Florida Spectacular

Mar 05 2025 219 ep. 40 mins 11
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. 

  Society & Culture  History  Leisure
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Episode 194: Botanical Gardens, Flamingos, and Florida Yard Lizards

Mar 05 2025 43 mins  
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 th

Episode 193: Gulf of...?, John D. MacDonald, and Jack Davis' Gulf Coast Playlist

Feb 26 2025 56 mins  
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

Episode 192: Spectacular Madcaps: Protect Florida Springs, Manatee Cavorting, and Other NSFW Environmental Fun Facts

Feb 19 2025 57 mins  
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 Wildlif

Episode 191: Floridiana, Taxidermied Gators, and Florida Collectibles

Feb 11 2025 36 mins  
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

Episode 190: Rosewood, Shana Smith, and 'Islands of Cedars'

Feb 05 2025 57 mins  
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

Episode 189: Insiders Guide to Ormond Beach

Jan 29 2025 48 mins  
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 P

Episode 188: Orlando Murder Mystery, a Florida mystery writer, and Why Is It Snowing?

Jan 22 2025 47 mins  
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 Wa

Episode 187: Florida's Lost Springs

Jan 15 2025 54 mins  
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 Ham

Episode 186: City and County Florida Parks You Need To Visit

Jan 08 2025 44 mins  
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) Brook

Episode 185: Florida Bucket List, a Kayak Tour, and Florida Plans for the New Year

Dec 28 2024 51 mins  
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 Made in