Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes back Jamie Rich, the founder, publisher, and editor of Flamingo Magazine . They talk about the newest issue – on newsstands now! – as well as Jamie's favorite parts of the Jacksonville beaches. Have a Florida question – travel-related or otherwise? Drop us a line . Links we mentioned: Flags over Fernandina Jean Ribault...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Cathy and Jon talk about Florida supermarkets, grocery stores, which – shocker – include more than simply Publix. Join them on the podcast that went a little sideways and veered into the history of Winn-Dixie, Hitchcocks, and the Aldi Aisle of Shame.  Links we mentioned: History of Winn Dixie History of Hitchcock's (and a link we found after the show...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Cathy and Jon talk about Florida's "Southern" beach: Amelia Island. They also talk about the history and beauty of Fort Clinch, the War of Jenkins Ear, and why you should stop for boiled peanuts on every road trip. Amelia Island Fernandina Beach More about the War of Jenkins Ear and Cathy's (notably less academic) article about the War...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Cathy and Jon talk about Everglades City, Chokoloskee, and the Tamiami Trail. They also help out a listener looking for travel advice crossing the state from Englewood to the Hard Rock in Hollywood.  Send us your Florida road trip questions . Links we mentioned: Forrey Grill Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail Camping at Lake Okeechobee ( Okeechobee County and A...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Cathy and Jon talk to Ben Montgomery about Axios Local, journalism, and why the City of Tampa should set aside one day a year where it's legal to camp in any of its parks. It's kind of a wild podcast, so buckle up and tune in. Ben Montgomery is a journalist and author of four nonfiction books , and he writes a local newsletter for Axios . Twitte...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, your hosts Cathy Salustri and Jon Kile talk to John Athanason, who spent almost two decades doing marketing for the world's most famous mermaids – the Weeki Wachee mermaids! Last year, he started working with Florida's Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau, and he joins the podcast ready to talk about the best places along Florida's Adventure Coa...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, "The Florida Spectacular" hosts Cathy Salustri and Jon Kile talk about Disney, Reedy Creek, and Ron DeSantis – as well as the PeopleMover, Disney prices, and why there are no mosquitoes at Walt Disney World. Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com . Su...

Send us your Florida questions! This week :The Florida Spectacular" welcomes a new co-host, Jon Kile. Jon's a Florida-based writer who loves Worldle but hates Wordle, loves to camp with his family in and out of the state, and posts tales of his adventures at dontmakemeturnthisvanaround.com .  Cathy and Jon talk with Maureen McDole about the upcoming SunLit literary festival (produced by...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli . Brad's penned several books about Florida and the Florida Keys, most recently the (mostly) fictionalized " The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files ." Cathy and Brad talk about Brad's new (and wildly popular) Facebook group, Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli , keys pe...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes David Powell, author of " Ninety Miles and a Lifetime Away: Memories of Early Cuban Exiles ." David worked as a reporter for 10 years in New York, Miami, and Tallahassee, and then practiced law for 30 years. He and Cathy talk about the first two waves of Cuban immigrants, how they impacted Florida, and the stories...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Cathy Salustri chats with David Shealy, the mastermind behind the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee, and noted Skunk Ape author Brad Bertelli . Follow Brad on Twitter , or join his Florida Keys history Facebook group, and pick up a copy of his book, "The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files". After you're done, you may want to follow the So...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes Stephanie Shuster, CEO and owner of "WDW Magazine." Stephanie and Cathy talk about a different part of Florida: the Walt Disney World Resort. They chat, of course, about Disney and why they both enjoy it, but also about the landscaping, natural plants, and acres of preserved land on the Walt Disney World Resort pr...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular talks to food historian Andy Huse. Cathy and Andy talk about Florida restaurants, Florida cocktails, and Florida desserts. Huse, who's written three books with the University Press of Florida , lives in Tampa. He's the archivist and special collections librarian at the University of South Florida, but his fascination is Fl...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes Susan Rogers, author of the forthcoming book " Learning the Birds ", available in April from Cornell Press. Susan talks with Cathy about her birding trip to the Everglades, the time she (sort of) found a dead body, and why birding is dangerous. Cathy and Susan also talk about the most dangerous animal in Florida (...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes back Bill DeYoung, author of many books, most recently "Vintage St. Pete Volume II: Legends, Locations, Lifestyles."  Even people who don't live in St. Pete will appreciate this picturesque history of the area, told through some of the city's more interesting people and places throughout history. In this...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular talks with Ben Kirby, who worked alongside St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman as the Communications Director for Kriseman's two-term tenure, which ended earlier this year. Cathy and Ben talk about Kriseman's famous "no Trumps allowed" tweet, the challenges facing a Florida community recovering from a Jim Crow Sou...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes Bill DeYoung, a St. Petersburg native, veteran journalist, and author of "Skyway: The True Story of Tampa Bay's Signature Bridge and the Man Who Brought it Down." Bill and Cathy talk about the Skyway Bridge disaster of 1980, the (untrue and harmful) rumors about Captain Lerro's role in the disaster and,...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular welcomes Tara Lush , author of the Coffee Lover's Mystery Series, talks about writing cozy mysteries, using Florida as a backdrop, her love of coffee, and other Florida cozy writers.  Connect with her on Twitter ( @tamaralush ) or Facebook , or come see her at the Gabber Book Club in Gulfport on Jan. 12.  Links we mentioned:  S...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, The Florida Spectacular welcomes John Fleming, author of " The Legend of the Barefoot Mailman ." Host Cathy Salustri and John talk about the actual Barefoot Mailman, his book about what may have happened to Ed Hamilton, and why Cathy thinks his next book about the Lewis & Clark expedition should talk about Florida. John's a creative wri...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Cathy Salustri welcomes Dr. Saundra TenBroeck, an associate professor and state extension horse specialist for the University of Florida's Extension Service, to The Florida Spectacular. Dr. TenBroeck works with kids and adults... and horses. They chat about Florida's horse industry, which has an annual $6.8 billion economic impact on Florida. The...

Send us your Florida questions! This week The Florida Spectacular chats with John Pendygraft , a longtime journalist with a forthcoming book, "Lost Storytellers: The Information Apocalypse in the Modern Newsroom." John and Cathy talk about journalism, and its future in Florida.  Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, The Florida Spectacular welcomes John Fleming, author of " Fearsome Creatures of Florida ." Host Cathy Salustri and John talk about the Skunk Ape, were-panthers and a host of other fearsome creatures of Florida – some real, some maybe not so real. John's a creative writing professor at the University of South Florida, the founder of Saw Pal...

Send us your Florida questions! Today host Cathy Salustri welcomes Colette Bancroft, book editor for the Tampa Bay Times. Listen in as they talk about the Tampa Bay Times annual Festival of Reading (the Festival takes place over seven days this year, via Zoom, Nov. 8-14), why Florida has so many writers, and which book in this year's lineup will make you remove your mindfulness app from your...

Send us your Florida questions! This week the Florida Spectacular welcomes Holly Abeels , to talk about Florida fishing and how to find a fishing guide who will help you make your next fishing trip exciting – and sustainable.  Links we mentioned: • Choosing a Florida-friendly fishing guide • What is Florida Sea Grant ? Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep u...

Send us your Florida questions! This week the Florida Spectacular welcomes back Jamie Rich, founder and publisher of Flamingo Magazine . With the new issue just days away from subscribers' mailboxes , Cathy and Jamie talk about what to expect under the cover, the Fresh Squeezed newsletter , why Carlton Ward's work makes the magazine even more amazing, and the upcoming Florida gift guide....