Send us your Florida questions!

Downtown St. Pete has exploded with growth, people, and food – but that's not what we're talking about this week. Instead, Rick and Cathy talk about places in St. Pete not in the downtown area that most tourists never see. Take a listen, and get started planning your next road trip to explore Hidden St. Pete!

Things to Do

freeFall Theatre

Sunken Gardens

Parrot shows and Bird Shows around Florida.

Places to Eat

Mullet's Fish Camp

Nueva Cantina

Atwaters

Baker's Hogley Wogley

El Cap

Elsewhere

Gardens of Christ at Sarasota Jungle Gardens

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.

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 Orlando is mostly Disney, I-Drive, and theme parks? Think again! In this episode, Rick and Cathy explore the heart of Orlando. They have must-see museums, walkable cultural areas, and places to eat. Planning a trip to Orlando? Don't miss this episode!

Spend the Day in Orlando

Brunch 

Tamales in the Hourglass Social District or Daybreak Diner or Zaza's Cuban Comfort Food

Museums

Art & History Museums Maitland

Sports 

Catch a UCF game or Orlando City SC

Theater: Dr. Phillips Center

Dinner: East End Market (Try Domu)

Sleep at The Wellborn

Lake Eola

Try the shrimp tacos at World of Beer

Thornton Park District (eating and farmer's markets!)

Mills 50 District

Dumpster Art

The Imperial Wine Bar

Menello Museum of American Art

Ivanhoe Village

Orlando Fringe

Orlando Shakes

Orange County Regional History Center's One Orlando Collection

Snap Orlando

Orlando Museum of Art scandal (best of luck, guys!)

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!

The Everglades is a series of connected ecosystems that runs from right by Sea World's front door south to the Florida Keys. Today, Cathy and Rick talk about some unique Everglades experiences, lodging, and roads. They end with a top five "must do" when you visit Everglades National Park or the surrounding Everglades. 

Places we mentioned:

Rod & Gun Club

Everglades National Park

Camping in Everglades National Park

Camping & Cabins in the Everglades on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation

Nike Missile Site

Authors mentioned:

John D. MacDonald

Randy Wayne White

Carl Hiaasen

Tim Dorsey

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.

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!

Every year, people make resolutions for the new year. In this episode, Rick and Cathy talk about resolutions for Florida — and how you can help protect the state's natural beauty, waters, and wild places as you travel (and even if you don't!)

Links we mentioned:

Cathy's quest to remove single-use plastics from her home, RV and office

Blue Highways

Alachua Conservation Trust

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville

Lyonia Preserve in Volusia County

Great Florida Birding Trail

Mark Walters' entertaining and well-written Florida Scrub Jay: Field Notes on a Vanishing Bird

Blue Highways

The hotel where the Beatles stayed on Miami Beach – and its recent demolition

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Florida Waterkeepers

St. Johns Waterkeepers

Florida Springs Council

Florida Springs Institute

Surfrider

Oceana

Find Rick on Twitter (@OldFLA) and online at RickKilby.com.

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 turned 50 this month, and it made her think about all the things she still wants to do in Florida, so this week she and Rick reviewed some (mostly) South Florida bucket list items. Take a listen, and watch for our Florida panhandle bucket list in 2023!

Here's what's on our bucket lists:

Rick: Fort Jefferson & Dry Tortugas

Cathy: Coral Spawning in the Florida Keys

Rick: Airboat ride in the Everglades

Cathy: Milky Way in the Everglades and Big Cypress

Rick: Art Basel

Cathy: Hobe Sound & Blowing Rocks

Rick: Fairchild Botanical Garden

Cathy: Juniper Springs in Ocala National Park

Rick: Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki

Cathy: See the ghost orchid

Already in the bucket

Bioluminescence

Links We Mentioned

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park 

Fern Hammock Springs (or look here)

What's a sand boil, anyway? (you're gonna have to scroll!)

Spring Boils Trail at Silver Glen

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.

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!

Christmas in Florida hits different, but that doesn't mean you can't find a spectacular winter event. Cathy and Rick talk about some only-in-Florida Christmas and holiday experiences.

Links we mentioned

Snowcat Ridge

Margaret Tolbert

Iche Nippy Day

Nights of Lights

About Christmas, Florida (an Orange County park)

Orlando Wetlands Park

Fred the Tree

Earnest Saves Christmas

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.

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!

Did you know Florida has dry air caves you can explore, even if you don't have any experience spelunking? This week, Rick and Cathy explore Florida caves – virtually, of course. They also talk about underwater caves, and while they both strongly advise against attempting to explore underwater caves, the show notes contain a link to a great video, Water's Journey.

Florida Caverns State Park

Ocala Caverns

Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre

Water's Journey with Wes Skiles

Devil's Den

Blue Grotto

Florida Museum (with a cave exhibit!)

Bill Belleville blog about Florida water. More from Bill.

Eric Hutchinson cave map drawing

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.

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 talk about iconic Florida restaurants, past and present, and others that are just plain fun. This episode focuses mostly on Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area, but look for a future episode about the best restaurants in South Florida, the panhandle, the Keys, and other parts of the Sunshine State!

Links we mentioned

Bubble Room

Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant

Boathouse at Disney Springs

Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at Disney Springs

94th Aero Squadron

Kapok Tree Inn

Tarpon Springs food

Greek salad with potato salad

The Yearling

The Columbia

Ulele

Outz Too

Lee and Rick's Oyster Bar 

Bern's

Fun with taxidermy

Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com. 

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 Cathy Salustri and Rick Kilby talk about their favorite beaches (and why they love them) and what makes Florida beaches unique.

Among their favorite beaches mentioned were:

Little Talbot Island State Park

Egmont Key State Park

Fort De Soto Park

St. George Island

Have a favorite Florida beach? Let 'em know!

Also mentioned were:

Old Florida Facebook group

Sandbar on Anna Maria Island

White Gate Court

Long Key State Park

My Octopus Teacher

The Soul of an Octopus

Cathy's favorite waterfront restaurant

Rick's favorite waterfront restaurant

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

Have a Florida question or comment? Love the show? Hate it? Let us know – email us at [email protected]. 

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!

We welcome Rick Kilby as The Florida Spectacular's new co-host, and he and Cathy talk about the first two Thanksgivings celebrated in North America, which – spoiler alert – both happened in Florida. Learn the short history of the French Huguenot Floridians who celebrated the first Thanksgiving on North American soil – in 1564. The second Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Spanish in 1565, takes us to St. Augustine, where there's plenty to discover outside the Spanish Quarter.

Links we mentioned:

Lincolnville Museum

Fort Mose

Lightner Museum
Historic Tours of Flagler College
Fort Caroline National Memorial

Ax Handle Saturday

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

Have a Florida question or comment? Love the show? Hate it? Let us know – email us at [email protected]. 

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!