Florida Spectacular

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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 Zoo 

A Sketch of the History of Key West, Florida (Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series) by Walter C. Maloney

Lucy Burdette's Key West food critic murder mysteries

Brad Bertelli books — Cathy says get the Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files book!

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!

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

Hidden Key West: What To See Off Duval

Key West Literary Seminar

The Tropic Cinema

Books & Books Key West has events, some on the roof

Key West Island Books events

Key West Library readings

Image courtesy of Blair Publishing. Please buy the book.

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!

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 why all isn't lost to climate change — if people speak out and ask their local governments for practical, fiscally responsible solutions. Take a listen, then get involved!

Links We Mentioned

Environmental Defense Fund

Dawn Shirreffs, Florida Director of EDF

Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

Florida's Climate Future

Environmental Defense Fund on Twitter

Let's Tackle Climate Change Florida

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!

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)

How to see the Original 4A

Pigeon Key

Bahia Honda

Long Key

Windley Key

Photo courtesy (State Archives of Florida)

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!

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, exploring the dry prairie, and stopping at the park bridge. And don't miss the CCC cabins made from cabbage palm logs!

You can support Myakka by joining Friends of Myakka River State Park. Follow Jono on Instagram.

Links We Mentioned

Myakka River State Park

Dry Prairie at Myakka

Myakka by Paula Benshoff

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!

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 Springs

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!

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 animal, and they're considered invasive.

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!

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 Salt Springs

Warm Mineral Springs (City of Northport)

More about Warm Mineral Springs (Visit Sarasota)

"Revisiting Warm Mineral Springs" (Rick's post)

"Old World Meets New Age at Warm Mineral Springs" (Rick's other post)

Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (Save Warm Mineral Springs!)

Little Salt Springs

Bulletin 31: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Florida Springs

Why is Warm Mineral Springs warm?

Venice and Nokomis

Shark's Teeth: A Guide

Stay in Nokomis: Casa Nokomis

Dining: Crow's Nest, Sharkys on the Pier, Casey Key Fish House

In Venice: dog beach and park

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!

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 for real news. Instead of bottled water, buy five gallon reusable jugs (we suggest glass, but you can get plastic ones, too) and a USB-powered water dispenser (you can recharge it in your car if needed). You can also get a five-galloon cooler with a dispenser built in the bottom.

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!

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 [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!