Florida Spectacular

Apr 18 2024 10
Florida Spectacular Podcast artwork

Take a weekly trip across Florida with authors Cathy Salustri and Rick Kilby and discover a side of Florida you never knew existed. From the scallops in Panhandle bays to the Hemingway cats in Key West, every week's a Florida adventure. 

Twice each month, Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli joins Cathy for premium episodes available to subscribers focused exclusively on the Keys.

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Episode 149: Top Tiki Bars and Experiences in Florida

Apr 18 2024 36 mins  
Cathy and Rick talk about their favorite Tiki bars and events in Florida. Links We MentionedThe Donn of Tiki filmTiki hotels in Daytona BeachTiki BarsBahi Hut in SarasotaThe Wreck Bar in Fort Lauderdale (Rick's post)Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale (Rick's post)Don the Beachcomber in Madeira BeachSuffering Bastard in SanfordTrader Sam's Grog Grotto at Walt Disney WorldBar

🔒 Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 8: Please Don't Feed the Deer: Everything You Want To Know About Key Deer

Apr 11 2024 28 mins  
Subscriber-only episodeFlorida Key Deer are the smallest of the white-tailed deer subspecies, and you can only find them in the Florida Keys. Brad and Cathy talk about the oft-debated origins of these tiny creatures, the legend of the cryptid key deer (aka Conch Republic Border Guards), and how and where to see — and photograph Key Deer — responsibly.Links We MentionedNational

Episode 148: Florida New Deal Art, Post Offices, and State Parks

Apr 10 2024 53 mins  
Rick and Cathy welcome Keri Watson, author of Florida's New Deal: Parks and Post Office Murals. Her book takes people on an armchair tour of Florida post offices with New Deal art. It explores Florida's first 10 state park (nine of which still exist as state parks today.)Links We MentionedGet Keri's bookLiving New DealDiane Craig's thesis on George Snow-HillUSPS

Episode 147: Let's Get Small: Check Out These Small Florida Towns

Apr 06 2024 35 mins  
Rick and Cathy talk about what there is to do at some of their favorite small towns in Florida, and why you should visit. Take a listen, load up the car, and let's go!Links We Mentioned Safety Harbor Resort & Spa | Spa Resort in Tampa Bay, FL Welaka, Florida | Quiet Old Town on the St. Johns River Stegbone's Fish Camp and ResortGreen Cove SpringsMatlachaGulfportSuppor

🔒 Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 7: Purple Isles: Legend, Lore, and Truth

Mar 28 2024 23 mins  
Subscriber-only episodeIslamorada means "purple island." After all, Isla (island) and morada (purple), right? Think again. Brad explains why that's not how this part of the Florida Keys got its name. He takes Cathy — and listeners — on an armchair journey on why the "morada" in the name dates back to William Krome and Flagler's railroad and means &

Episode 146: Matlacha, Pine Island, and a Different Kind of Paradise

Mar 27 2024 49 mins  
Rick and Cathy talk about mangos, Matlacha, and a different type of Florida paradise. Pine Island and Matlacha don't have high rises, chain hotels, or franchises. This small island haven has plenty of small pleasures on offer, especially for people seeking a less-traditional type of paradise.Things To Do in MatlachaThe Perfect CupTarpon Lodge (lodging and dining alike)Randell

Episode 145: Traveling the World to Come Home to Florida

Mar 22 2024 50 mins  
On this week's podcast, Jenny DeWitt talks about why she left Florida, where she traveled when she did, and why she came back.Links we mentioned:Eau Gallie Arts District.Backwater restaurant.Downtown Creedo.Green Gables, Melbourne, FL Lil Bit of Life, Mount Dora, FLGrow Lake County - Local Farm & Food MapArchitecture SRQ - Home of Architecture Sarasota MOD WeekendTownie To

🔒 Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 6: The Florida Keys Eco Trail

Mar 14 2024 25 mins  
Subscriber-only episodeEveryone loves the Florida Keys — but not everyone has discovered the sheer magnificence of the wilder and more natural parts of the island chain. The Florida Keys tourism board wants to change that; they created an an app that lets anyone earn points (and swag) for checking out an eco trail that runs from Key Largo to Key West. Ashley Serrate joins Brad an

Episode 144: Lighthouses, Florida Parks, and the Dry Tortugas

Mar 13 2024 35 mins  
Meet Shilpi Rawat, who left Mumbai for a life in Florida. As a new Floridian, she planned a Florida lighthouse road trip. Learn about her experiences from the panhandle to the Dry Tortugas, the time she swam with a barracuda (not on purpose), and hear about some of her favorite lighthouses.Links We MentionedAbout Dooder and the Lighthouse short film (and trailer)List of Florida lig

Episode 143: Florida Journeys, Nibbling Cockroaches, and John Muir

Mar 07 2024 29 mins  
Leslie Kemp Poole, author of Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now, comes on the podcast to talk about recreating Florida journeys made by famous Floridians and Florida-fans such as John Muir, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. She gives life to these journeys — take a listen!Leslie's booksWatch Leslie follow Marjorie K