Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions!

Rick and Cathy talk about places they want to visit–or revisit—in 2024. Below, find guides to two not-often-visited places in Florida. 

Visit Sanford

Visitor's Guide

December's St. Lucia Festival

Celery Soup—a folk life play

Hollerbach's German Restaurant

Pico Hotel (similar to the Tampa Bay Hotel, now University of Tampa)

Henry's Depot

Folk Artist Alyne Harris at Jeanine Taylor Folk Art

Maya Books

Suffering Bastard

Visit Arcadia, Sebring, and Lake Placid

Arcadia antiques

Arcadia rodeo

Davidson's of Dundee

History of Sebring

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park

Other Links We Mentioned

Florida Memory — State Archives of Florida

Disney Wilderness Preserve

Lyonia Environmental Center

Lightner Art Nouveau exhibit

Key West Aquarium

Key West WPA Arts Center

The Florida Spectacular podcast is a sponsor of Tiki a-Go-Go. Join us April 5-7 in Orlando for all things Tiki!

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!

Jacki Levine joins Rick and Cathy today to talk about Once Upon a Time in Florida, a gorgeous coffee table book celebrating 50 years of essays about Florida. Jacki edited the book, which includes essays from Stetson Kennedy, Michael Gannon, and Rick Kilby.

Links We Mentioned

Once Upon a Time in Florida (with discount code XM23) for sale

Review of Once Upon a Time in Florida

Find a talk about the book in your neighborhood.

Florida books Jacki gifts to people: 

Florida's Healing Waters by Rick Kilby

The Sound of the Sea and other Cynthia Barnett books

Jack Davis' books

Florida in Poetry, edited by Jane Anderson Jones and Maurice O'Sullivan

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 back a familiar voice — Brad Bertelli, an early and super-popular guest. Cathy, Rick and Brad talk about where to find hidden springs in the Florida Keys, an old manuscript that mentions a "fairy grotto" by Robbies, and how people are "reverse snowbirding" north of Florida.

Links We Mentioned

Robbie's

Last Local

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, Florida Spectacular hosts Cathy and Rick celebrate the work of Tim Dorsey. Dorsey created the lovable serial killer Serge Storms, who served vengeance with a side of history... or perhaps history with a side of vengeance. From there, they talk about Florida books for everyone on your holiday shopping list. 

Links we Mentioned

Florida books for every reader

Tim Dorsey books in order

A History of Florida Through Black Eyes by Marvin Dunn

We Come for Good

A People's History of Florida

The Burden of Southern History by C. Vann Woodward

Souvenirs of the Old South: Northern Tourism and Southern Mythology by Rebecca Cawood McIntyre

The Springs of Florida by Doug Stamm

Once Upon a Time in Florida

The History of Florida by Michael Gannon

Gamble Rogers: A Troubadour's Life by Bruce Horovitz 

Dreams in the New Century by Gary Mormino

Healing Waters by Rick Kilby

Backroads of Paradise by Cathy Salustri

Bookstores

Sanford: Maya Books
Deland: Muse Bookshop
Barrel of Books

...and...

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival in St. Augustine

Switchgrass Outfitters airboat tours of St. John's near Orlando

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!

If you thought the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the present-day United States in Plymouth, well, you've been lied to. Cathy and Rick talk about the first and second Thanksgivings, both of which happened in Florida, and why the 16th-century French Huguenot Thanksgiving — celebrated in what is now Jacksonville — may be the only of the first three that didn't celebrate the darkest parts of our national origin story. 

Links We Mentioned

The French first Thanksgiving in North America

LeMoyne engravings of French first Thanksgiving 

Michael Gannon and the "Grinch who stole Thanksgiving"

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 calls BS on Turkey Day and scholar Jeremy Carnes helps us understand the connection between art created by American Indians imprisoned at Fort Marion and the art produced by contemporary indigenous people. The trio also offers their perspective on how they attempt to respectfully observe the fourth Thursday in November.

Ever heard of Ledger art?

Links We Mentioned

Ledger Art and Comics: The Talk

Away from Home exhibit about Indian boarding schools

Betty Mae Tiger Jumper (a legendary storyteller)

Highwater Press (comics)

Marvel's Indigenous Voices

Red Planet Books and Comics

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki (Seminole Tribe of Florida museum)

nativelands.ca (Who lived where you lived before colonization?)

Catalog of Plains Ledger Art

Silberman collection of Native Art (with a lot of Ledger Art) from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

Red Planet (Now ATCG) books and Comics

Highwater Press

The origin story for America's Indian Boarding Schools begins in St. Augustine

Ledger drawings produced by American Indians who were prisoners at Fort Marion

Connect wth Jeremy:

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

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 the evils of beach renourishment — not only why it's a no-win situation, but how great Florida beaches could look without renourishment. It's a controversial take — especially for beach property owners. 

Links We Mentioned

Fort De Soto

Canaveral National Seashore

St. George Island State Park

Anastasia Island

Anna Maria Island public beach

Washington Oaks State Park

Army Corps will not renourish Pinellas Beaches

Indian Shores Tiki Garden Beach

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's episode welcomes Floridian David Jordan, a puppet master (not his real title, but we love to use that phrase) who wrangled the puppets on Pee-wee's Playhouse. Hear him talk about his puppetry with efforts to save the whooping crane and the Florida panther, his work with the Henson family, and his Central Florida charity, the Big Potato.

Links We Mentioned

Pee-wee's Playhouse

Pee-wee's Christmas Special

David Jordan

Billy Baloney

Panther and Crane

Heather Henson

Kermit's Swamp Years

Big Potato Foundation

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!

For the final podcast of October, Rick and Cathy tell ghost stories and a few "wait, was that a ghost?" stories. Join the fun and let yourself get scared (or not so scared!) with the Florida Spectacular podcast this week!

Links We Mentioned

The Blair Witch Project

Robert the Doll

Robert the Doll by David Sloan

Robert the Doll Key West Ghost Tour of Fort Martello

Hernando Historical Museum Ghost Tour

May-Stringer House in Brooksville

Imagination Skyway podcast about Disney's Haunted Mansion

Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp

Rick's Cassadaga blog.

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!

Forget ghosts and ghouls, this week Rick and Cathy talk about Florida things that should scare you — like baby gators (a protective mom is near), coyotes (hide your cats!), and killer manatee (OK, that one isn't a thing.) 

They end on a Florida B-movie note (because happy scary season!) and talk about, of course, snakes (they're more scared of you than, but don't push it!).

Links We Mentioned

Frogs

Slotherhouse

Rick's post on Reptile World in St. Cloud
Yearling special with rattlesnake
And looks like Rick was wrong about the brown recluse spider
National Park Service's social media bear safety post.

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!