SoFlo Weird Show

Our adventures in Key Largo take us to Mile Marker 100, where a special piece of film history floats along the dock next to the Holiday Inn. It's the iconic African Queen, the real boat on which movie legends Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart navigated their way through the Congo River in 1951 when filming the movie of the same name. The SoFlo team jumped onboard for this immersive history lesson. We also feature the haunting tales from the Titanic Artifact Exhibition in Orlando where restless spirits reside.

The SoFlo Weird Street Team headed to Key Largo Florida in search of a one of a kind real treasure, an underwater hotel located 25 feet deep on the ocean floor in a mangrove lagoon. The Jules Undersea Lodge, a unique underwater sanctuary, is available for overnight stays. Imagine sleeping with the fishes and getting pizza delivered to your room! The Lodge, which first served as a marine research lab, is nearly 50 years old and has hosted some interesting visitors. We documented this adventure with a mother and her young son for 2 days to understand the experience.

To find the true essence of Florida you must be willing to travel it’s backroads, coastal regions and swamps to immerse yourself deep within it’s communities. That's just what author Tyler Gillespie did. In his latest book "The Thing About Florida" – Gillespie journeys to unexpected places such as halfway houses, gator pits, rattlesnake rooms, and clothing-optional campgrounds, where he meets eclectic and unconventional Floridians. He talks about his interviews with storm chasers, Civil War re-enactors, cattle ranchers, drag queens, python hunters, and pet smugglers in his quest to explore our misunderstood state. And if that's not weird enough, we look into the story of a snake-handling preacher, who spread this venomous gospel throughout Florida to deadly results. Then from the pages of Weird Florida, we read about Cassadaga, The Psychic Capitol of the World.

These crimes predate the Florida Man phenom, but back in the day, there were brazen thieves with catchy nicknames like Gentle Jim, The Kissing Bandit and Murph The Surf. We meet up with historian and fellow podcaster Casey Piket, who discusses some strange crimes that occurred in the Miami Brickell neighborhood over a three-decade period, one that includes a likeable thief named Gentle Jim. Then, there's my own personal account of being robbed by a petty thief who puckers up for his prize. And finally, the story of the man behind America's biggest jewel heist of the 20th Century. This is the stuff of movies!

Outta time brings on a whole meaning when we discuss the mystery of time slips, a phenomenon that happens when a moment from the past spontaneously intrudes on the present through seemly-unexplained means. There are numerous documented cases around the world where this has happened. We talk about this mystery with archaeologist Bob Carr who has experienced this firsthand. He talks about the time he and a coworker were inadvertently transported 60 years into the past.

Florida is home to some pretty weird wildlife. Aside from our state's mascot, the gator, there are West African Monkeys residing in a mangrove swamp between Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale Airport. These playful primates have been living there since the 1950's and are actually the descendants of monkeys that escaped a local farm. To find out how they got here and why, we talk with Dr. Missy Williams of the Dania Beach Vervet Project. Then we feature a story about the Great Toad Invasion of 1982.

The SoFlo Weird Street Team hit the road and headed to Lake Wales, home of the most beautiful and unique sanctuary you'll ever see, Bok Tower Gardens. This National Historic Landmark is a 250-acre contemplative garden and nature preserve with a Neo Gothic singing tower located on top of Iron Mountain. Join us as we talk with Erica Smith about Bok Tower’s history and the preservation efforts going on in these majestic gardens. Then, we share stories about two other Florida Botanical wonders; the mysterious Torreya tree that may have ties to the Garden of Eden and the Saw Palmetto plant, which natives and pioneers used as cure all and an aphrodisiac.

In this special episode we celebrate Miami's 125th Anniversary with historian Cesar A. Becerra as he reveals some very interesting facts about the birth of Miami. Cesar's book, Orange Blossom 2.0 tells the untold story of Miami's "other" Mother Mary Brickell, a woman who has been ghosted in the city's history. We dig deep to find out why Mary has been marginalized for so long and in true Miami fashion, there's politics, greed, jealousy and of course, slick marketing.

The SoFlo Weird team dive into the murky history of the Bermuda Triangle, that infamous part of the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico. A place riddled with mystery and intrigue, as it has been a place where many ships and planes have gone missing without a trace. Then we feature one of the spookiest urban legends in Florida, the Carnivorous Pink Clouds that hover in the woods along the Tamoka River. Legend has it that this strange fog eats human flesh and the only thing left is bones.

We discuss the in-depth history of Jacksonville’s Southern Rock Music scene with media historian and author Dr. Michael Ray FitzGerald. In his book "Jacksonville and The Roots of Southern Rock" he shines a light on the artists and songs that powered a phenomenon. Despite differences in musical tastes, the success of homegrown bands like the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd, paved the way for Southern Rock.