Florida Spectacular

Send us your Florida questions!

In this episode of The Florida Spectacular, Jon and Cathy talk about the best beaches in Florida (well, some of them), beach renourishment, and each of their favorite beaches. They also mention a secret sidewalk in Pass-a-Grille, Mike Huckabee, and the not-so-great history on Egmont Key (that not that many people know.)

Fort De Soto Park 

Caladesi Island State Park

The concentration camp on Egmont Key 

American Beach

Mike Huckabee and beach renourishment

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

This week, Cathy and Jon talk about a pair of water shoes Cathy's worn for 21 years as she paddled, snorkeled, waded, swam, and hiked through Florida. (Her Teva protons have seen more of Florida than most Floridians.) They also talk about other essential Florida gear, places they use them, and read a letter from a fan.

Links we mention

Gator "harassing" paddler at Silver Springs

Cathy's post about her Teva Protons

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

This week, The Florida Spectacular takes you to Cedar Key, a tiny island along Florida's Nature Coast. Jon and Cathy talk about the island's award-winning clam chowder, the tragic history of nearby Rosewood, and the legendary headless horseman of neighboring Seahorse Key. 

Links we mentioned

Cedar Key Events

Cedar Key Seafood Festival

Tony's Clam Chowder (Hey, it beats New England chowder at contests – and he also has a restaurant on Cedar Key)

The only motel on Cedar Key, the Cedar Inn

Remembering Rosewood.

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

This week, Cathy and Jon take a meandering look at what Florida's tourism board call each section of coastline. Some of the names make sense, others are a little weird, but at the end of the podcast, we'd all learned something.

Links we mentioned:

• (Warning: Wikipedia link ahead, but these are largely accurate) List of what people call different parts of the Florida coastline 

• The oldest operating hotel in Florida, nestled on the beaches of the no-longer-called-this Surf Coast.

• A road Jon thinks is the prettiest road that was much longer than he thought along the Nature Coast

• A nude beach (sort of; take your chances and keep your coverup close!) on Florida's Space Coast

• Sebastian Inlet State Park and the McLarty Treasure Museum

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

This week, hosts Cathy Salustri and Jon Kile welcome back celebrated Florida springs expert and author Rick Kilby. Rick, Orlando-based author ad graphic designer, wrote Florida's Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas, which received the silver medal for Florida nonfiction from the Florida Book Awards and the Florida Historical Society’s Stetson Kennedy Award.

Check out his website at rickkilby.com

Alligator attack in springs

"Pipeline" to the Aquifer

"Mirage" by Cynthia Barnett

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

This week hosts Jon Kile and Cathy Salustri talk about their favorite summer experiences – and how they don't "beat" the Florida heat, but instead embrace it. Love Florida but don't love the heat? This is the podcast for you. 

Links we mentioned: 

Utilikilt

Reef-safe sunscreen

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around. 

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!

Today hosts Cathy Salustri and Jon Kile talk about the magic of Florida springs, their favorite springs, and why bottled water is, indeed, the Devil. With almost 1000 springs in Florida, they didn't talk about them all, but today's episode is a great start.

Links we mentioned

Nestle protests about pumping water out of the Santa Fe River

Tampa Bay Times editorial on savin Florida springs

Blue Springs State Park

Seven Sisters Springs

Three Sisters

Cave diving warning sign

Florida's first magnitude springs & Florida Forever

Water's Journey: Video of SCUBA divers in the Floridan Aquifer

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around.

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 on The Florida Spectacular, hosts Cathy Salustri and Jon Kile talk about northeast Florida, including St. Augustine's African American Trail, Lincolnville, Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area (and great oceanside campground) in Flagler Beach, Anastasia State Park, Faver-Dykes State Park,  Washington Oaks Gardens, and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

Have a Florida travel question or want to know more about something we mentioned? Drop us a line.

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around.

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 we welcome Ryan Worthington, a Master Naturalist who celebrates Florida road trips on Instagram (@the_Florida_Excursionist). He gives a wonderful tour at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park.

Jon, Cathy and Ryan talk about the Cross Creek and Gainesville area, and, as per usual, the conversation heads off for parts unknown, much like a decent Florida road trip. Listen in to their conversation about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ struggles and triumphs, how to camp at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park, and where in Florida you can hike to a now-shuttered segregated state park. Ryan has some travel spots for hikers, and of course, there’s plenty of Florida history packed in the episode, too.

Places and links we mentioned: 

Hiking in Seminole State Forest, Jennings State Forest – and at Boneyard Beach.

We also talked about camping in and hiking at 

Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park and nearby (now closed) Magnolia Lake State Park

Hidden in Plain Sight (Ghosts of Segregation)

Have a Florida travel question? Send ‘em to us via email.

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around.

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, Jon’s on safari and Cathy interviews Bruce Hunt, author of “Visiting Small Town Florida” (and 10 other Florida travel and dining books.) 

Bruce is a rare bird – a native Floridian – who also has some Florida photos you’ll want to see. Here’s how to connect with him:

Bruce's website

Bruce's occasional blog

Bruce on Twitter

Bruce's photography on Flickr

Links we mentioned:

Florida Oysters and why we can’t get them right now

St. George Island State Park

Honky Tonk Freeway

Perfect Cup in Matlacha

Matlacha Cottages

Steamers in Cedar Key

Big Deck in Cedar Key

Island Hotel Cedar Key

Ice Plant St. Augustine

Preserved St. Augustine

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

Follow Jon's road trip adventures at Don't Make Me Turn This Van Around.

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!