Send us your Florida questions! Did you know cattle ranchers were the "first intentional conservationists" in Florida? Annie Muscato does. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on it, and this week she joins the podcast to talk — passionately! — about research into how some Florida cattle ranchers are working to protect wild Florida, why Florida cattle ranching isn't nearly as cruel as it is in the rest of the country, and how ranchers work with the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Links We Mentioned Fr...
Jul 02, 2025•50 min•Season 5Ep. 211
Send us your Florida questions! Andrea Conover of Azalea City Brewing and Palatka Mayor Robbie Correa join us this week to help roadtrippers find Palatka's best-kept secrets. Links We Mentioned Palatka Coffee Company Angel's Diner Palatka's historic riverfront Velchoff's Corner Ravine Gardens State Park Magnolia Cafe Azalea City Brewing Lemon Street Market Kayak tours North Star Charters Amara Zee Bronson Mulholland House (and Rick's post about it — and this one ) Camping in Palatka 25 Taps for ...
Jun 25, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 210
Send us your Florida questions! Rick serves on the board of the Winter Park History Museum, and Cathy lived there for a time in the '90s (and loves to go back). That's why the book written by this episode's guest, Kim Michalak, was so appealing to both of them. Kim shares how she selected her 100 things for her book 100 Things To Do in Winter Park Before You Die . Links We Mentioned 100 Things To Do in Winter Park Before You Die Winter Park History Museum Barnie's Coffee The Imperial Ten Thousan...
Jun 18, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 209
Send us your Florida questions! Dan Reiter joins the podcast to talk about his career surfing Florida and writing about the same. The trio talks about everything from the best place to surf in Florida to why surfers shouldn't be scared of sharks. Check out Dan's book about surfing (link below). Links We Mentioned On a Rising Swell: Surf Stories From Florida's Space Coast (and a link to buy the book ) Ron Jon Surf Shop Kelly Slater Surfing Upham in Pinellas County Beach renourishment and why it's...
Jun 11, 2025•39 min•Season 5Ep. 208
Send us your Florida questions! " Nature isn't just more complex than we know, it's more complex than we can know." There's a sadly great chance that the State of Florida is going to build a toll road through the last remaining wild growth of a pretty — and pretty endangered — plant. Here's what's happening, where it's happening, and what you can do about it. Links We Mentioned Background on the dangers to this endangered mint Sign up and get involved to protect this mint Article by Rose Schnabe...
Jun 04, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 207
Send us your Florida questions! Historian Holly Baker joins the podcast to talk about her work in preservation in St. Augustine, Vero Beach, and throughout Florida. The trio also talks about what makes a building historic, preserving historic evidence of Jim Crow, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Links We Mentioned St. Augustine Davis Shores Bridge of Lions Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in St. Augustine Lincolnville Museum Where is Lincolnville? Cathy's article about Lincolnville Rick's post about ...
May 28, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 206
Send us your Florida questions! Florida author and naturalist Andrew Furman returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, Of Slash Pine and Manatees: A Highly Selective Guide to My Suburban Wilderness . Links We Mentioned Bitten: My Unexpected Love Affair With Florida Bidens pilosa (aka beggartick, etc., etc.) and its medicinal uses Frogfruit (aka hatpin) Who invented the grassy lawn? Yellow-crowned night heron Photo by Andrew Furman Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cath...
May 21, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 205
Send us your Florida questions! How Bowers of the Retro WDW podcast joins Rick and Cathy to talk about the not-so-secret-after-all Florida Project, the origins of Disney Springs, and what Cypress Gardens had to do with Walt Disney deciding Florida would be a great place for a theme park. Links We Mentioned Retro WDW Lake Buena Vista Historical Society Support the show Question or comment? Email us at [email protected] . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up wit...
May 14, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 204
Send us your Florida questions! Orlando historian Rachel Williams joins the podcast to talk about Colonial Plaza Mall (now a shadow of its former self and called Colonial Marketplace), and from there the conversation moves to caves in Ocala, coffee roasters we love, and the importance of the shopping mall in Florida culture. Links We Mentioned Ocala Caverns (and what's the difference between a cave and a cavern , anyway?) Rachel's article about Colonial Plaza Florida Historical Society conferenc...
May 07, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 203
Send us your Florida questions! TJ Fridrich, with the Save the Manatee Club, joins the podcast to talk about what listeners need to know about when manatee can be dangerous (seriously!), what their mating behavior might look like, and where you can see some excellent documentaries about manatee and their ilk. Links We Mentioned Save The Manatee Club The Disturbance Theory Mating herd in Haulover Canal Report a manatee sighting Amazonian manatee and Last Chance To See Last Chance To See documenta...
Apr 30, 2025•53 min•Season 5Ep. 202
Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about the middle basin of the St. Johns River, eco tours, and wildlife seen along the waterway. Links We Mentioned Floridiana Festival at the Matheson Squarehouse Pizza Love Vine? Welaka Florida Lake Jesup St. Johns River info Airboat on the St. Johns Airboat chase sequence in Gone Fishin' " 36 Hours in Orlando " ( New York Times ) Bill Belleville's River of Lakes Florida's American Heritage River: Images From the St. Johns River St. Johns Rive...
Apr 23, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 201
Send us your Florida questions! Josh Ginsberg, author of Secret Tampa Bay , Secret Orlando , Tampa Bay Scavenger , Oldest Tampa Bay — among others — joins the podcast to talk about his favorite hidden gems in Tampa Bay and Orlando. The trio talks about everything from the Wizard of Oz to taxidermied animals. Links We Mentioned TerriblyOdd.com Josh Ginsberg books Dysfunctional Grace (Ybor City) Tiger Dust (Seminole Heights) Wizard of Oz Museum (Cape Canaveral) Ripley's world headquarters (Orlando...
Apr 16, 2025•34 min•Season 5Ep. 200
Send us your Florida questions! Craig Pittman, co-host of the Welcome to Florida podcast, joins Florida Spectacular to talk about his latest book by the same name. This episode takes a roller coaster approach to Florida, and along the way the trio discusses nudist resorts, snakes, where to find dead bodies, and... well, take a listen. It's quite a ride. Links We Mentioned Welcome to Florida Dawn Lee McKenna God's Trombone's Florida Phoenix Flamingo Magazine FORUM Magazine Reptile World Serpentar...
Apr 09, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 199
Send us your Florida questions! Josh Gunderson, the creative mind behind the popular Oviedo Mall account on Twitter, joins the podcast to talk about mall culture in Florida, his new book, The Lamenting Mall Rats Society , and whether or not Oviedo Mall really is haunted. Links We Mentioned @OviedoMall on Threads The actual Oviedo Mall The Lamenting Mall Rats Society B. Dalton Booksellers District Oviedo Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State Top 3 Oviedo Experiences Crazy Cork Wine Bar Pinball Lo...
Apr 02, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 198
Send us your Florida questions! Jon Bortles joins Cathy and Rick to talk about Florida Tiki culture and all things Tiki. Bahi Hut Meetup with Rick, Cathy, and Jon — April 11, 7 p.m. Links We Mentioned Tahitian Motor Lodge Tarpon Tahitian Inn Tampa Hawaiian Inn Daytona Best Western Aku Tiki Peking Palace in Clearwater Mai Kai Julian's Ormond Beach The Honu Support the show Question or comment? Email us at [email protected] . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up...
Mar 26, 2025•39 min•Season 5Ep. 197
Send us your Florida questions! Spring has sprung, the pollen is here, and it's time once again to talk about plants and landscaping. Eric Schmidt, the Botanical Records Specialist for Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens, talks about a few of his favorite plant places in Florida, his experiences consulting on the Animal Kingdom and Star Wars landscaping efforts at the Walt Disney World Resort, and a special tree he has planted in his own yard. Links We Mentioned What Hurricane Michael Did to the Torr...
Mar 19, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 196
Send us your Florida questions! This week, Joe Colucci from Munyon's Paw Paw Liqueur joins the podcast to talk about his Florida-made papaya liqueur — and the fascinating Florida history behind it. Links We Mentioned Munyon Island Munyon's Paw Paw Liqueur Mai Kai The Great Outdoors in High Springs Ottos High Dive Copper Rocket Munyon Hope Association Tiki A Go Go Support the show Question or comment? Email us at [email protected] . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and...
Mar 12, 2025•44 min•Season 5Ep. 195
Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Rick give a whirlwind tour of botanical gardens they have loved, talk about Rick's proposal to his wife and where he hid her ring, how to pronounce anole, and where to find flamingos. Links We Mentioned Florida Botanical Gardens Harry P. Leu Gardens Orlando Exploration Gardens Brown anoles and more about them Selby Botanical Gardens (and the George Harrison exhibit ) Boiled books Botanical gardens at Cypress Gardens Bok Tower Gardens Kanapaha Botanical G...
Mar 05, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 194
Send us your Florida questions! Jack Davis, the Pulitzer-winning author of The Gulf: Making of an American Sea , joins the podcast to talk about what he thinks of the Gulf of Mexico's nomenclature glow-up. The talk migrates to sea level rise, John D. MacDonald's books, and his "Gulf of Mexico" playlist. Links We Mentioned General Jesup and Lake Jesup Pork Chop Gang John D. MacDonald and his book Condominium Cathy's article about paddling with Jack Brian Woodall's Instagram Tillie Fowler Park Ker...
Feb 26, 2025•56 min•Season 5Ep. 193
Send us your Florida questions! At the Florida Springs Council, the Florida Madcaps podcast host Ryan Worthington and Florida Spectacular host Cathy Salustri taped a crossover podcast in front of a live audience. Their guests are Max Chesnes, the Tampa Bay Times environmental reporter; TJ Fridrich, a biologist with Save the Manatee Club; and Federico Acevedo, of the Florida Wildlife Federation. The podcast subjects — a definite variation from either's usual format — ranged from the 2024 "golf co...
Feb 19, 2025•57 min•Season 5Ep. 192
Send us your Florida questions! Ken Breslauer joins the podcast to talk about collectible Florida ephemera, his annual Floridiana show, and his favorite roadside attractions. Links We Mentioned Floridiana Fest (Sarasota, April 11-12) Florida Attractions History Atomic Tunnel Sarasota Jungle Gardens Bongo Land Pinecrest Gardens Sunken Gardens Silver Springs Ken's Feb. 19, 2025 talk in Winter Park about Florida souvenirs Image by Ken Breslauer Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cath...
Feb 11, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 191
Send us your Florida questions! Shana Smith joins the podcast to talk about her book, Islands of Cedars . Shana based the book on actual events, but is a well-researched book of fiction. It's a beautifully written piece of history and Shana talks about what motivated her to write the book, what happened, and what's next. Links We Mentioned Islands of Cedars FloridaRAMA The Rosewood Massacre Voice and Pen nonprofit Zora Seasonal Events Image via Shana Smith Support the show Question or comment? E...
Feb 05, 2025•57 min•Season 5Ep. 190
Send us your Florida questions! Looking for things to do that most people miss in Ormond Beach? Historian Randy Jaye has a lot for you to explore. Links We Mentioned Tomoka Mound Complex Legend of Tomokie (and that ridiculous statue Rick loves ) Old Kings Road Three Chimneys Dummett Plantation The Loop Scenic Drive McRae Plantation and Addison Blockhouse The Ormond Hotel Fortunato Park Birthplace of Speed Anderson-Price Memorial Building The Casements The Casemente Annex The Dix House The Lippin...
Jan 29, 2025•48 min•Season 5Ep. 189
Send us your Florida questions! Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of the old Florida murder mystery, Secrets of the Flamingo Café , joins the podcast to talk about her book, the history in which she grounded it, and her writing process. There's a rare snowfall in North Florida as we taped this podcast and of course Cathy has some big feelings about that. Links We Mentioned About Joy Wallace Dickinson Secrets of the Flamingo Café: An Old Florida Mystery John D. MacDonald Support the show Question or ...
Jan 22, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 188
Send us your Florida questions! Ever heard of a zero-magnitude spring? It's a spring that has "historic flow" — meaning it doesn't have any water anymore (usually — some get water during times of heavy rain). Rick and Cathy talk about some of Florida's lost springs. Links We Mentioned Mosaic Peace Park Wakulla Springs State Park Daytona's Atomic Tunnel White Sulphur Springs Hampton Springs Newport Springs Suwannee Springs Worthington Springs Benjamin Dimmitt: An Unflinching Look Around Enterpris...
Jan 15, 2025•54 min•Season 5Ep. 187
Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Rick talk about their favorite parks that aren't state parks. City and County Florida Parks You Need To Visit Fort De Soto (St. Petersburg) Greenwood Cemetery (map showing GAR ) (Orland) Mead Botanical Gardens (Winter Park) Boyd Hill (St. Petersburg) Moss Park (Orlando) Shingle Creek (Kissimmee) Princess Place Preserve (Flagler County) Brooker Creek Preserve (North Pinellas County) Weedon Island (St. Petersburg) Clam Bayou (Gulfport) Juan Ponce de Leon L...
Jan 08, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 186
Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about Florida adventures for the new year and talk about kayaking. They also look ahead to 2025 and some possible new benefits for podcast subscribers. Links We Mentioned Earth Kinship bioluminescence kayak tours Florida State Parks camping reservations Harvest Hosts Florida Bucket List scratch-off adventures Keaton Beach Support the show Question or comment? Email us at [email protected] . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsle...
Dec 28, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 185
Send us your Florida questions! AyoLane Halusky talks about possible changes at Marineland, why you shouldn't be afraid of alligators , and favorite paddles in St. Johns area. Marineland Unusual gator behavior in Big Cypress My Life as a Turkey Earth Kinship Kayak Tours & Nature Education Geotripper Local Lorax Top Kayaking Spots in the St. Johns Area Deep Creek Welaka ( Dunn's Creek to Murphy Island or Mud Springs ) Guana Lake at the dam ( bioluminescence tour ) Mantanzas Inlet Durbin Creek...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 4Ep. 184
Send us your Florida questions! Kimball Love makes an appearance on the podcast to talk about her new book, Florida Is Not For Sissies . Links We Mentioned Florida is Not for Sissies Florida Is Not for Sissies merchandise Florida Is Not For Sissies on Facebook Support the show Question or comment? Email us at [email protected] . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com . Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot...
Dec 11, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 183
Send us your Florida questions! Chris Meindl, associate professor or geography and the director of the Florida Studies Program at USF-St. Pete, joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Florida Springs: From Geography to Politics and Restoration . Cathy, Rick, and Chris talk about the springs, the Florida Studies Program, and the politics of water. Go see him at the Sulfur Springs Museum in Tampa: Jan. 12, 2 p.m. Links We Mentioned Florida Geological Survey: Florida Springs Water's Journey: ...
Dec 04, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 182
