Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions!

Angela Sayre brings crabs to the podcast! She's with Crustacean Plantation and wants to encourage people to "leave the shell — take the memory when you visit the Florida Keys (or any coastal community).

Links We Mentioned

Crustacean Plantation

An example of a "broken home" for a hermit crab

Cynthia Barnett's Sound of the Sea

Jonathan Livingston Hermit Crab

YouTube live feed of hermit crabs

Things to Do in the Upper Florida Keys/Tavernier

• Harry Harris Park
• Dive Bar on the Bay
• Florida Keys Wild Bird Center — look for the hermit crab tank!
• Old Tav (ask for the pizza — it's not on the menu — they do a fantastic spinach, bacon, and mushroom)
• Dive Museum
• Dry Tortugas National 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!

Cozy mystery author Lucy Burdette joins the podcast to talk about her Key West Food Critic Mysteries, her favorite places in Key West, and yes, how she figures out how and where to kill people. 

Don't forget — Orange Blossom podcast members have their members-only t-shirt, created by Rick and printed by Yaint Local in production. We need your size!

Links We Mentioned

Key West Food Critic Mysteries

Golf Lovers Mysteries (Roberta Isleib, aka Lucy Burdette)

Advice Column Mysteries (Roberta Isleib, aka Lucy Burdette)

More Florida writers at the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America

Azur restaurant in Key West

David Sloan

Bum Farto

Lucy Burdette's Favorite Things To Do in Key West

Lucy's blog post about this very thing!

Truman Little White House

Latitudes sunset dining on a small island off the coast of Key West (take their boat out to the island )

Cuban sandwiches at Cuban Coffee Queen

Books and Books Key West (Judy Blume's bookstore)

Key West Island Books

Seven Fish

Louie's Backyard

Hemingway House

Robert the Doll

DJ's Clam Shack (but, Lucy cautions, only if you want fried conch)

[https://www..cityofkeywest-fl.gov/819/Historic-Key-West-City-Cemetery]Key West Cemetery 

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!