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.
Episodes
A special guest this week as Stacey Matrazzo, Executive Director for the Florida Wildflower Foundation joined the show. She is the co-author of Native Plants for Florida Gardens, which she wrote with botanist/restoration ecologist Nancy Bissett.
Stacey has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in liberal studies from Rollins College, where she is also an adjunct professor. A native Floridian and certifie...
Downtown St. Pete has exploded with growth, people, and food – but that's not what we're talking about this week. Instead, Rick and Cathy talk about places in St. Pete not in the downtown area that most tourists never see. Take a listen, and get started planning your next road trip to explore Hidden St. Pete!
Things to Do
Sunken Gardens
Parrot shows and Bird Shows around Florida.
Places to Eat
Think Orlando is mostly Disney, I-Drive, and theme parks? Think again! In this episode, Rick and Cathy explore the heart of Orlando. They have must-see museums, walkable cultural areas, and places to eat. Planning a trip to Orlando? Don't miss this episode!
Spend the Day in Orlando
Brunch
Tamales in the Hourglass Social District or Daybreak Diner or Zaza's Cuban Comfort Food
Museums
Art & History Museums Maitland
Sports
The Everglades is a series of connected ecosystems that runs from right by Sea World's front door south to the Florida Keys. Today, Cathy and Rick talk about some unique Everglades experiences, lodging, and roads. They end with a top five "must do" when you visit Everglades National Park or the surrounding Everglades.
Places we mentioned:
Every year, people make resolutions for the new year. In this episode, Rick and Cathy talk about resolutions for Florida — and how you can help protect the state's natural beauty, waters, and wild places as you travel (and even if you don't!)
Links we mentioned:
Cathy's quest to remove single-use plastics from her home, RV and office
Blue Highways
Cathy turned 50 this month, and it made her think about all the things she still wants to do in Florida, so this week she and Rick reviewed some (mostly) South Florida bucket list items. Take a listen, and watch for our Florida panhandle bucket list in 2023!
Here's what's on our bucket lists:
Rick: Fort Jefferson & Dry Tortugas
Cathy: Coral Spawning in the Florida Keys
Rick: Airboat ride in the Everglades
Cathy: Milky Way in...
Christmas in Florida hits different, but that doesn't mean you can't find a spectacular winter event. Cathy and Rick talk about some only-in-Florida Christmas and holiday experiences.
Links we mentioned
About Christmas, Florida (an Orange County park)
Fred the Tree
Earnest Saves Christmas
Find Rick on Twitter @OldFLA and online at RickKilby.com.
Did you know Florida has dry air caves you can explore, even if you don't have any experience spelunking? This week, Rick and Cathy explore Florida caves – virtually, of course. They also talk about underwater caves, and while they both strongly advise against attempting to explore underwater caves, the show notes contain a link to a great video, Water's Journey.
Rick and Cathy talk about iconic Florida restaurants, past and present, and others that are just plain fun. This episode focuses mostly on Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area, but look for a future episode about the best restaurants in South Florida, the panhandle, the Keys, and other parts of the Sunshine State!
Links we mentioned
This week Cathy Salustri and Rick Kilby talk about their favorite beaches (and why they love them) and what makes Florida beaches unique.
Among their favorite beaches mentioned were:
Little Talbot Island State Park
Egmont Key State Park
Fort De Soto Park
St. George Island
Have a favorite Florida beach? Let 'em know!
Also mentioned were:
We welcome Rick Kilby as The Florida Spectacular's new co-host, and he and Cathy talk about the first two Thanksgivings celebrated in North America, which – spoiler alert – both happened in Florida. Learn the short history of the French Huguenot Floridians who celebrated the first Thanksgiving on North American soil – in 1564. The second Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Spanish in 1565, takes us to St. Augustine, where there'...
This week Cathy sits down with Davida Breier and talks about her novel, "Sinkhole," growing up as a GenX in Florida, and how she came to write this particular delicious book.
Reader's Guide for Sinkholereaders-guide.pdf
Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.
Welcome to fall in Florida! Cathy and Jon talk about how real Floridians know fall has arrived, the best reason to travel to the Keys in September, and what the season looks like in different parts of the state.
Links we mentioned
On This Day: 1933 gas prices in Key West
Hidden Gem: King Seafood, Marathon
Holderness Family's Fall Expectations vs. Realty
Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up...
This week, Cathy and Jon debunk famous Florida history myths, stepping on all the cherished legends they learned in grade school.
Some myths we discussed
History that isn't fake
Discover Florida Tours – (Sacred Lands)
The Seminole Tribe of Florida's origin
Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroad...
In January, Cathy decided she'd get rid of single-use plastic in her home, RV, and at the newspaper she and her husband own – all by Dec. 31. Her travels through the best parts of Florida motivated this decision, because everywhere she went, she saw plastic litter.
She and Jon talk about the Florida road trip that cemented that decision, what she's doing to make earth-conscious swaps, and why she doesn't recycle. They a...
Today Jon and Cathy talk about hurricanes in the panhandle, UFOs in the Florida panhandle, and hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail through Eglin Air Force Base.
Carnivorous pitcher plants at Apalachicola National Forest
Wewa RV Park
Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.
This week Cathy and Jon talk about the Clermont area of Florida, including Lake Louisa State Park, Citrus Tower, and a few other places of note in the area, including the Presidents Hall of Fame.
Links we mentioned
Presidents Hall of Fame at Atlas Obscura or on Facebook, or on Florida Traveler
Clermont Brewing Company
Want more Florida? Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with ...
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.)
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
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
Tony's Clam Chowder (Hey, it beats New England chowder at contests – and he also has a res...
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