking process because this is where people get stuck. Step one, browse the tour. Go to Tours by Locals and search South Beach or Miami Beach. And you’ll see everything from food tours to Cuban heritage tours to deep dives, architecture walks. Step two, read the guide profile. This is the gold. You’ll see their background, languages, specialties, reviews, photos of past tours, their personal philosophy on guiding. Theresa: And don’t skip the reviews. I mean, it’s nice to match yourself with somebody who has the same philosophy or pace or interest as you do. So, you know, look for patterns and, you know, look for specific patterns. Sometimes somebody says, oh yeah, great guide or it was a good tour. You know, maybe you should read between the lines. It is not just ToursbByLLocals. It’s for hotels, resorts, restaurants, and a lot of you probably already know that. So you can really sniff out what’s a good tour. So look for things like saying they really knew how to pace the walk. And when you book them, you can request a slow tour. You can request lots of bathroom breaks. You can request anything you want. It’s your private tour guide. There are some who specifically will adapt to people with mobility needs or keep us out of the sun or we can’t walk up a lot of stairs. And of course, you need to know what is their background. Many have degrees in art history or they’re on historical committees and they’re active in the community. So it’s nice to have somebody who really knows about what you’re interested in and you can tell them how deeply you’d like to go into the topic. The next step then, and it goes with what I was just talking about, is ask questions. How much walking is involved? Are you going to walk three miles? Are you going to just walk a few blocks or can you walk a block and take a rest? How difficult is the terrain? Can you focus on architecture or less on architecture, more about the history of each building or the design or its past? Are there accessibility considerations, as we just mentioned? And what time of the day is best for the heat, the crowds, the cold, the sun? Whatever is important to you. And then step four is once you find somebody and you can email back and forth, you know, be sure you’re comfortable with the person and maybe choose a top three in whatever you want to do. If you’re interested in food, what’s their background? Are they a chef? Do they review restaurants? Are they a specialist cook in a certain cuisine? So once you figure that all out, you get a confirmation and a thread of what you message with your guide. And from there you can start fine-tuning the plan. And also be sure you know about confirmations, cancellations, reservations, everything like that. Be very specific and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Robert: Preparation is where a good tour becomes a great one. Here’s what to do before you go. Check the weather. South Beach humidity is not subtle. Wear breathable clothing. Bring water, even on a short tour. Ask about shade break. Guides usually plan them but confirm. Tell your guide your mobility needs. They will adjust the route. Screenshot the meeting point. Self-service can be spotty near the beach. Theresa: If you’re doing an architectural tour and have a strong interest, you might want to bring a small notebook or use the notes on your phone just so you remember the building names. You can number the buildings as you take photos or do whatever you want because you may want to come back later and explore more in depth. In addition to that, you can remember the building names, the architects, the stories that make the district come alive, and the little details on the building. Why is taking a tour with a guide from Tourist by Locals? Why is it worth it? So let’s talk especially about architecture since that’s the tour that we did. South Beach is really an open-air museum of architecture with Art Deco, Streamline, Modern, Mediterranean Revival. Robert: A local guide will point out things you’d never notice. The pastel color palette chosen after the 1926 hurricane. The porthole windows and ship-inspired railing. The terrazzo floors that survived decades of storm. The neon signage rules that keep the district historically consistent. Theresa: And stories about it. Why did they use concrete? What kind of preservation fights were there in the 70s? Remember urban renewal and the like when they wanted to just tear every building down and replace it with something new? Who were designers who shaped that skyline? Which buildings almost didn’t survive? You get context along with the pretty facades of the buildings and the interiors as well. Our guide took us inside several buildings not only to use the restrooms or to grab a drink but also to see what the interiors looked like. Robert: Plus the guides know which buildings you can actually go inside and which ones have interesting features inside. Some of the lobbies are just absolutely jaw-dropping. Theresa: And that was really important if we had just stayed on the outside. We could admire the architecture but we would never have considered just walking into a hotel to look at a fireplace or mural or stained glass or anything like that. And if you really further want to enjoy, come back later, stop in for a lunch or breakfast or drink. So now during the tour with Tours by Locos, what should you expect? First, expect a pace that matches your group. I mean this is a private group so really you can let your guide know what pace you want. You don’t have to feel like you’re too slow to keep up with other people as you would in a large group tour. So that’s also a real advantage of having your own private guide. And they are really great about adjusting and that’s another question to ask up front. And they can be slower, faster, take more breaks, add more stories, add fewer stories, and just learn about you as well. Robert: And you can expect real conversation. These aren’t scripted tours. You could ask questions, request detours, or say, hey can we stop for a cafecito? And they’ll know exactly where to go. Theresa: Yes and our guide was great about that and she is of Cuban heritage and I can’t remember what we were discussing. I said that Robert came over on the boat because Robert did come over on the boat. Well in Miami that has a different meaning. She asked him if he were Cuban. He came on the boat from somewhere in Germany. Robert: From Germany? No I was two years old. Theresa: Well anyway so he’s not Cuban and actually when we went to Cuba they didn’t want to let him in nor did they want to let him out. So but anyway it was interesting to talk about her life and her experience. She has many interests. So they’re definitely not scripted tours or conversations. You can learn things that you can repeat to your friends or recommend when they go to South Beach. It’s a mark of a really good tour. Robert: After the tour take five minutes to jot down what stood out. This helps if you’re building a trip report, writing a review, or planning future episodes like we do. Theresa: Then leave a thoughtful review. Mention specifics. How was the pacing, the accessibility, the storytelling, your comfort with the guide, the guide’s knowledge. It helps future travelers know what to expect and it also helps the guide. Robert: And if you love the experience ask the guide for recommendations for the rest of your trip. Locals know the good spots. Theresa: Right for example our guide took us to a rooftop bar and pool of a hotel where we could overlook the ocean and most of the town. South Beach is beautiful on its own but with a local tour guide it’s a story in itself and you become part of it as opposed to an observer. Robert: If you’re planning a trip consider booking through Tours by Locals. It’s one of the easiest ways to turn a hot crowded beach day into something meaningful memorable and actually enjoyable. Theresa: And before we say goodbye let’s go and talk about a checklist that we made that will be added to the show notes. You can use this for booking your hosted guide, for booking your guide, for booking your Tours by Locals guide, or really I mean this is kind of a universal checklist so you could use it for any type of guide you want to book. So first before you book browse Tours by Locals for in this case South Beach, Miami Beach, or wherever you are going. Then filter out the tour type. It could be architecture, culture, food, history, maybe even castles. And go as we mentioned before read the guide profile see what the background is see what their specialty are see what their languages are especially when you go to a country that does not speak English there are some like I looked at one well they speak Russian and maybe they spoke English as well but be sure to check to be sure. Scan the reviews for the pacing, accessibility, and storytelling. Check the tour duration and the walking distance and it seemed like more of these were many are walking tours but there are some where you drive and you can have an entire day like seven hours visiting the local area. Confirm the price, the group size, and what’s included and you can tell them if you want it to be a private tour. And then shortlist two or three of the guides that seem appealing. Robert: Then message the guide. Send a quick message asking how much walking is involved. Can we focus more on architecture? Are there shade breaks built in? Any accessibility consideration? What time of day is best for heat or avoiding crowd? Where exactly is the meeting point? And any other concerns you may have. Theresa: Right and we have gone over most lists before but this is like your handy one page one and a half page information sheet. So finalize the date and time. Add the confirmation to your calendar. If you are traveling abroad where there’s a significant time change be sure you have the correct date. Ask for a screenshot of the meeting point and how to contact the guide. If you don’t have the guide’s phone number it may be difficult to get in touch with them quickly. Share what your mobility or pacing needs are. Are you bringing any kind of mobility equipment? Ask about backup plans for the weather. And request any kind of customization like an emphasis on a certain topic. A slower pace or photoshop since South Beach was very good for photo staffs. Robert: Then prep for the day. Check the weather and humidity. Wear breathable clothing. Comfortable walking shoes. Bring water. Bring a sunscreen and hat. Portable fan optional but helpful if it’s really warm. A small notebook or phone app for notes for architectural details. Fully charged phone. And make sure you have cash or card for incidentals, cafe stops, or tips. Theresa: During the tour confirm the pacing at the start again and people learn after you repeat something I think seven times. So ask questions freely. Don’t hesitate. It’s your tour and that is if you’ve booked a private tour. But you can still ask other questions. But I think one benefit especially for people who have disruptive bodies is that it is your tour not a group tour. Request shade or rest breaks as you need them. Take note of the building names, the architects, and the stories. And take photos of the details like the tiles, the signage, the motifs, even the structur And ask for local recommendations for from your tour guide for later. Robert: And after the tour jot down highlights while they’re fresh. Say building names or locations that you want to revisit. Leave a thoughtful review. Mention pacing, accessibility, storytelling. Bookmark the guide for future trips. Add notes to your travel journal or trip report. Theresa: We’ll drop the checklist into the show notes along with information for tours by locals. You’ll be pleased that they are in so many different cities around the world. And using that you can prep yourself for your own tour. And we do want to announce that our workbook is now in print and we’re going to talk about that next time. Go over it a little bit. So until then, keep living the good life. See you next week.