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
294 episodes
Episode 269: The Podcast Gets Crabs, Hermit Crabs, and Things To Do in Tavernier
Angela Sayre brings crabs to the podcast! She's with Crustacean Plantation and wants to encourage people to "leave the shell — take the memory when you visit the Florida Keys (or any coastal community).Links We Mentioned
Episode 268: How To Kill Someone in Florida, Lucy Burdette, and Things To Do in Key West
Cozy mystery author Lucy Burdette joins the podcast to talk about her Key West Food Critic Mysteries, her favorite places in Key West, and yes, how she figures out how and where to kill people. Don't forget — Orange Blossom podca...
Episode 267: Turtles, Giraffes, and Things To Do in Indian River, Melbourne, and the Space Coast
While Cathy's camping lagoon-side in Brevard County, she and Rick talk about what they love about the Indian River Lagoon area and things to do while you're in town.Links We Mentioned
Episode 266: "It's Not The Heat, It's the Humidity," Disney-Adjacent Things to Do, and Hiking in the Heat
Stephen Cabebe, of Fit for the Magic, joins the podcast to talk about how to enjoy Florida's natural spaces without withering in the heat — even in the summer months.Stephen's T...
Episode 265: Serge Storms, Doc Ford, and Travis McGee
Rick and Cathy talk about Florida mystery writers. Curl up with your next summer read after listening!Links We MentionedRace of the Gazelles
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Episode 264: Keeping Data Centers Out of Florida
Chadd Charland fills in for Rick and talks about how Nassau County was able to stop AI data centers — and what every community can do to stop them! Cathy talks about why eliminating single-use plastics makes a difference and why July is the mon...
Episode 263: Florida Journalism, Why It's In Trouble, and How To Save It
Rick and Cathy showcase the state of journalism in Florida and talk about hyperlocal papers. Five of our Favorite Hyperlocal Weekly NewspapersThe Community...
Episode 262: Alligators, Florida Poetry, and Things To Do in Tampa
Florida poet Heather Sellers joins the podcast to talk about why alligators are the best, her latest poetry book about Florida,
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Episode 261: Springs, Seagrass, and Things To Do in Crystal River
Lisa Moore, president of Save Crystal River, joins the podcast to talk about their efforts with the Kings Bay Restoration Project. Kings Bay is the second largest spring system in Florida.Links We Mentioned
Episode 260: Things To Do in Polk County, Florida Art, and Blair Petersen Updike
Florida artist Blair Petersen Updike joins the podcast to talk about why she created the Florida Gallery, Florida art, and what she thinks everyone should do in Polk County.Links We Mentioned
Episode 259: Word of South, Boy With Wings, and Things To Do in Tallahassee
Mark Mustian, author of Boy With Wings and founder of Word of South, talks about his book, the wildly popular Word of South festival, and what it means to be different.Mark's Top Five Things To Do in Tallahassee
Episode 258: Murals, Winter Park, and Rick Kilby's New Book
Rick talks about his new book, Shaping a Sense of Place. Links We Mentioned:Shaping a Sense of Place by Ri...
Episode 257: Mermaid Star Motel, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and FloridaRAMA
Kristin Hemphill, the Creative Director for FloridaRAMA, an immersive Florida art experience with a conservation focus, joins the podcast to talk about the art, the artists, and why the experience focuses on Florida.Links We Mentioned...
Episode 256: Lindsay Cross, Florida's Environment, and Florida Forever
Florida State Representative (District 60) Lindsay Cross joins the podcast to talk about Florida Forever, environmental challenges in Florida, and what she's doing to help make Florida a paradise for everyone instead of an elite few.L...
Episode 255: Kristen Arnett: Taxidermy, 7-11 Lizards, and Other Florida Things
Florida lesbian author Kristen Arnett joins the podcast to talk about her favorite lizard, what led her to set her debt novel in a taxidermy shop, and other special Florida experiences. Links We Mentioned
Episode 254: Florida Environmental Victory!
Dawn Shirreffs, with the Environmental Defense Fund, talks about Florida's Coastal Resilience Bill. The bill protects Terra Ceia, the Skyway Fishing Pier, and the Santa Fe, among others.Links We Mentioned
Episode 253: Rick and Cathy Live at the Florida Studies Book Festival
Rick and Cathy talk about writing about Florida in front of an audience at their first-ever live podcast taping.
Episode 252: Florida Women You Need to Know
Cathy and Rick talk about only a few of the many Badass Florida Women in our history.Women We MentionedEmateloye
Episode 251: Wonders of Shadow Key, Elvis, and Cryptids We Have Loved
Florida author John Fleming joins the podcast to talk about his latest book, Wonders of Shadow Key.Links We MentionedWonders of Shadow KeyReview of
Episode 250: Snails, Snail Kites, and Hilary Flower
Hilary Flower, author of The Kite and The Snail: An Endangered Bird, Its Unlikely Prey, and a Story of Hope in a Changing World, joins the podcast to talk about what prompted her to write the book....
Episode 249: Submerged Stories: Santos, Segregation, and Disenfranchisement
Ryan and Cathy talk about Santos' Black history and how it's been erased, and put out a call for help from anyone who knows the history of the people displaced for the Cross Florida Barge Canal.Links We Mentioned
Episode 248: Art of the Springs
Springs artist and activist Margaret Ross Tolbert joins Rick Kilby and guest co-host Chadd Scott to discuss her artwork and advocacy on behalf of Florida's springs.Links we mentioned:Aquiferi...
Episode 247: Submerged Stories (Sundown Towns)
Cathy Salustri and Ryan Worthington talk about Sundown Towns, apologies, and the problems the racism of the past still creates.Links We MentionedTougaloo...
Episode 246: Bithlo, Getting Chased by a Cobra, and a Springs Adventure
Buckle in for a wild ride... this episode starts in Bithlo, detours through Orlando Speed World, gets chased by a cobra, and then goes on an adventure through the springs. Links We Mentioned
Episode 245: In the Shoes of Florida's Black History
Rick and Cathy talk about gentrification, the difficult relationship white people have with Black history, its place in Florida's history, and how Florida's Black history impacts modern-day Florida.Links We Mentioned
