Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions! This week, Florida Spectacular takes a deep dive into DeLeon Springs. Rick and Cathy talk about the first people who lived in the area, EuroAmerican settlers, and the history of the sugar mill and plantation that formed around the spring. They end the podcast talking about the more "roadside Florida" aspects of the spring, including, of course, waterskiing...

Send us your Florida questions! Robert the Doll isn't the only ghost in the Florida Keys. Hear a few more tales from Brad and Cathy. Links We Mentioned Haunted Key West Key West Theater Robert the Doll Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip....

Send us your Florida questions! Brendan O'Connor, of Bungalower and Orlando Magazine , joins the podcast to talk about his intense knowledge of Orlando neighborhoods and hidden Orlando. He's the author of 100 Things To Do In Orlando Before You Die and, as we mentioned, a bit like an onion: He has layers. Brendan's Top Five Hidden Orlando Experiences Winter Park Boat Tour Dickson Aza...

Send us your Florida questions! With scary season in full swing, Cathy and Rick talk about some of the creepiest — and most fun — places they've visited along the roadside. Potter's Wax Museum Hall of Presidents in Clermont , what's in the gift shop , and a blog post from Rick The Sandman Motel Casa Marina Jungle Adventure Barberville Produce Support the show Question or comment? Em...

Send us your Florida questions! "Art is not for everyone, but it can be for anyone," so says today's guest, freelance arts writer and Fernandina Beach resident Chadd Scott. Art Basel Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Sarasota Modern Highwaymen Art Weekend Purvis Young Robert Rauschenberg Appleton Museum Norton Museum of Art Vickers Collection at UF Rollins College Museum of Art The Al...

Send us your Florida questions! With Hurricane Milton approaching Florida, Brad and Cathy talk about historic hurricanes in the Florida Keys, including Labor Day 1935 and Irma. Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com . Keep up with Rick at stu...

Send us your Florida questions! In the path of Hurricane Milton, Rick and Cathy talk about the history of hurricanes, what Milton could mean for Florida — and Gulfport, and the value of the National Hurricane Center. Links We Mentioned New experimental cone Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up...

Send us your Florida questions! In wake — the literal one — of storm surge from Hurricane Helene, Cathy and Rick talk about what Gulfport looks like, what's next for the 25% of Gulfport residents who no longer have a home, and who's been helping. Links We Mentioned The Gabber Newspaper's Helene coverage Gulfport web cameras World Central Kitchen Shawarma King Support the show Questi...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad wrote a (mostly) fictional book, The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files . While many of the narratives in the book came from the depths of his imagination, not all of them are false. Brad and Cathy talk about real stories of people who believe they saw a skunk ape. They also talk about why they both believe the Skunk Ape — and other bigfoots — exist.   Cathy's f...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida has a treasure trove of Folk, or Self-Taught, Artists. Bailey Wright, with Jeanine Taylor Folk Art in Sanford,  joins the podcast to talk about Florida Folk art and the gallery's upcoming exhibit (featuring Rick!), Florida Gothic . While the show runs a limited time, there's no shortage of arts, food, and culture in Sanford. Rick, Bailey, and Cathy...

Send us your Florida questions! Just in time for the start of the scary season, Florida cozy author Tara Lush joins the podcast to talk about her three mystery series — all set in Florida. One has a haunted cookie jar, one has a decades-old disappearance, and one has a gator. Well, technically, they're all set in Florida, so there are probably gators in all of them, but one specializes in gat...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad and Cathy talk about the origins of Key West — and the chapter in Cathy's new book about how Key West came to be the place we know today. Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com . Keep up with Rick at...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida conservation biologist Gene Kelly joins the podcast to talk about the proposed Withlacoochee land swap. We talk about some of the best things about the area (Red-cockaded woodpeckers! Wilderness! Sand hill habitat!) as well as why the area's significant and deserves continued protection.  The notes from this episode are too detailed for this space, but...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about what went into researching Cathy's new book, Florida Spectacular . They also talk about how to approach Florida history that challenges traditional interpretations of historic events, what Cathy learned from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and why the ideas of "Florida Man" and "Real Florida" both hurt the Sunshine S...

Send us your Florida questions! Key lime pie: The myth, the truth, and the best place to get it in the Florida Keys. They also talk about Key lime pie on a stick, Key lime ice cream, and Key lime margarita floats. Dig in! Links We Mentioned The End of an Era: The Key Lime Tree Brad's Pick for Key lime pie: Key Lime Pie Lady Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspecta...

Send us your Florida questions!  Leslie Kemp Poole joins the podcast to talk about Florida's true first state park, the one forgotten and ignored by the Florida state parks system — but prized by the National Park Service (and part of Everglades National Park). The trio also talks about the powerhouse of a woman instrumental in the park's creation: May Mann Jennings. Finally, listeners g...

Send us your Florida questions! This podcast was supposed to be about Ryan Worthington's quest to visit all 175 Florida State Parks, but then FDEP announced plans to build giant hotels and golf courses in the state parks. Ryan, Cathy, and Rick talk about the plans and what action people can take if they don't want to see the parks get paved. Florida State Parks at Risk Click the links fo...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad and Cathy talk about the best dive bars in the Florida Keys.  Links We Mentioned A Local's Guide to Bloodline Florida Keys Dive Bars (show notes with links and history) Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadt...

Send us your Florida questions! Campers, listen up! From Tin Can Tourist to air conditioned cabins, Florida's a camper's paradise. Rick and Cathy talk about the origins of Tin Can tourists in Tampa, which state parks have the best camping, and how to camp in comfort at them. Links We Mentioned Lance Campers (2565) Lazy Days RVs Desoto Park in Tampa  Tin Can Tourist websites Briny Breezes...

Send us your Florida questions! Along the Suwannee River, there's a treasure trove of fossilized rhinos and elephants. Stephenie Livingston, a science journalist, joins the podcast this week to talk about the Montbrook fossil site, what we can learn about climate change from it, and why it matters.  Links We Mentioned National Wildlife article about Florida's elephants More about Montbro...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad and Cathy take a look at the state of shark populations in the Keys, explain that the shark's reputation as man-easting beast is undeserved, and why they're a lot better — and nicer — than dolphin. Links We Mentioned Brad's post on Facebook about shark finning Meet the sharks of the Florida Keys Info about endangered sharks " Why the Author...

Send us your Florida questions! Who loves a good dive bar? Rick and Cathy do. This week they chat about their favorites — send them yours! Whiskey Lou's in Orlando's Milk District The Emerald in downtown St. Pete Tony's Liquors in Winter Garden Wally's on Mill in Orlando Joannie's Blue Crab in Ochopee Last Chance Saloon in Florida City Mahuffer's on Indian Shores The...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy look at Florida crackers: Cracker culture, Florida cowboys, and cracker villages.  Links We Mentioned The Secret History of the Word Cracker Florida Wildlife Corridor and Wild Space Gallery Florida Cracker Horse Florida Cattle History Lake Kissimmee State Park Cow Camp Florida Cracker entry at FL Memory Rick's post about Kissimmee/Osceola Co catt...

Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Brad talk about Florida lobster. Lobster season runs Aug. 6- Mar. 31, but there's more to this tasty crustacean than meets the antenna! Hear why Brad (and many other Keys residents) thinks the mini-season has gotten out of hand, why spiny lobsters are actually crayfish, and how they reproduce.  “You should have seen the crawfish in the mangrove roots...

Send us your Florida questions!  A look at the history of Florida's role in the American revolution, the history of the Gadsden flag, and why Floridians hated everything for which it stood when it was a symbol of the American Revolution. Links We Mentioned & Further Reading: Don't Tread on Me post about the license plate and Florida history Florida Frontiers podcast about early Flori...