Wait Five Minutes

The first brewery in Florida was on the edge of Ybor City, one of the state's most important cities. Today, beer is still inherent to its character and, for the folks behind that industry, it's just as much about the artistry as it is about the craft. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !...

The Orlando Magic were on a surefire trajectory to win the NBA Championship within their first decade of existence. By 1997, however, those dreams were dashed when an unfortunate trade and interpersonal drama led to a team-wide fallout that changed the game forever. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfm...

Of all the animals native to Florida, it is hard to imagine an animal as unique, and as vital, as our beloved tortoise. Named for their burrowing habits, these critters find themselves in a unique position: they're one of the most important animals in the Floridian ecosystem. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the sh...

Over the course of the last century, Florida has had a handful of songs that could potentially hold the title of State Song. Our first state song sounds very familiar; our second and current state song has a brutal and racist history built into its very DNA. How we got here begins in Maryland... Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on F...

Florida is flat. Florida has hills. Both are true, and every story we tell ourselves about our state changes each time we tell them. In Season 4 of Wait Five Minutes, we'll talk about stories and lies, falsehoods and half-truths. Season 4 premieres on Monday, June 22nd! Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at ...

Olivia Matthews puts a little bit of herself into every story her tells. Her voice is essential to the plays she creates and, when someone sees her work, she hopes the empathy leaves an impact. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com   You don't need to go back to the beginning! Check out the...

Read Cat Tale and Craig's other books right here! Check out Craig's work at the Florida Phoenix right here! Craig Pittman writes about Florida with a signature snark and an underlying optimism. In Cat Tale, he chronicles the story of the Florida panther and those who sought to keep it alive. How he wrote the story itself is an adventure all its own.   Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wai...

Check out more about the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey right here! Support the Center right here! When you work for the Audubon, your career is dedicated to the birds and their preservation. For Laura VonMutius, working with them and sharing them with others are one in the same. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email...

A few final thoughts and a recap of the theme in Season Three of Wait Five Minutes: HOPE. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Watch the full performance of Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges from A Hole In The Head! Listen to the Kennedy campaign version of High Hopes right here!   The ph...

Read Gabrielle Calise's companion piece to this episode right here! Off the interstate in the middle of the state lies a museum with shuttered doors. Inside those hangars is the largest private collection of airplanes in the world. It was once a popular tourist attraction, with a plane on the side of the highway, but if its owner and curator has his way, it will be a brand new city all its own. Fo...

Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here It is believed that Florida has more ghost towns than any other state east of the Mississippi. In a time where many of our hometowns have found themselves vacant, how these towns fell away can be a reminder and a warning. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the s...

Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here In the darkened swamp of the Everglades, as civilization ripped away at the edges of the wilderness, a scoutmaster wandered into the darkness. In a clearing of the woods, he cast he eyes to the sky and what he saw can never be explained. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Face...

Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here Throughout the 1960s, cinema made its way to Florida’s shores through jungle adventure movies. One producer brought his troupe of animal actors with him and changed Homosassa forever.  Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank yo...

Rumor has it that President Grover Cleveland once slept at the old Rendezvous Inn on the Homosassa River. A pair of married historians in Citrus County hope to uncover the truth. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you to Kathy Turner from Citrus County.  Check out the Courthous...

Donate to the CDC Foundation here Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here A former governor of Maine, a Confederate Senator, some bad land deals and a hippo named Lucifer all have one thing in common: a quiet brackish spring named Homosassa. What brought these characters to this spot? And what happens when a big idea falls apart? Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five...

Donate to the CDC Foundation here Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here In the city of Daytona Beach, right after World War II, a legendary player would break major league baseball's color barrier for the very first time. One year later, he would do it again. How did he get there? How did the amazing work of those who came before him make it possible? What world did Jackie Robins...

Donate to the CDC Foundation here Donate to Feeding America here Donate to One Blood here A mysterious cartoon in a tiny museum. A friendly face who watches every rocket launch in person. A stray dog who unites a burgeoning community. The world is a crazy place these days and, to give you a break, here are some of the small, fascinating stories that couldn't make up a full episode. Follow Wait Fiv...

When Henry Flagler died in 1913, his memory was preserved not just in legacy, but in the spirits that find themselves roaming the hallways of the places he held most dear. Why does Flagler continue to roam Florida? And what stories do we become when we're gone? Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@g...

Florida has more golf courses than any other state in the country. What happens when those courses fall apart? When the sandhill cranes reign, what place do humans have in that changing environment? Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you so much to Dr. Paul Gray from Audubon Fl...

In a special bonus episode, I chat with  Gabrielle Calise of the Tampa Bay Times  about our favorite fried food, the food we couldn't handle, and the food we would dream of seeing at the fair!  Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Songs Good Thoughts by Lobo Loco Traveling Horse by Lob...

Tucked in a corner, at the back of the Florida Fairgrounds, there is a living museum. It is vibrant with artists, docents, historians and more, all who have gathered to tell the story of a very specific era in our Florida story. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you so much to...

In August of 1992, a massive hurricane hit South Florida. The storm passed, and the damage was laid bare. It was clear things needed to change. When pythons ran loose in the Everglades, and our walls fells in on themselves, where did we go from there? Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !...

Since 1927, four individuals have been chosen as the Poet Laureate for the state of Florida. Each one has brought something new to the position. The current laureate, Peter Meinke, has much to say on Florida, life and death, and the peculiar joys of the places we call home. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show...

For the last thirty years, one community has been at the center of a neighborhood that today is a main street in Orlando. From its origins to the present day, Mills Avenue's community survived on optimism. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you to Joanne Grant from Mills 50 for...

Thousands of rockets were launched from Florida's coast in the last seventy years. How did the space program come to Florida? And when will Americans return to space from our shores?  Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you to Brendan Byrne from WMFE for all of his help with thi...