Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions! Everyone 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 and Cathy...

Send us your Florida questions! 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 Mentioned About Dooder and the Lighthouse short film (and trailer )...

Send us your Florida questions! 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 books Watch Leslie...

Send us your Florida questions! Looking for places to snorkel in the Florida Keys? Brad's the expert. He explains not only how snorkeling ignited his interest in Florida Keys and Monroe County history, but where anyone can snorkel in the Florida Keys.  Brad's Florida Keys snorkeling spots Bahia Honda State Park Looe Key Key West Marine Park (you can walk/swim to this one) Garden Key and...

Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Rick talk about how nature influences their writing, Cathy's camping experience at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, Rick's upcoming keynote at the MKR annual conference, and where to find wild citrus. Links We Mentioned Matheson Museum , with the anniversary exhibit Rick designed Squarehouse Pizza in Gainesville (Formerly Satch Squar...

Send us your Florida questions! People love pirate lore — but what did it mean to be a pirate in Florida? According to Cathy, a lot more bureaucracy than you'd think. Rick and Cathy talk about pirates, real and imagined, and make a few Florida detours along the way. Links We Mentioned Legend of Jose Gaspar Sir Francis Drake and privateer Robert Searle Florida Pirate Festivals Pirates in St. A...

Send us your Florida questions! Did the Florida Keys have pirates? Brad and Cathy debate. Brad unearthed an 1829 Keys newspaper and talks about an article warning of land sharks and advertising a house for rent for $20 a month in Key West.  They also chat about the San Carlos, the Key West Firehouse Museum, and Carysfort Reef. Links We Mentioned Key West Firehouse Museum San Carlos Institute Carys...

Send us your Florida questions! Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings made Cross Creek famous through her writing, and if you want to experience Florida as she did, there's no better place. From free-range venison starters at a Cross Creek restaurant to paddling the same creeks she did, immerse yourself in the world of Cross Creek. Here's how! Spoiler alert: Cathy gives away the ending of The Yearlin...

Send us your Florida questions! Ryan Smart, the executive director of the Florida Springs Council , joins the podcast to talk about threats facing springs, some recent victories for Florida's environment, and how people can support the work that protects Florida springs. Image of the Profanity Manatee courtesy of Florida Springs Council; used with permission. Links We Mentioned Manatee Profan...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad and Cathy take a deep dive into two of the best Florida State Parks in the Florida Keys: Bahia Honda and Long Key.  Links We Mentioned Florida Keys Eco-Experience Trail app for exploring the Florida Keys. Bahia Honda State Park Long Key State Park Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacul...

Send us your Florida questions! Today's guest, Charles Ellis, who serves as the Fort Mose Historical Society president, talks about the reconstruction of the Fort, what’s happening in February, and Florida's place on the Underground Railroad.  Links We Mentioned Fort Mose State Park Flight to Freedom Fort Mose Historical Society Jazz and Blues at Fort Mose Support Fort Mose and Black His...

Send us your Florida questions! If you want to explore Sarasota, Rick and Cathy have plenty of favorites.  Places to Eat Owen's Fish Camp Yoder's of Pinecraft and The Gabber Newspaper's feature on Yoder's Bali Hut Tiki Hut Outdoors and Nature Experiences Myakka River State Park Warm Mineral Springs Selby Botanical Gardens Mote Marine Aquarium ( kayaking and the February Farm to...

Send us your Florida questions! Flying into Key West is super-convenient, but people who fly into Key West miss one of the best parts of the Florida Keys: The Overseas Highway, which connects mainland Florida with the Florida Keys. The road didn't always look the way it does today, however. Brad and Cathy explain it all.  Florida Keys Extras No Name Pub on No Name Key used to be a brothel The...

Send us your Florida questions! It's January! It's cold! It's the best time to see manatee! Where can you see them?  Rick and Cathy name their favorite spots (see the links) and talk about whether manatee resemble sea potatoes or zaftig mermaids, manatee flatulence, and manatee nipples (when an animal has armpit nipples, you have to mention it.) Links We Mentioned Is it a manatee or...

Send us your Florida questions! A reader question about hiking shoes leads to a discussion about best places to hike in Florida. The Florida Madcaps' Chelsea Stevens joins to talk about hiking and water shoes, that time she stepped on a copperhead, and her favorite hikes.  Links We Mentioned FloridaHikes.com Shoes for Hiking Florida Trails Altra shoes What are shoe gaiters and do you want the...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida does an amazing job with state parks, and perhaps this is best showcased in the Florida Keys. In the inaugural episode, take a tour of some of Brad and Cathy's favorite state parks in the Upper Keys. State Parks to Visit in the Florida Keys • Dagny Johnson Key Largo Botanical State Park for hiking and the chance of seeing the endangered woodrat.  • Wind...

Send us your Florida questions! Take a hike in the swamp! Cathy and Rick talk about hiking in Florida swamps, venomous snakes, and other things you might find as you experience Florida's wilderness. Also, Cathy talks about the time she got lost in the swamp and almost stepped on a venomous snake. Pictured is the juvenile cottonmouth from Cathy's hike in Big Cypress. No, it's not a M...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about Florida places they want to visit in 2024. Unsurprisingly, many of the trips involve kayaking. Quick Travel Guide to St. Augustine Meehan's Irish Pub Osteen's Casa de Sueños Quick Travel Guide to West Volusia Heritage Corridor Cassadaga DeLand Memorial Hospital Museum Main Street DeLand Hontoon Island The Forgotten Mermaids : Jacq...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about places they want to visit–or revisit—in 2024. Below, find guides to two not-often-visited places in Florida.  Visit Sanford Visitor's Guide December's St. Lucia Festival Celery Soup —a folk life play Hollerbach's German Restaurant Pico Hotel (similar to the Tampa Bay Hotel , now University of Tampa) Henry's Depot Folk Ar...

Send us your Florida questions! Jacki Levine joins Rick and Cathy today to talk about Once Upon a Time in Florida , a gorgeous coffee table book celebrating 50 years of essays about Florida. Jacki edited the book, which includes essays from Stetson Kennedy, Michael Gannon, and Rick Kilby. Links We Mentioned Once Upon a Time in Florida (with discount code XM23) for sale Review of  Once Upon a Time...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, the "Florida Spectacular" welcomes back a familiar voice — Brad Bertelli, an early and super-popular guest. Cathy, Rick and Brad talk about where to find hidden springs in the Florida Keys, an old manuscript that mentions a "fairy grotto" by Robbies, and how people are "reverse snowbirding" north of Florida. Links We Mentione...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Florida Spectacular hosts Cathy and Rick celebrate the work of Tim Dorsey. Dorsey created the lovable serial killer Serge Storms, who served vengeance with a side of history... or perhaps history with a side of vengeance. From there, they talk about Florida books for everyone on your holiday shopping list.  Links we Mentioned Florida books for every reade...

Send us your Florida questions! If you thought the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the present-day United States in Plymouth, well, you've been lied to. Cathy and Rick talk about the first and second Thanksgivings, both of which happened in Florida, and why the 16th-century French Huguenot Thanksgiving — celebrated in what is now Jacksonville — may be the only of the first three...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Cathy calls BS on Turkey Day and scholar Jeremy Carnes helps us understand the connection between art created by American Indians imprisoned at Fort Marion and the art produced by contemporary indigenous people. The trio also offers their perspective on how they attempt to respectfully observe the fourth Thursday in November. Ever heard of Ledger art? Lin...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about the evils of beach renourishment — not only why it's a no-win situation, but how great Florida beaches could look without renourishment. It's a controversial take — especially for beach property owners.  Links We Mentioned Fort De Soto Canaveral National Seashore St. George Island State Park Anastasia Island Anna Maria Island publ...