Wait Five Minutes

After the success of the first Creature from the Black Lagoon film, Universal would green light a sequel. But when the Gill Man returned to the silver screen, he wasn't just filmed in Florida. The new story brought the monstrous critter all the way... to Jacksonville, Florida.   Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our...

In the winter of 1896, an unidentifiable creature washed ashore Anastasia Island. Experts would try, and fail, to identify the beast, as speculation swirled and questions mounted. A century later, an answer. Make sure you are registered to vote!   Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instag...

In 1915, millionaire and highway innovator Carl Fisher aimed to complete a new project: a highway that stretched from Chicago to Miami. States would be scorned, drivers would be lost, and a new folly would be born.   Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Read more about the...

Make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org On your ballot in November is Amendment 3. If passed, it would have an immediate impact on every community in Florida by the start of 2027. This week, we're joined by A.G. Gancarski to discuss the amendment, the end of the DeSantis administration, and the bigger picture of the midterms this November.    Read more of  my writing with the Community Pa...

Watch PANTHER PAT right here! In 1970, the first woman to take the field for a men's football team did so in Orlando, Florida. Dubbed "Panther Pat", she made history right as the sport of football was on the brink of permanent change.  Make sure you are registered to vote right here!   Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design...

This week, we follow the story of the Brevard family, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Coast of Florida to the Moon's surface and back again. Plus, we take a detour into the history of Woodsy Owl, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the mysterious white squirrels of North Carolina. Make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! T...

Last month, hundreds of poets descended on downtown Orlando to compete at the Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival. This week, we explore the art form and get an inside perspective on the festival, and how vulnerability leads to a greater connection through spoken word poetry. Get involved with Diverse Word in Orlando! Check out GrowHouse in Tampa!   Make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org...

Orlando Fringe celebrated their 35th anniversary this year, and we spent the spring shadowing a production, from rehearsal to final bow. We explore the history of theatre in Orlando, the different paths to the stage for an improviser, and how to build trust within a cast. Make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Che...

America's 250th birthday has come and gone. It's time to start looking to the future. Today, we talk about the upcoming Florida midterm elections, the looming threat of data centers in our state, and the things we can learn from our favorite movie, 1975's JAWS. Make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org Read more reporting about the data centers in Florida at the Tampa Bay Times Read more ab...

Pick up your tickets to The Python Hunt at Enzian Theater right here! This week, we chat with the director of a new Florida documentary called THE PYTHON HUNT, which tells the story of the people who come down to the Everglades to seek and hunt the invasive pythons that live in our swamps. Xander Robin takes through the production, the style of Florida filmmaking, and the unique things you find in...

Beginning in the 1930s, one of the most prolific architects in American history, Frank Lloyd Wright, brought his iconic style to Florida. A dozen buildings rise from the hills of Lakeland and reveal the details of Wright's Florida masterpiece, highlighting the unique qualities of our peninsula's singular nature. Plan your visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings right here!   Read more of  my wri...

North of Tampa, a community was shocked to find their homes were built on a forgotten burial ground from our recent history. The Black Cemetery Network collects the stories of places just like this, and fights for their memories. Check out the work of The Black Cemetery Network here. Read more about New York's African Burial Ground   Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Th...

At the beginning of 1937, the popular mayor of Daytona Beach found himself clashing with the Florida governor who'd pulled the state out of the Great Depression. What followed next was a siege of city hall, and a forgotten war for the city by the waves. Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on...

Florida has three National Parks, and eleven total NPS locations. One of which is the famous Ocala National Forest. This week, we chat with Ryan Smart of the Florida Springs Council about a plan to convert the Ocala Forest into a brand new National Park in our state, and why Ryan thinks that's a bad idea.  Read the story that inspired this episode on The Alligator   Vote for us as Best Local Podca...

The 2026 Florida Film Festival has come and gone. From April 10th to the 19th, we spent most every day in screenings, seeing the tales of Floridians and Floridian filmmakers on the big screen. Today, we chat about the work from three of these films, focusing on art, protest, cryptids, poems, and belief. Frogtown, the story of a small Florida town finding meaning in the elusive Frog King. The Call,...

Off a quiet road, east of Gainesville, a trio of oak trees tell the stories of those who have passed beneath their branches: soldiers, governors, trains and us. Two hundred years of history unfold in the ghost town of Rochelle, Florida. Vote for us as Best Local Podcast at Orlando Weekly! Read more of  my writing with the Community Paper right here!   Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible d...

In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the story of the American Civil War is told every day. One unique perspective is that of the trees: hundreds of trees which stand on the battleground today were there in 1863 as well, witnesses of the chaos that unfolded in that bloody July. Our guest this week has contributed immensely to the understanding of witness tree in Gettysburg. His name is Peter Lukacs, and h...

Florida has been the sight of a number of internment camps throughout its history, including right in this present moment. This week, we explore two centuries of internment in Florida, from St. Augustine to the Everglades, and Camp Blanding during World War II. Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here! All of the music was originally compos...

Freedom Tower sits in the heart of Miami, a beacon for a community when they needed it most. This week, we explore Cuba's revolutionary history, the construction of a "lighthouse for the Americas", and the context for the current crisis unfolding between the United States and Cuba.   The Crisis in Cuba, Explained - Time Magazine Read Richard Gott's book of Cuban history right here! Visit the Freed...

At the end of last year, the Florida government approved a hunt of our black bears. Environmental advocates had to get creative and find new brand new ways to fight back. Thank you to Sarah Younger from the Sierra Club for joining us this week!   Read more about the black bear hunt at the links below. Florida wildlife commissioners ignore science, law in saying yes to bear hunt Central Florida non...

After eight years, Rep. Anna V. Eskamani has finished her tenure in the Florida State Legislature. In our exit interview, we talk about her regrets, her successes, her hope for the future, and the lessons she hopes Floridians can learn from her experience in our state's capitol. Thank you to Rep. Eskamani and her team for their time. Follow more of the Representative's work right here.   Thank you...

Tallahassee can be intimidating. Today, we're making it less so. With the help of Amy Keith from Common Cause Florida , we're talking about phone calls, public comments, navigating the capitol, and so much more for when you want to have an impact on our state legislators. All that, plus music from Mr. Rogers! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on Insta...

The explosion of Deepwater Horizon changed the water around Florida. Sixteen years later, Florida politicians are standing up against future development off our coasts, and finding new ways to fight back. Thank you to Katie Bauman from Surfrider Foundation! Learn more about Surfrider's mission right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram...

Mar-a-Lago has had two owners in its existence: Marjorie Merriweather Post, and Donald Trump. This week, we explore the origins of the infamous home, the city that brought Marjorie to the Sunshine State, and the legacy the building is burdened with a century after its completion. Thank you to our guest this week, Les Standiford, for his help. Read more of Les' work right here. Thank you to Chelsea...

It's the holiday season once again, and before we head into the new year, we catch up friends and talk holiday choruses, old-fashioned decorations, boat parades, coquito and holiday parties.  Thank you to Rebecca and Heather for joining the show once again! Pay a visit to the Marco Island Historical Museum if you're in the area! Thank you to Dan from Permanent Vacation! Swing by for a drink next t...