Article provided by Prevost
Astro Travel and Tours is more than a motorcoach company — it’s a family love story that spans generations, built on passion, hard work and an unwavering commitment to world-class service.
The journey began in 1970 when Hurley Rudd and Frank Hazelton founded Astro as a full-service travel agency, specializing in airline tickets, cruises, hotel bookings, and international travel. While Rudd and Hazelton were building a thriving business, a man named Charlie Hunter, a high school football star turned radio DJ, followed his high school sweetheart Rachel Martin, to Tallahassee, FL. They fell in love and were married. In 1976, Mr. Hunter was the radio DJ at a local radio station that Mr. Rudd and Mr. Hazelton also owned together. The two businessmen saw great potential in Charlie, and they offered him the opportunity of a lifetime — to join Astro Travel and Tours as the general manager.
Under Charlie’s leadership, the company flourished. In the late 1980s, Mr. Hazelton passed away. Because he didn’t have any children, he left most of his shares to Charlie, giving Charlie minority ownership. By 1996, as Brandi, Rachel and Charlie’s daughter, graduated high school, Astro purchased its first bus — a 24-passenger Turtle Top — marking a pivotal shift toward motorcoach operations. A year later, Charlie became sole owner and began expanding the fleet, working closely with coach salesman Dan Wiltgen to acquire several Prevost Le Mirage models and the company’s first H3-45…