Florida Spectacular

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...

Send us your Florida questions! Willett Hancock Museum Assistant at the Matheson Museum joins the podcast to talk about a new exhibit at the Matheson Museum in Gainseville: Voices and Votes . Rick, Cathy, and Willett talk about democracy in Florida, and the historical struggle to make sure everyone can participate in it. Links We Mentioned Voices and Votes  (and other exhibits) at the Matheson Mus...

Send us your Florida questions! Were there pirates in the Florida Keys? Who was Black Caesar? What does Black Caesar have in common with The Princess Bride ?  Brad Bertelli explains it all. Links We Mentioned Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, Volume II Mostly Fake Black Caesar History General History of Pyrates (1724) Gasparilla Pirate Fest Support the s...

Send us your Florida questions! This week, the best parts of Kissimmee, from roadside ephemera to the headwaters of the Florida Everglades.  Stay   Legacy Vacation Resorts , Cathy found it to be a great home base for exploring the less touristy areas of the area.  Disclaimer: Legacy hosted most of her stay, but she chose to mention them because of the B Corp certification and location.  Eat Woodsb...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Rick and Cathy talk about some of their favorite bike trails in Florida.  Orange County Bike Trails West Orange Trail Bikes and Blades at Killarney Station Northeast Orlando Trail Map Cady Way Trail Post: Biking the Orlando Urban Trail Post: West Orange Trail Oakland Nature Preserve Downtown Winter Garden Plant Street Market Hunger Street Tacos Pinellas Tr...

Send us your Florida questions! If it's Old Key West you want, stop short of Key West on your drive down US 1 and explore Stock Island. Brad and Cathy talk about the island's cow-centric and crime-adjacent history, what's worth doing now,  and where you can meet an ostrich. Links We Mentioned Bone Island Mambo by Tom Corcoran Stock Island Festival Cow Key 0K Monroe County Petting Zo...

Send us your Florida questions! This week the "Florida Spectacular" welcomes Carey Winfrey, the editor of Key West Sketches: Writers at Mile Zero . Carey and Cathy talk about the writers who contributed to the anthology, Judy Blume's Key West bookstore, and what Carey says he wishes people would see instead of Duval Street. Links We Mentioned Elizabeth Bishop house Key West Sketches...

Send us your Florida questions! Lower insurance and power bills? Stop flooding in your neighborhood? Protecting Florida's beaches without spending billions on beach renourishment? This might sound too good to be true, but this week's podcast has ways you can help do all those things. Dawn Shirreffs, the Florida Director of the Environmental Defense Fund, joins the podcast to talk about w...

Send us your Florida questions! Some Florida Keys history is hidden in plain sight — and that's especially true when it comes to Henry Flagler's railroad from Homestead to Key West. Brad and Cathy give listeners insight to some ways to experience railroad history while enjoying the natural beauty of the Florida Keys. Links We Mentioned Alabama Jacks (not along the original railroad route...

Send us your Florida questions! Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm," joins the podcast to talk about the Myakka River. We're loving the Myakka River — and the park — a little too hard, but there are ways to experience the park without impacting the natural environment.  Jono talks about ways such as canoeing to the Upper Myakka, ex...

Send us your Florida questions! Merrillee Jipson, owner of Rum 138 in the High Springs area, joins the podcast to talk about the tragedy at Ginnie Springs last weekend, how to enjoy the springs responsibly, and some of the best places to paddle the springs. Links We Mentioned Silver Glen New River Santa Fe River Preserve Guide from Alachua Conservation Trust Gilchrist Blue Springs Ichetucknee Spri...

Send us your Florida questions! Think crocodiles are only for Australia? Think again, because you can find them alive and well in the Florida Keys. Brad and Cathy talk about where in the keys you can find crocodiles and alligators , and also talk about why Florida crocodiles aren't as energetic as their Australian cousins. And caimans ? They're here, too — but they're not the same a...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy take a (metaphorical) dive into Warm Mineral Springs and the Venice/Nokomis area. They give you a guide of things to do and places to eat along the Venice/Nokomis coast.  Don't forget to subscribe to Florida Keys Spectacular — premium content about the Florida Keys! Support all things Spectacular, starting at $5/month . Warm Mineral and Little Sa...

Send us your Florida questions! Cathy and Rick talk about Florida hurricane prep, the history of hurricanes, and how to prepare without freaking out.  Links We Mentioned Hurricanes.gov Oranges and Alligators: Sketches of South Florida Life by Iza Duffy Hardy Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen Hurricane prep suggestions: Turn off your TV and check hurricanes.gov , the least weather-terroristy source fo...

Send us your Florida questions! Brad and Cathy talk about Bahia Honda State Park . Brad shares the little-known history of Bahia Honda's pre-park days, and Cathy talks about which parts are best for camping and water activities.  Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com . Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter , and keep up with Cathy's trav...