Florida Spectacular
Take a weekly trip across Florida with authors Cathy Salustri and Rick Kilby and discover a side of Florida you never knew existed. From the scallops in Panhandle bays to the Hemingway cats in Key West, every week's a Florida adventure.
Twice each month, Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli joins Cathy for premium episodes available to subscribers focused exclusively on the Keys.
Episodes
193 episodes
Episode 171: Tara Lush, Haunted Cookie Jars, and Florida Mysteries
Just in time for the start of the scary season, Florida cozy author Tara Lush joins the podcast to talk about her three mystery series — all set in Florida. One has a haunted cookie jar, one has a decades-old disappearance, and one has a gator....
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Season 4
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Episode 171
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28:18
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 19: Pirates, Patriots, and Painters
Brad and Cathy talk about the origins of Key West — and the chapter in Cathy's new book about how Key West came to be the place we know today.
Subscriber Episode
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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34:31
Episode 170: Woodpeckers, Withlacoochee, and Why the Land Swap?
Florida conservation biologist Gene Kelly joins the podcast to talk about the proposed Withlacoochee land swap. We talk about some of the best things about the area (Red-cockaded woodpeckers! Wilderness! Sand hill habitat!) as well as why the a...
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Season 4
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Episode 170
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38:59
Episode 169: Floridasplaining, Decolonized Florida History, and Spectacular Florida
Rick and Cathy talk about what went into researching Cathy's new book, Florida Spectacular. They also talk about how to approach Florida history that challenges traditional interpretations of historic events, what Cathy learned from th...
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Season 4
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Episode 169
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41:13
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 18: Take a Key Lime Pie Side Quest
Key lime pie: The myth, the truth, and the best place to get it in the Florida Keys. They also talk about Key lime pie on a stick, Key lime ice cream, and Key lime margarita floats. Dig in!Links We Mentioned
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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35:19
Episode 168: Florida's Lost State Park, a Powerful Florida Woman, and State Park Updates
Leslie Kemp Poole joins the podcast to talk about Florida's true first state park, the one forgotten and ignored by the Florida state parks system — but prized by the National Park Service (and part of Everglades National Park). The trio ...
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Season 4
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Episode 168
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44:27
Episode 167: Florida State Parks at Risk: Keep Your Paws Off Our Parks!
This podcast was supposed to be about Ryan Worthington's quest to visit all 175 Florida State Parks, but then FDEP announced plans to build giant hotels and golf courses in the state parks. Ryan, Cathy, and Rick talk about the plans and what ac...
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Season 4
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Episode 127
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43:37
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 17: Florida Keys Dive Bars: Meet Me at the O.V.
Brad and Cathy talk about the best dive bars in the Florida Keys. Links We Mentioned
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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37:19
Episode 166: Tin Can Tourists, Lance Campers, and Florida State Parks
Campers, listen up! From Tin Can Tourist to air conditioned cabins, Florida's a camper's paradise. Rick and Cathy talk about the origins of Tin Can tourists in Tampa, which state parks have the best camping, and how to camp in comfort at them.<...
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Season 4
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Episode 166
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35:42
Episode 165: Hurricanes, Fossils, and an Elephant Graveyard
Along the Suwannee River, there's a treasure trove of fossilized rhinos and elephants. Stephenie Livingston, a science journalist, joins the podcast this week to talk about the Montbrook fossil site, what we can learn about climate change from ...
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Season 4
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Episode 165
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41:52
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 16: Sharks vs. Dolphins
Brad and Cathy take a look at the state of shark populations in the Keys, explain that the shark's reputation as man-easting beast is undeserved, and why they're a lot better — and nicer — than dolphin.Links We Mentioned
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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33:23
Episode 164: Dive bars, Lucky Cole, and Mullet Tosses
Who loves a good dive bar? Rick and Cathy do. This week they chat about their favorites — send them yours!Whiskey Lou's in Orlando's Milk District
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Season 4
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Episode 154
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37:09
Episode 163: Florida Crackers, Moonshine, and Florida Cattle Ranching Today
Rick and Cathy look at Florida crackers: Cracker culture, Florida cowboys, and cracker villages. Links We Mentioned
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Season 4
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Episode 163
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36:28
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 15: Florida Lobster: Poached, Poachers, and... Lobster Sex?
Cathy and Brad talk about Florida lobster. Lobster season runs Aug. 6- Mar. 31, but there's more to this tasty crustacean than meets the antenna! Hear why Brad (and many other Keys residents) thinks the mini-season has gotten out of hand, why s...
Subscriber Episode
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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33:59
Episode 162: The Gadsden Flag, Florida History, and No Step on Snek
A look at the history of Florida's role in the American revolution, the history of the Gadsden flag, and why Floridians hated everything for which it stood when it was a symbol of the American Revolution.Links We Mentioned &...
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Season 4
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Episode 162
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34:25
Episode 161: Democracy in Florida, Reconstruction, and Gainesville
Willett Hancock Museum Assistant at the Matheson Museum joins the podcast to talk about a new exhibit at the Matheson Museum in Gainseville: Voices and Votes. Rick, Cathy, and Willett talk about democracy in Florida, and the historical...
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Season 4
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Episode 161
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29:37
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 14: There be (almost no) pirates: Black Caesar, The Princess Bride, and Pirate Taxes
Were there pirates in the Florida Keys? Who was Black Caesar? What does Black Caesar have in common with The Princess Bride? Brad Bertelli explains it all.Links We Mentioned
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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39:55
Episode 160: Dinner and Show: How To Do Kissimmee (And Not Look Like a Tourist)
This week, the best parts of Kissimmee, from roadside ephemera to the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. Stay Legacy Vacation Resor...
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Season 4
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Episode 160
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32:46
Episode 159: The Best Bike Trails in Florida
This week Rick and Cathy talk about some of their favorite bike trails in Florida. Orange County Bike TrailsWest Orange Trail...
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Season 4
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Episode 159
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36:44
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 13: Stock Island: Old Key West, Dead Bodies, and... Cows?
If it's Old Key West you want, stop short of Key West on your drive down US 1 and explore Stock Island. Brad and Cathy talk about the island's cow-centric and crime-adjacent history, what's worth doing now, and where you can meet an ostri...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:56
Episode 158: Hidden Key West, Judy Blume, and Writers at Mile Zero
This week the "Florida Spectacular" welcomes Carey Winfrey, the editor of Key West Sketches: Writers at Mile Zero. Carey and Cathy talk about the writers ...
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Season 4
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Episode 158
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26:36
Episode 157: Lower Your Power Bill, Stop Flooding, and Protect Florida's Beaches
Lower insurance and power bills? Stop flooding in your neighborhood? Protecting Florida's beaches without spending billions on beach renourishment? This might sound too good to be true, but this week's podcast has ways you can help do all those...
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Season 4
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Episode 157
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24:53
Florida Keys Spectacular Episode 12: Hidden (and not-so-hidden) Railroad History in the Florida Keys
Some Florida Keys history is hidden in plain sight — and that's especially true when it comes to Henry Flagler's railroad from Homestead to Key West. Brad and Cathy give listeners insight to some ways to experience railroad history while enjoyi...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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38:25
Episode 156: Florida's Wild and Scenic River: Myakka in Sarasota
Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm," joins the podcast to talk about the Myakka River. We're loving the Myakka River — and the park — a little too hard, but there are ways to experience the pa...
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Season 4
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Episode 156
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38:37
Episode 155: Ginnie Springs, Responsible Spring Use, and Secret Paddles
Merrillee Jipson, owner of Rum 138 in the High Springs area, joins the podcast to talk about the tragedy at Ginnie Springs last weekend, how to enjoy the springs responsibly, and some of the best places to padd...
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Season 4
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Episode 155
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33:33