Send us your Florida questions!

Cathy and Rick talk about their favorite parks that aren't state parks.

City and County Florida Parks You Need To Visit

Fort De Soto (St. Petersburg)

Greenwood Cemetery (map showing GAR) (Orland)

Mead Botanical Gardens (Winter Park)

Boyd Hill (St. Petersburg)

Moss Park (Orlando)

Shingle Creek (Kissimmee)

Princess Place Preserve (Flagler County)

Brooker Creek Preserve (North Pinellas County)

Weedon Island (St. Petersburg)

Clam Bayou (Gulfport)

Juan Ponce de Leon Landing (Melbourne Beach)

Sand Key Park (Clearwater)

Venetian Gardens Park (Leesburg)

Links We Mentioned that Aren't Parks

Lake Placid

The Florida Excursionist

Pictured: Fort De Soto

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

Rick and Cathy talk about Florida adventures for the new year and talk about kayaking. They also look ahead to 2025 and some possible new benefits for podcast subscribers. 

Links We Mentioned

Earth Kinship bioluminescence kayak tours

Florida State Parks camping reservations

Harvest Hosts

Florida Bucket List scratch-off adventures 

Keaton Beach

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

AyoLane Halusky talks about possible changes at Marineland, why you shouldn't be afraid of alligators, and favorite paddles in St. Johns area.

Marineland

Unusual gator behavior in Big Cypress

My Life as a Turkey

Earth Kinship Kayak Tours & Nature Education

Geotripper

Local Lorax

Top  Kayaking Spots in the St. Johns Area 

Deep Creek

Welaka (Dunn's Creek to Murphy Island or Mud Springs)

Guana Lake at the dam (bioluminescence tour)

Mantanzas Inlet

Durbin Creek

Hontoon Island

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

Kimball Love makes an appearance on the podcast to talk about her new book, Florida Is Not For Sissies. 

Links We Mentioned

Florida is Not for Sissies

Florida Is Not for Sissies merchandise

Florida Is Not For Sissies on Facebook

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

Chris Meindl, associate professor or geography and the director of the Florida Studies Program at USF-St. Pete, joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Florida Springs: From Geography to Politics and Restoration. Cathy, Rick, and Chris talk about the springs, the Florida Studies Program, and the politics of water.

Go see him at the Sulfur Springs Museum in Tampa: Jan. 12, 2 p.m.

Links We Mentioned

Florida Geological Survey: Florida Springs

Water's Journey: The River Returns

Fenholloway River

Florida Swallets

Florida Studies Program

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

What started as an episode on gratitude for Florida things meandered as much as the Kissimmee River in the 1920s. Rick and Cathy talk about what they're grateful for in Florida, and — naturally — that turns to talk of finding dead bodies and how to kill someone. It's the most nontraditional Thanksgiving episode ever. Take a listen.

Links We Mentioned

White Gate Court

Drawdown on the Oklawaha River

Birding in Florida

Crescent Moon Mysteries by Tara Lush

Bury me under a tree and let me be part tree

(Untested, but Cathy's buying it): Florida Adventure Bucket List)

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

Chris Beachum and Rich Robinson created a TV series, Crazy, Florida! — and the first episode is live now. Rich and Chris join Rick and Cathy to talk about the inspiration for Crazy, Florida!, what makes it special, and what's next for the docuseries.

Links We Mentioned

Crazy, Florida! S1E1 on YouTube

Crazy, Florida! YouTube Channel

Fast Channels include RokuTV, Pluto, and RVTV.

Animals once thought to be cryptids

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Send us your Florida questions!

Rick and Cathy talk about what to do at Wekiwa Springs, along the Wekiva River, at Rock Springs Run, and the surrounding waterways.

Links We Mentioned

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Wekiva Island

Wekiva River: a Wild & Scenic River

Friends of Wekiva River

Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park

Emerald Cut

Rock Springs Run

Kelly Park/Rock Springs Run

Katie's Landing

King's Landing

Seminole State Forest

Along the Wekiva by Bill Belleville and Jim Robison

Little Wekiva River

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

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 elephants and make-your-own pancakes.

Links We Mentioned

De Leon Springs State Park

Old Florida's Finest: DeLeon Springs

A deeper dive into the spring

Stetson project abut enslaved people at DeLeon Springs

Queenie the Waterskiing elephant

Waterskiing elephants at DeLeon Springs

Liz and Queenie

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

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

1. Winter Park Boat Tour
2. Dickson Azalea Park
3. Giant Pigeons
4. Orange Hill Cemetery
5. Serpentarium

Links We Mentioned

Whiskey Lou's

Nile Ethiopian District

Packing District

Milk District

Foxtail Coffee

Shitty Beautiful on Instagram

Debonair Social Club

Genius Preserve

Also mentioned but not in Orlando: Vintage Marché

Suggested reading (author will be a guest soon!): Florida Springs

Image courtesy of Bungalower

Support the show

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: [email protected].

"The Florida Spectacular" is co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).