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.
Get more Florida goodness with greatfloridaroadtrip.com and rickkilby.com.
Episodes
233 episodes
Episode 208: Surf's Up, Florida: Surfing, Sharks are Fun, and the Best Place To Surf in Florida
Dan Reiter joins the podcast to talk about his career surfing Florida and writing about the same. The trio talks about everything from the best place to surf in Florida to why surfers shouldn't be scared of sharks. Check out Dan's book about su...
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Season 5
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Episode 207
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39:11
Episode 207: Polk Parkway, an Endangered Mint Plant, and What Listeners Can Do
"Nature isn't just more complex than we know, it's more complex than we can know."There's a sadly great chance that the State of Florida is going to build a toll road through the last remaining wild growth of a pretty — and pret...
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Season 5
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Episode 209
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51:16
Episode 206: St. Augustine's More Recent History, Why All Old Buildings Are Not Historic, and St. Augustine's Black History
Historian Holly Baker joins the podcast to talk about her work in preservation in St. Augustine, Vero Beach, and throughout Florida. The trio also talks about what makes a building historic, preserving historic evidence of Jim Crow, and Dr. Mar...
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Season 5
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Episode 206
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34:44
Episode 205: Native and Wild Florida Landscapes, Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, and Weeds That Aren't Weeds
Florida author and naturalist Andrew Furman returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, Of Slash Pine and Manatees: A Highly Selec...
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Season 5
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Episode 205
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34:31
Episode 204: Walt Disney Didn't Buy Land in Secret, and Other Disney Myths
How Bowers of the Retro WDW podcast joins Rick and Cathy to talk about the not-so-secret-after-all Florida Project, the origins of Disney Springs, and what Cypress Gardens had to do with Walt Dis...
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Season 5
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Episode 204
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50:34
Episode 203: Ocala Caverns, Colonial Mall, and Joffrey's Coffee
Orlando historian Rachel Williams joins the podcast to talk about Colonial Plaza Mall (now a shadow of its former self and called Colonial Marketplace), and from there the conversation moves to caves in Ocala, coffee roasters we love, and the i...
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Season 5
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Episode 203
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58:19
Episode 202: Forgotten Mermaids, Manatee Sex, and Killer Manatee!
TJ Fridrich, with the Save the Manatee Club, joins the podcast to talk about what listeners need to know about when manatee can be dangerous (seriously!), what their mating behavior might look like, and where you can see some excellent document...
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Season 5
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Episode 202
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53:26
Episode 201: St. Johns River: Baby Birds, Tiny Gators, and Goat Island
Rick and Cathy talk about the middle basin of the St. Johns River, eco tours, and wildlife seen along the waterway. Links We MentionedFloridiana Festival at the Matheson...
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Season 5
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Episode 201
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42:51
Episode 200: What's So Secret About Florida?
Josh Ginsberg, author of Secret Tampa Bay, Secret Orlando, Tampa Bay Scavenger, Oldest Tampa Bay — among others — joins the podcast to talk about his favorite hidden gems in Tampa Bay and Orlando. The trio ta...
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Season 5
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Episode 200
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34:23
Episode 199: Craig Pittman, Naked People, and Dead Bodies
Craig Pittman, co-host of the Welcome to Florida podcast, joins Florida Spectacular to talk about his latest book by the same name. This episode takes a roller coaster approach to ...
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Season 5
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Episode 199
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57:46
Episode 198: Let's Go to the Mall: Haunted Malls, Mall Culture, and Oviedo Mall
Josh Gunderson, the creative mind behind the popular Oviedo Mall account on Twitter, joins the podcast to talk about mall culture in Florida, his new book, The Lamenting Mall Rats Society, and whether or not Oviedo Mall really is haunt...
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Season 5
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Episode 198
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49:18
Episode 197: Tiki Culture, Clearwater, and Tiki-a-Go-Go
Jon Bortles joins Cathy and Rick to talk about Florida Tiki culture and all things Tiki. Bahi Hut Meetup with Rick, Cathy, and Jon — April 11, 7 p.m.Links We Men...
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Season 5
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Episode 197
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39:23
Episode 196: Florida Landscaping, Wildflowers, and Disney Plants
Spring has sprung, the pollen is here, and it's time once again to talk about plants and landscaping. Eric Schmidt, the Botanical Records Specialist for Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens, talks about a few of his favorite plant places in Florida, ...
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Season 5
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Episode 196
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54:51
Episode 195: Paw-Paws, Munyon Island, and a Made-in-Florida Liqueur
This week, Joe Colucci from Munyon's Paw Paw Liqueur joins the podcast to talk about his Florida-made papaya liqueur — and the fascinating Florida history behind it.Links We Mentioned
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Season 5
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Episode 195
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44:02
Episode 194: Botanical Gardens, Flamingos, and Florida Yard Lizards
Cathy and Rick give a whirlwind tour of botanical gardens they have loved, talk about Rick's proposal to his wife and where he hid her ring, how to pronounce anole, and where to find flamingos. Links We Mentioned...
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Season 5
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Episode 194
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42:50
Episode 193: Gulf of...?, John D. MacDonald, and Jack Davis' Gulf Coast Playlist
Jack Davis, the Pulitzer-winning author of The Gulf: Making of an American Sea, joins the podcast to talk about what he thinks of the Gulf of Mexico's nomenclature glow-up. The talk migrates to sea level rise, John D. MacDonald's books...
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Season 5
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Episode 193
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56:11
Episode 192: Spectacular Madcaps: Protect Florida Springs, Manatee Cavorting, and Other NSFW Environmental Fun Facts
At the Florida Springs Council, the Florida Madcaps podcast host Ryan Worthington and Florida Spectacular host Cathy Salustri taped a crossover podcast in front of a live audience. Their guests are Max Chesnes, the Tampa Bay Times envi...
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Season 5
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Episode 192
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57:03
Episode 191: Floridiana, Taxidermied Gators, and Florida Collectibles
Ken Breslauer joins the podcast to talk about collectible Florida ephemera, his annual Floridiana show, and his favorite roadside attractions.Links We MentionedFloridiana...
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Season 5
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Episode 191
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35:52
Episode 190: Rosewood, Shana Smith, and 'Islands of Cedars'
Shana Smith joins the podcast to talk about her book, Islands of Cedars. Shana based the book on actual events, but is a well-researched book of fiction. It's a beautifully written piece of history and Shana talks about what motivated ...
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Season 5
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Episode 190
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57:11
Episode 189: Insiders Guide to Ormond Beach
Looking for things to do that most people miss in Ormond Beach? Historian Randy Jaye has a lot for you to explore.Links We Mentioned
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Season 5
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Episode 189
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48:02
Episode 188: Orlando Murder Mystery, a Florida mystery writer, and Why Is It Snowing?
Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of the old Florida murder mystery, Secrets of the Flamingo Café, joins the podcast to talk about her book, the history in which she grounded it, and her writing process. There's a rare snowfall in North Fl...
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Season 5
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Episode 188
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46:54
Episode 187: Florida's Lost Springs
Ever heard of a zero-magnitude spring? It's a spring that has "historic flow" — meaning it doesn't have any water anymore (usually — some get water during times of heavy rain). Rick and Cathy talk about some of Florida's lost springs....
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Season 5
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Episode 187
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53:44
Episode 186: City and County Florida Parks You Need To Visit
Cathy and Rick talk about their favorite parks that aren't state parks.City and County Florida Parks You Need To VisitFort De Soto (St. Petersburg)
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Season 5
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Episode 186
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43:19
Episode 185: Florida Bucket List, a Kayak Tour, and Florida Plans for the New Year
Rick and Cathy talk about Florida adventures for the new year and talk about kayaking. They also look ahead to 2025 and some possible new benefits for podcast subscribers. Links We Mentioned
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Season 4
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Episode 185
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50:18
