Florida Spectacular

By Cathy Salustri & Rick Kilby

Take a weekly trip across Florida with authors Cathy Salustri and Rick Kilby and discover a side of Florida you never knew existed. From the scallops in Panhandle bays to the Hemingway cats in Key

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4.7

1414 ratings

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FAQs about Florida Spectacular:

How many episodes does Florida Spectacular have?

The podcast currently has 292 episodes available.

Florida Spectacular episodes:

July 29, 2026 Episode 267: Turtles, Giraffes, and Things To Do in Indian River, Melbourne, and the Space Coast
Send us your Florida questions!
While Cathy's camping lagoon-side in Brevard County, she and Rick talk about what they love about the Indian River Lagoon area and things to do while you're in town.
Links We Mentioned
Indian River Lagoon
Did Ponce de León land in Melbourne instead of St. Augustine?
Ponce de León and other myths
Columbus' voyage map
Florida Historical Society
Kayak with giraffes at the Brevard Zoo
Bioluminescence
Jonathan Dickinson's God's Protecting Providence
Highwaymen Museum
Top Five (OK, Top Many) Things To Do Near the Indian River Lagoon
Melbourne
Melbourne Beach Supermarket
Long Point Campground
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (Turtles!)
Long Doggers (Hot dogs and more — and gluten free buns!)
Backwater (Make your own pancakes)
Indian River Roadside Citrus
Space Coast
Dixie Crossroads
Siam Orchid
I Dream of Jeanne at Lori Wilson Park
Black Point Wildlife Drive

Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
48min
July 22, 2026 Episode 266: "It's Not The Heat, It's the Humidity," Disney-Adjacent Things to Do, and Hiking in the Heat
Send us your Florida questions!
Stephen Cabebe, of Fit for the Magic, joins the podcast to talk about how to enjoy Florida's natural spaces without withering in the heat — even in the summer months.
Stephen's Top Five Disney-Adjacent Things To Do
Paddle the canals in Winter Park (Dinky Dock)
West Orange Trail (And Cathy's travel article about Oakland Nature Preserve along the trail)
Rock Springs at Kelly Park
Horizon West Regional Park
Poke Hana
Mills 50 District (Mills Market)
Links We Mentioned
Fit2Run
Robinson Preserve
Fort De Soto
Veggie Garden
Sampaguita
Flatlands Bar & Grill
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
48min
July 15, 2026 Episode 265: Serge Storms, Doc Ford, and Travis McGee
Send us your Florida questions!
Rick and Cathy talk about Florida mystery writers. Curl up with your next summer read after listening!
Links We Mentioned
Race of the Gazelles
Striptease (also a book; this links to info about the film)

Carl Hiaasen (website has links to Striptease, Tourist Season, Squeeze Me, and Stormy Weather)
Cathy's 2017 interview with Carl Hiaasen
Randy Wayne White (website has link to Dark Light)
John D. MacDonald (not John D. MacArthur!)

Condominium
Tim Dorsey and Serge Storms books
Travis McGee movie
Lucy Burdette
Randy Wayne White's Gulf Coast Cookbook
Tara Lush
Carol Perry
Kristen Arnett podcast episode
Tara Lush podcast episode about Florida cozies and another about her haunted mysteries

Book cover via Tara Lush; used with permission.
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
1h 5min
July 08, 2026 Episode 264: Keeping Data Centers Out of Florida
Send us your Florida questions!
Chadd Charland fills in for Rick and talks about how Nassau County was able to stop AI data centers — and what every community can do to stop them! Cathy talks about why eliminating single-use plastics makes a difference and why July is the month to try it in your home, office, or school.
Links We Mentioned
Nassau County's temporary moratorium on AI data centers
Florida Native Plant Society
Project Tango in Palm Beach County
SB44
Plastic-Free July
Refill your litter box at Petco
Byron Donalds on AI data center
James Fishback
Chadd Charland's Top Five Things To Do in Fernandina Beach
1. Learn about American Beach at the Abraham Lincoln Lewis Museum
2. Head to Old Town Fernandina Beach for some Spanish history
3. Visit Centre Street
4. Wander through or camp at Fort Clinch State Park
5. Eat! Try: Happy Tomato (for ribs and barbecue), First Love Brewing (for beer and pizza), Drunken Noodle, and Curry Island
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
59min
July 01, 2026 Episode 263: Florida Journalism, Why It's In Trouble, and How To Save It
Send us your Florida questions!
Rick and Cathy showcase the state of journalism in Florida and talk about hyperlocal papers.
Five of our Favorite Hyperlocal Weekly Newspapers
The Community Paper (Orlando area)
The Gabber Newspaper (Gulfport and South Pinellas)
Winter Park Voice (Winter Park)
West Volusia Beacon (West Volusia)
The Herald (Gadsden County)
Keys Weekly (Florida Keys)
Links We Mentioned
Donate to The Gabber Newspaper
Florida Phoenix
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
58min
June 24, 2026 Episode 262: Alligators, Florida Poetry, and Things To Do in Tampa
Send us your Florida questions!
Florida poet Heather Sellers joins the podcast to talk about why alligators are the best, her latest poetry book about Florida, Women in Tampa Talking About Alligators, and things she thinks everyone should do in Tampa.
Links We Mentioned
Eureka Springs
Heather Sellers
Hike Hillsborough
Hillsborough Hiking Spree
Buy Heather's book!
Former guest Mark Barrow's book about alligators
Heather's Favorite Five Things To Do in and Near New Tampa
Bookends in Ybor
Eureka Springs
Lettuce Lake Park
Hang out at the USF Tampa campus
Ride your bike along the Riverwalk (Don't miss Ulele spring!)
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
51min
June 17, 2026 Episode 261: Springs, Seagrass, and Things To Do in Crystal River
Send us your Florida questions!
Lisa Moore, president of Save Crystal River, joins the podcast to talk about their efforts with the Kings Bay Restoration Project. Kings Bay is the second largest spring system in Florida.
Links We Mentioned
SaveCrystalRiver.com [a 501c(3) organization]
Three Sisters
Mertailors

Lisa's Three Things Must-Do Things in Crystal River
Bird watching
Manatee tours
Scalloping
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
45min
June 10, 2026 Episode 260: Things To Do in Polk County, Florida Art, and Blair Petersen Updike
Send us your Florida questions!
Florida artist Blair Petersen Updike joins the podcast to talk about why she created the Florida Gallery, Florida art, and what she thinks everyone should do in Polk County.
Links We Mentioned
Wild Space Gallery at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
Benjamin Dimmitt An Unflinching Look: Elegy for a Landscape
Blair Petersen Updike website and Instagram
George Snow Hill — WPA muralist
Hollerbach's in Sanford
The Florida Gallery (check out their art merch, too!)
All Florida
Blair Petersen Updike's Top Five Seven Things To Do in Polk County
Bok Tower Gardens
Tiger Creek Preserve
Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Arbuckle Trail
Circle B Bar Reserve
Red Chilly's Indian Restaurant
Kualao Lao Thai Food
Andy's Igloo

Mark Catesby image from The Florida Gallery; used with permission

Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
50min
June 03, 2026Episode 259: Word of South, Boy With Wings, and Things To Do in Tallahassee
Send us your Florida questions!
Mark Mustian, author of Boy With Wings and founder of Word of South, talks about his book, the wildly popular Word of South festival, and what it means to be different.
Mark's Top Five Things To Do in Tallahassee
Go to Cascades Park
Sausage Dog at Bradley's
Blue Tavern for music
Bike trails at Piney Z
Buy a book and eat pie at Midtown Reader
Links We Mentioned
Mark Mustian's website
Boy with Wings
Word of South festival
Gibtown's Showmen's Club
Clown is Not a Bad Word (Florida Spectacular episode #235)
Annie Laura's Triumph
The Gendarme
Wacissa Slave Canal
Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
55min
May 27, 2026 Episode 258: Murals, Winter Park, and Rick Kilby's New Book
Send us your Florida questions!
Rick talks about his new book, Shaping a Sense of Place.
Links We Mentioned:
Shaping a Sense of Place by Rick Kilby.
Florida artist Joy Postle.
More about Joy.
Florida artist Sam Stoltz.
Little Red Riding Hood mosaic mural in Winter Park.
Why Mid-Century Modern matters in Florida.
Hannibal Square in Winter Park.
The Rhea Marsh and Dorothy Lockhart Smith Research Grant.

Support the show
Question or comment? Email us at [email protected].
Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.
Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).
NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
...more
40min

FAQs about Florida Spectacular:

How many episodes does Florida Spectacular have?

The podcast currently has 292 episodes available.

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