Welcome to Florida

An innocent mistake or a devious plot to sell 18,000 acres of conservation land from under the nose of Florida residents without anyone noticing? You be the judge.

Our guest this week is Florida author Rick Kilby whose latest book, "Florida's Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts and Health Spas," details an era from the state's history where wealthy northerners would visit seeking the restorative powers of  our springs.

"Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Visit Sarasota where 99 Bottles Tap Room and Bottle Shop serves real deal New York bagels - from NYC - every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning!

This week's episode begins with details regarding the capture of the largest ever Burmese python found in Florida. To learn more about Florida's efforts to eradicate - or control - invasive pythons, search the archives for our pythons episode.

A new movie about Elvis Presley hit theatres this weekend. Our guest is Bob Kealing, author of "Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida" which details Elvis' time in Florida including the critical period between 1955 and 1956 where a young Elvis was transforming from nobody to the biggest start in the world.

Visit Sarasota presents "Welcome to Florida" and if you're looking for great seafood in Florida, try Walt's Fish Market Seafood Restaurant!

The focus of this week's episode, John Muir, was well-known for getting outside. Taking long walks. Communing with nature. In a recent column, Craig Pittman encouraged state education officials and teachers to get kids in Florida outside, introduce them to the natural places around this state so they can better understand them, more deeply care about them, and, ultimately, more passionately protect them.

One of the fathers of the conservation movement, John Muir, set out on a nearly 1,000 mile trek across the South in 1867. He started in Indiana, entered Florida at Fernandina Beach, and concluded his adventure in Cedar Key.

Dan Chapman has lived in Atlanta since 2000, covering environmental issues for the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution." He decided to follow in Muir's footsteps to personally experience the ravaged ecological condition of the region. His book detailing the experience is titled, "A Road Running Southward: Following John Muir's Journey Through an Endangered Land."

"Welcome to Florida," as always, is sponsored by Visit Sarasota and there's no better place to get outside in Florida than Sarasota. From Myakka River State Park to the world's best beaches, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts have endless options for exploration in Sarasota.

Fitting for this week's episode, Craig's latest article for Flamingo Magazine centers on a fiction writer highlighting Apalachicola.

Our guest is Florida historian and author Jim Clark whose latest book details Florida's astonishing literary history which dates back to the 1500s and includes Earnest Hemmingway, Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, John Grisham, Michael Patterson, Carl Hiasson and countless others. The book is called "Florida Literary Luminaries: Writing in Paradise" and was published in May of 2022.

Thanks as always to Visit Sarasota for sponsoring this week's episode. Summer in Sarasota means beaches and the Visit Sarasota website can help you find your favorite Sarasota beach.

With the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in upon us - an event which would lead to a fundamental change in American politics, society and media - we take a look at the numerous and surprising ways in which the Watergate scandal connects to Florida.

Helping us do so is Garrett M. Graff, author of a new book released in 2022 sharing the full story of Watergate which goes back much further than the break-in.

"Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Visit Sarasota. Start planning your perfect beach getaway in Sarasota at www.visitsarasota.com, and be sure to follow Visit Sarasota on social media @visitsarasota / @visitsarasotacounty. 

What "resiliency" and Florida's fight against rising sea levels and climate change means to you and what it means to Ron DeSantis are likely two very different things. Craig examined the governor's narrow, contractor-first approach to "resiliency" in a recent column.

Our guest today is Panayotis (Paddy) League, Assistant Professor of Musicology and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas at the Florida State University School of Music. He specializes in the traditional music of the Greek islands and spent part of his boyhood with the Greek community at Tarpon Springs.

in 2019 was named a Master Artist by the Florida Folklife Program for his work performing and teaching the traditional music and oral poetry of Kalymnos in the Greek immigrant community of Tarpon Springs.

He is a performer, composer, recording artist and has written numerous papers, books and commentaries about Greek culture and history, including its connection to the American South and Florida.

This week's episode is presented by Visit Sarasota where you'll find one of the state's best native plant nurseries. 

Yes, Florida has black bears, and yes, people are the greatest threat to their survival. We begin this week's episode with Craig Pittman's latest column which digs into bears, and bear poaching, in Florida.

With hurricane season starting June 1, our guest this week is Eliot Kleinberg, author of "Black Cloud: The Great Florida Hurricane of 1928." The 1928 "Okeechobee Hurricane" remains the deadliest storm in Florida history... and little known about.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For fine dining at an affordable price, visit Sarasota for Savor Sarasota June 1-14.

Summer may be the off season for tourists in Sarasota, but that doesn't mean there isn't a great deal to see and do. The Summer season in Sarasota begins with Savor Sarasota restaurant week were the county's best restaurants showcase their most adventurous items at deeply discounted prices.

All of the restaurants, attractions, activities and events mentioned in this episode can be found at VisitSarasota.com, the best place to start planning your next getaway.

For our 100th episode of "Welcome to Florida" we finally discuss perhaps the most Florida thing of all, the Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids. Now a state park, Weeki Wachee Springs has a colorful history we learn all about from one of the very first class of mermaids at the park, Mary Fletcher, and mermaid historian and author, Lu Vickers.

This week's episode is presented by Visit Sarasota where Marie Selby Gardens is making history with an upcoming Patti Smith artist in residency.

As much as Florida is recognized nationally and internationally for our tourist attractions and cities - Disney, Universal, Miami, Orlando - an equally important, and increasingly imperiled part of the state is rural, natural, farmland and small towns. That part of Florida is our focus this week.

Our guests are Bridget Bihm-Manuel, Collections Coordinator for Florida History, and Hank Young, Principal Cataloger, at the Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The two recently wrapped up an exhibition at the library focused on Florida's lost communities which can now be found online. Their research continues and they join us today to discuss what they've found.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota which offers Florida's sweetest attraction just 13 miles from downtown, Mixon Fruit Farms. Welcoming visitors and locals alike for 80 years, Mixon Fruit Farms has citrus groves, Florida wine, homemade fudge and much more to satisfy your cravings, plus a wildlife care and education center. Find them online at Mixon.com.