Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions! This week's episode welcomes Floridian David Jordan, a puppet master (not his real title, but we love to use that phrase) who wrangled the puppets on Pee-wee's Playhouse . Hear him talk about his puppetry with efforts to save the whooping crane and the Florida panther, his work with the Henson family, and his Central Florida charity, the Big Potato. Links...

Send us your Florida questions! For the final podcast of October, Rick and Cathy tell ghost stories and a few "wait, was that a ghost?" stories. Join the fun and let yourself get scared (or not so scared!) with the Florida Spectacular podcast this week! Links We Mentioned The Blair Witch Project Robert the Doll Robert the Doll by David Sloan Robert the Doll Key West Ghost Tour of Fort Ma...

Send us your Florida questions! Forget ghosts and ghouls, this week Rick and Cathy talk about Florida things that should scare you — like baby gators (a protective mom is near), coyotes (hide your cats!), and killer manatee (OK, that one isn't a thing.)  They end on a Florida B-movie note (because happy scary season!) and talk about, of course, snakes (they're more scared of you than, bu...

Send us your Florida questions! Quick, name a B-movie made in Florida. Did you say Creature from the Black Lagoon ? Cathy and Rick talk about the history of one of Florida's most enduring movies and the areas where Universal filmed it, its little-known connection to Citizen Kane , and why The Little Mermaid and Creature from the Black Lagoon tell essentially the same story. Links We Mentioned...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Rick and Cathy talk about Florida Man — but not the weird ones; the men who make Florida spectacular. From Abiaka to Lawton Chiles, they celebrate these wonderful men. (And yes, there's at least one in the works about great Florida women, too.) Links We Mentioned Governor Bob Graham and his Workdays Governor Lawton Chiles and Walkin Lawton [ VIDEO ] —...

Send us your Florida questions! "The rules are different here." Florida attracts all kinds, but often not the right types of people.  This week Rick and Cathy talk about some notorious Florida men, starting with the earliest exploration narratives to more contemporary gentlemen (and they use that term loosely.) Links We Mentioned Governor Claude Kirk Governor Sidney Catts The biggest con...

Send us your Florida questions! Bird is the word on today's episode of The Florida Spectacular ! Hurricane Idalia brought more than storm surge to Florida — for the first time in a long time, flamingos stroll along our beaches. Although many people (including Cathy!) didn't realize this, flamingos are, indeed, Florida natives — or so says the FWC .  Photo credit Beth Forys, for The Gabbe...

Send us your Florida questions! With Jimmy Buffett's death still sending waves of sadness through his immense fan community, Rick and Cathy turn to talk of Florida's music scene. Although Buffett wasn't a native Floridian, he spent his fair share of time in the Sunshine State — but he's far from the only great musician to make beautiful music in Florida. Join them as they talk...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Rick and Cathy welcome Joy Wallace Dickinson to talk about Florida's film history. From the silent film era, to the definitive film on aging gracefully ( Cocoon ), to more modern films, this episode's a walk down Florida's celluloid history. Find Joy’s old Florida mystery, Secrets of the Flamingo Cafe , on Amazon. Links We Mentioned Dave Ba...

Send us your Florida questions! There's no denying Florida's dealing with its hottest summer in... well, as long as we've measured such things. It's tempting to feel like individuals cannot make a difference, but that's not the case. This week's episode goes over simple things everyone can do to help cool Florida — and the planet. Links we mentioned The Plastic Projec...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida education's making national news. This week, Cathy and Rick take a walk down memory lane to their own first days of school. They also talk about Florida school integration — which happened not that long ago — and how that created a ripple effect that still impacts where elementary school students attend school.  Finally, they debate the merits of sendin...

Send us your Florida questions! Ever heard the phrase, "you have to go north to get South"? That's not untrue. People often ask whether Florida is part of the South. The short answer: It's complicated. Yes... and no.  Rick and Cathy talk about why that is, what they love about the South, and why it's such a complicated answer. Links We Mentioned Garden & Gun Magazine B...

Send us your Florida questions! With unprecedented temps scorching the country, Florida may not seem like the place where you can stay cool in the summertime, but Cathy and Rick share how they stay cool, where they go, and what they do that make summertime in Florida delightful. Links We Mentioned North Florida Dry Air Caves at Florida Caverns State Park Apalachicola Chocolate & Coffee Company...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, fellow Florida-phile Craig Pittman joins Rick and Cathy to talk about Florida's most current "it" exotic invasive: the Burmese python. As usual, the podcast slithers all over the place, so expect some talk about frogs and iguanas, too.  More about Craig Craig Pittman is a native Floridian, an author, podcaster and an award-winning reporter....

Send us your Florida questions! Whether you want to know about Florida travel, history, gardening, or food, Rick and Cathy have a short list of websites you should bookmark and use to make life in Florida even better.  Links We Mentioned Authentic Florida Visit Florida   Florida Memory Pinellas Memory Water Atlas Palmm collections IFAS/ Extension Fresh From Florida Florida: A History in Pictures J...

Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Rick discuss their beloved Florida books — along with some they can do without. No matter what you love to read, there's something on this list for every Florida-phile. Books We Suggest Fireworks Every Night by Beth Raymer The Mango Opera by Tom Corcoran The Travis McGee Series by John D. MacDonald Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen Stormy Weather by Carl...

Send us your Florida questions! After more than 100 episodes, Rick and Cathy talk about what the podcast is — and what it isn't.  Links We Think You'll Like Facebook page for Rick’s books Florida nostalgia Facebook page More Florida nostalgia Rick’s blog The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise,  by Michael Grunwald Image credit: Rick Kilby Support the show Questi...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida's home to some truly horrible B movies. B movies so bad, they're amazing.  Rick and Cathy take a road trip around the state, using some of the best of the worst films made in Florida as a guide.  St. Cloud: 2,000 Maniacs Right next door to tourist-swollen Kissimmee, you'll find St. Cloud, where this delightfully bad film was made in 15 days. S...

Send us your Florida questions! Pythons. Iguanas. Brazilian peppers. Florida's overflowing with tales of exotic invasives threatening paradise. But... not all exotic invasives are created equal.  Join Rick and Cathy for a short foray into some of their favorite exotic invasives, which ones they wish would leave the state forever, and which ones are — believe it or not — the tastiest. Meet the...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Rick and Cathy welcome Elizabeth Herryman Lasley, host of Keys Traveler podcast, as they talk about the things that make the Florida Keys special. (Find the Florida Keys podcast at the official Florida Keys website (they also have a newsletter , just in case you can't get enough of the Florida Keys.) The trio starts the podcast with a pair of key dee...

Send us your Florida questions! Looking for a great weekend getaway, or something new to do in Central Florida? Rick and Cathy have some great places to see, things to do, and restaurants to try in Mount Dora. The small city's famous not only for its antiques; the downtown painted itself pink for a movie (which starred a waterskiing elephant and some fantastic Hollywood talent). Also, Pat Fra...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, inspired by Cathy's recent travels to central Florida, Rick and Cathy talk about places they love in Lake County, some of the more surprising aspects of Lake County history, and why, even in the middle of The Villages, you can find hidden scraps of natural Florida.  Helpful Links and Links We Mentioned Visit Lake County travel website Authentic Flori...

Send us your Florida questions! Join Cathy and Rick as they venture through Ocala, making virtual stops at their favorite restaurants, natural areas, and roadside attractions.  Along the way, discover (or re-discover) a central Florida Elvis movie, learn about the "wild west" in Florida, and find out which one of the podcast hosts is kin to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Links We Mentioned Apple...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy welcome Melanie Lentz-Janney, of Authentic Florida fame, to the podcast. They spend the episode talking about some of their favorite Florida kitsch, the difference between Florida collectibles and Disneyana, and their favorite Florida roadside attractions.  Links we mentioned Authentic Florida Presidents Hall of Fame (Clermont) Sarasota Jungle Gardens...

Send us your Florida questions! This week "The Florida Spectacular" welcomes back Keys historian Brad Bertelli. Brad talks about some little-known Keys history (including a deserted island), but then he talks about where the locals eat in the Florida Keys. To wrap it all up, he talks about some of what he thinks are the most special places in the Keys (hint: get in or on the water!)   He...