Florida Spectacular

Leslie Kemp Poole, author of Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now, comes on the podcast to talk about recreating Florida journeys made by famous Floridians and Florida-fans such as John Muir, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. She gives life to these journeys — take a listen!

Leslie's books

Watch Leslie follow Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' journey

Book cover courtesy of Leslie Kemp Poole/University Press of Florida.

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Subscriber-only episode

Looking for places to snorkel in the Florida Keys? Brad's the expert. He explains not only how snorkeling ignited his interest in Florida Keys and Monroe County history, but where anyone can snorkel in the Florida Keys. 

Brad's Florida Keys snorkeling spots

Bahia Honda State Park

Looe Key

Key West Marine Park (you can walk/swim to this one)

Garden Key and Dry Tortugas

Links We Mentioned

At Robbie's: Sundance Watersports often goes to Alligator Light reef

Your guide to reef-friendly sunscreen

What does a Caribbean reef shark look like?

Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Cathy and Rick talk about how nature influences their writing, Cathy's camping experience at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, Rick's upcoming keynote at the MKR annual conference, and where to find wild citrus.

Links We Mentioned

Matheson Museum, with the anniversary exhibit Rick designed

Squarehouse Pizza in Gainesville (Formerly Satch Squared, partly owned by Satchel's Pizza)

Rawlings Society and annual conference in May

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park and its Citizen Support Organization (also called a "friends group")

Sour Orange Pie and Sour Orange Margaritas

Volunteer at a Florida State Park

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

People love pirate lore — but what did it mean to be a pirate in Florida? According to Cathy, a lot more bureaucracy than you'd think. Rick and Cathy talk about pirates, real and imagined, and make a few Florida detours along the way.

Links We Mentioned

Legend of Jose Gaspar

Sir Francis Drake and privateer Robert Searle

Florida Pirate Festivals

Pirates in St. Augustine

A history of pirates in Florida

Sir Frances Drake in St. Augustine

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Subscriber-only episode

Did the Florida Keys have pirates? Brad and Cathy debate. Brad unearthed an 1829 Keys newspaper and talks about an article warning of land sharks and advertising a house for rent for $20 a month in Key West. 

They also chat about the San Carlos, the Key West Firehouse Museum, and Carysfort Reef.

Links We Mentioned

Key West Firehouse Museum

San Carlos Institute

Carysfort Reef National Marine Sanctuary

The U.S.S. Schooner Alligator and Alligator Key

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings made Cross Creek famous through her writing, and if you want to experience Florida as she did, there's no better place. From free-range venison starters at a Cross Creek restaurant to paddling the same creeks she did, immerse yourself in the world of Cross Creek. Here's how!

Spoiler alert: Cathy gives away the ending of The Yearling at the start of the podcast, because she says everyone knows. Rick disagrees, so if you don't know the story, consider yourself warned!

Links We Mentioned

The Yearling Restaurant

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

Cross Creek paddle trips

Wood & Swink general store in Evinston

Ocean Grill in Vero Beach

Cathy Salustri's Writer's Talk at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (Feb. 24, 2024)

Salt Springs

Real Florida? The Ocklawaha River

Explore More of the Area

Exploring Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' homestead

Where's Waldo?

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Ryan Smart, the executive director of the Florida Springs Council, joins the podcast to talk about threats facing springs, some recent victories for Florida's environment, and how people can support the work that protects Florida springs.

Image of the Profanity Manatee courtesy of Florida Springs Council; used with permission.

Links We Mentioned

Manatee Profanity t-shirt and other merch that supports Florida Springs Council

Become a sustaining member

Ditch the plastic water bottles for hurricane prep: Get reusable five-gallon glass water jug and USB-powered pump dispenser

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Subscriber-only episode

Brad and Cathy take a deep dive into two of the best Florida State Parks in the Florida Keys: Bahia Honda and Long Key. 

Links We Mentioned

Florida Keys Eco-Experience Trail app for exploring the Florida Keys.

Bahia Honda State Park

Long Key State Park

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Today's guest, Charles Ellis, who serves as the Fort Mose Historical Society president, talks about the reconstruction of the Fort, what’s happening in February, and Florida's place on the Underground Railroad. 

Links We Mentioned

Fort Mose State Park

Flight to Freedom

Fort Mose Historical Society

Jazz and Blues at Fort Mose

Support Fort Mose and Black History in Florida

Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail

What is a "ring shout"?

How To Be an Anti-Racist

Middle grade offering from Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

If you want to explore Sarasota, Rick and Cathy have plenty of favorites. 

Places to Eat

Owen's Fish Camp

Yoder's of Pinecraft and The Gabber Newspaper's feature on Yoder's

Bali Hut Tiki Hut

Outdoors and Nature Experiences

Myakka River State Park

Warm Mineral Springs

Selby Botanical Gardens

Mote Marine Aquarium (kayaking and the February Farm to Fillet)

Venice Beach and Shark's Teeth

Roadside Attraction: Sarasota Jungle Gardens

Arts 

Ringling

Sarasota School of Architecture

Urbanite Theatre

Sarasota Art Museum

Shopping: St. Armand's Circle

Links We Mentioned

Orchid scandal at Selby and Craig Pittman's The Scent of Scandal about that scandal

Feld Entertainment

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Subscriber-only episode

Flying into Key West is super-convenient, but people who fly into Key West miss one of the best parts of the Florida Keys: The Overseas Highway, which connects mainland Florida with the Florida Keys. The road didn't always look the way it does today, however. Brad and Cathy explain it all. 

Florida Keys Extras

No Name Pub on No Name Key used to be a brothel

The Pineapple Express? Yup, pineapples in the Florida Keys!

The Seven-Mile Bridge in True Lies

A pictorial trip across the Overseas Highway

Last Train to Paradise

Hurricane of 1935

Have you met Fred?

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

It's January! It's cold! It's the best time to see manatee! Where can you see them? 

Rick and Cathy name their favorite spots (see the links) and talk about whether manatee resemble sea potatoes or zaftig mermaids, manatee flatulence, and manatee nipples (when an animal has armpit nipples, you have to mention it.)

Links We Mentioned

Is it a manatee or a mermaid? 

How smart are manatee?

The year almost 800 manatee died

Panther attacks?

Where to See Manatee

Crystal River

Blue Spring State Park

Haulover Canal

TECO Viewing Center

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

A reader question about hiking shoes leads to a discussion about best places to hike in Florida. The Florida Madcaps' Chelsea Stevens joins to talk about hiking and water shoes, that time she stepped on a copperhead, and her favorite hikes. 

Links We Mentioned

FloridaHikes.com

Shoes for Hiking Florida Trails

Altra shoes

What are shoe gaiters and do you want them?

Fit2Run

Track Shack

Astral hiking shoes

Hikes in Central Florida

Little Big Econ State Forest

Chelsea's favorite Central Florida hike: Charles Bronson State Forest

Chelsea's favorite hike in Florida: Torreya State Park (and the nearby Apalachicola Bluffs)

Salt Springs

The Yearling Trail with Jody Spring and Long Cemetery

Rick's favorite Central Florida hike: Lyonia Preserve

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Subscriber-only episode

Florida does an amazing job with state parks, and perhaps this is best showcased in the Florida Keys. In the inaugural episode, take a tour of some of Brad and Cathy's favorite state parks in the Upper Keys.

State Parks to Visit in the Florida Keys

• Dagny Johnson Key Largo Botanical State Park for hiking and the chance of seeing the endangered woodrat. 

• Windley Key Fossil Reef State Park for the hiking and the history (they have ranger-led tours)

• Indian Key State Park for the history, solitude, lack of mosquitoes, and snorkeling. Paddle out to the island (which has no facilities). Snorkel the patch reef and grass flats by the island.

• Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park for ranger-led tours, history, and the chance to see one of the last virgin West Indian hardwood hammocks.

Links Brad & Cathy Mentioned

Key Largo woodrat (but is it a rat?)

Bayside Gourmet

Robbie's Islamorada

Matheson home at Lignumvitae

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Take a hike in the swamp! Cathy and Rick talk about hiking in Florida swamps, venomous snakes, and other things you might find as you experience Florida's wilderness. Also, Cathy talks about the time she got lost in the swamp and almost stepped on a venomous snake.

Pictured is the juvenile cottonmouth from Cathy's hike in Big Cypress. No, it's not a Magic Eye; look closely and you'll see him. Or her. Cathy didn't want to check.

Links We Mentioned

Clyde Butcher's swamp walk

Wild hog

Ranger-led tours at Big Cypress

Monroe Station

Cottonmouth facts

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Rick and Cathy talk about Florida places they want to visit in 2024. Unsurprisingly, many of the trips involve kayaking.

Quick Travel Guide to St. Augustine
Meehan's Irish Pub
Osteen's
Casa de Sueños

Quick Travel Guide to West Volusia Heritage Corridor
Cassadaga
DeLand Memorial Hospital Museum
Main Street DeLand
Hontoon Island
The Forgotten Mermaids: Jacques 

Quick Guide to Paddling Ocala National Forest
Juniper Run
Juniper Springs (Campsite info)
Salt Springs Recreation Area
Black Water Creek

Paddling the Wekiva River Area
Wekiwa Springs State Park
King’s Landing
Kelly Park/Rock Springs Run County Park
Emerald Cut

Paddle Rainbow River
Swampy's at the end of the paddle

Paddle Weeki Wachee Springs & the Chassahowitzka
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Upper Deck Restaurant

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Rick and Cathy talk about places they want to visit–or revisit—in 2024. Below, find guides to two not-often-visited places in Florida. 

Visit Sanford

Visitor's Guide

December's St. Lucia Festival

Celery Soup—a folk life play

Hollerbach's German Restaurant

Pico Hotel (similar to the Tampa Bay Hotel, now University of Tampa)

Henry's Depot

Folk Artist Alyne Harris at Jeanine Taylor Folk Art

Maya Books

Suffering Bastard

Visit Arcadia, Sebring, and Lake Placid

Arcadia antiques

Arcadia rodeo

Davidson's of Dundee

History of Sebring

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park

Other Links We Mentioned

Florida Memory — State Archives of Florida

Disney Wilderness Preserve

Lyonia Environmental Center

Lightner Art Nouveau exhibit

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

Jacki Levine joins Rick and Cathy today to talk about Once Upon a Time in Florida, a gorgeous coffee table book celebrating 50 years of essays about Florida. Jacki edited the book, which includes essays from Stetson Kennedy, Michael Gannon, and Rick Kilby.

Links We Mentioned

Once Upon a Time in Florida (with discount code XM23) for sale

Review of Once Upon a Time in Florida

Find a talk about the book in your neighborhood.

Florida books Jacki gifts to people: 

Florida's Healing Waters by Rick Kilby

The Sound of the Sea and other Cynthia Barnett books

Jack Davis' books

Florida in Poetry, edited by Jane Anderson Jones and Maurice O'Sullivan

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

This week, the "Florida Spectacular" welcomes back a familiar voice — Brad Bertelli, an early and super-popular guest. Cathy, Rick and Brad talk about where to find hidden springs in the Florida Keys, an old manuscript that mentions a "fairy grotto" by Robbies, and how people are "reverse snowbirding" north of Florida.

Links We Mentioned

Robbie's

Last Local

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...

This week, Florida Spectacular hosts Cathy and Rick celebrate the work of Tim Dorsey. Dorsey created the lovable serial killer Serge Storms, who served vengeance with a side of history... or perhaps history with a side of vengeance. From there, they talk about Florida books for everyone on your holiday shopping list. 

Links we Mentioned

Florida books for every reader

Tim Dorsey books in order

A History of Florida Through Black Eyes by Marvin Dunn

We Come for Good

A People's History of Florida

The Burden of Southern History by C. Vann Woodward

Souvenirs of the Old South: Northern Tourism and Southern Mythology by Rebecca Cawood McIntyre

The Springs of Florida by Doug Stamm

Once Upon a Time in Florida

The History of Florida by Michael Gannon

Gamble Rogers: A Troubadour's Life by Bruce Horovitz 

Dreams in the New Century by Gary Mormino

Healing Waters by Rick Kilby

Backroads of Paradise by Cathy Salustri

Bookstores

Sanford: Maya Books
Deland: Muse Bookshop
Barrel of Books

...and...

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival in St. Augustine

Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com.

Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri

Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.

Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).

Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...