Send us your Florida questions! The Florida Wildlife Federation calls Karen Chadwick a conservation hero. She's spent her life on and around the waters of Central Florida, and she talks about her passion for the Ocklawaha, the impacts of keeping the dam, and the splendor of the regular drawdowns. Links We Mentioned Ocklawaha River Rodman Reservoir and Dam Cross-Florida Barge Canal Kenwood boat ramp Buckman Lock North Star Charters Karen's YouTube channel about the Ocklawaha A Cruising D...

Send us your Florida questions! Jason Vuic (rhymes with Buick!) talks about his latest book, A Town Without Pity: Aids, Race, & Resistance in Florida's Deep South. In it, he delves into two notorious cases from Arcadia: the Ray brothers, and the James Richardson case. Links We Mentioned A Town Without Pity Swamp Peddlers Wheeler's Cafe Florida's Peace River Frontier by Canter Brown, Jr. PHOTO: In 1987, Arcadia brothers Ricky (left), Robert (center), and Randy (right) Ray...

Send us your Florida questions! Robin Mimna talks about the darker side of Henry Flagler, Stetson, and other "founding fathers" in Florida. We also talk about the women behind the men, and how the men controlled the narratives about them. Links We Mentioned Lake Helen Flagler's Law Arthur Hamlin Mary Grace Quackenbos Annie Laurie's Triumph Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Ca...

Send us your Florida questions! Elizabeth Randall, author of Florida haunted history books, joins the podcast — this week only, we've changed the name — to tell us some fantastic Florida ghost stories. Links We Mentioned Elizabeth Randall website Bosque Bello Cemetery in Fernandina Amelia Island Museum of History (the old jailhouse) Robert the Doll by David Sloan David Sloan ghost tour and VIP Robert the Doll Experience Robert the Doll Florida Spectacular episode Books from Elizabeth ...

Send us your Florida questions! To celebrate the 25th annual issue of Saw Palm, the editors came on the podcast to talk about what sorts of things to expect in the anniversary issue, a book from the man who started Saw Palm, and things to do in Ybor City. Links We Mentioned Saw Palm Fearsome Creatures of Florida Columbia Restaurant The Castle Kress Contemporary Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newslette...

Send us your Florida questions! Can AI make Florida better? Bess Auer joins the podcast to talk about AI, being a UF cheerleader during the Danny Rollins serial killings, and her Orlando treasure hunt. Links We Mentioned Cherry 2000 "How Ted Bundy Ended Our Innocence" by Diane Roberts Second Harvest Food Bank Fenn's treasure HoundsHouse Orlando The Secret: A Treasure Hunt (Byron Preiss) HaveIBeenTrained.com Bess' SubStack Can AI plan a decent Florida road trip? Here's what happened when Ric...

Send us your Florida questions! Haley Moody, the director of the Florida Springs Institute, joins the podcast to talk about the idea of creating a National Springs Heritage Area in Florida. About Haley Haley’s passion for the springs began during her first visit to the Ichetucknee River. Her love of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was born during her time at the University of Florida, where she graduated with honors in Landscape Architecture. After a GIS Internship at the Florida Springs...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida nature photographer Matt Keene talks about how he uses large-format film cameras to create his portraits. Matt has an exhibit at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine (through Jan. 18, 2026), and this episode offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how much work, forethought, and effort goes into this extraordinary body of work. Links We Mentioned More about Matt Keene River Be Dammed Lost Springs Echoes of the Wild at the Light...

Send us your Florida questions! Brandy Carlisle, a tour guide at St. Augustine's Fountain of Youth Park, is fascinated with the woman who bought the land that is now the park. So much so she's published a book about her: Luella. The trio talks about Luella, prostitution, and the Fountain of Youth. Links We Mentioned Luella Fountain of Youth Park in St. Augustine Find out more about Brandy — and her fascinating hobbies — on her website. Unearthing St. Augustine: America's Oldest City, by...

Send us your Florida questions! Rick and Cathy talk about Rick's trip to St. Augustine, then answer a letter from a listener about whether or not moving to Florida is a good idea. Things To Do in St. Augustine St. Augustine's Fountain of Youth (visit with a critical eye!) The San Marco shops in St. Augustine, including Duddington's Columbia Restaurant in the St. Augustine Historic District Don't forget to check out Spinster Abbott's. Support the show Question or comme...

Send us your Florida questions! Mikita Brottman, author of Guilty Creatures, joins the podcast to talk about the Tallahassee murder that scandalized the town when Denise Williams and Brian Winchester plotted and executed the murder of Denise's husband, Mike. Mikita Brottman is a writer and psychoanalyst. Her latest book Guilty Creatures was published by Simon and Schuster in 2024. She has a D. Phil from Oxford University and is a professor of literature at the Maryland Institute College of Ar...

Send us your Florida questions! The face behind the super-popular Florida's Folk History Instagram account joins the podcast this week. Aubrey Naulin talks about her art, her hopes for Florida's future, and Florida's Indians. Links We Mentioned Florida Folk History on Instagram Rosewood Remembered Islands of Cedars by Shana Smith Submerged Stories: Florida's Other Histories on Facebook Lake Hourglass Studio Texas Together: with HondoOrdinary Texans with Extrodinary StoriesListen o...

Send us your Florida questions! Mark Barrow grew up around gators — both the real one and a certain Florida college that pays homage to them. Now, he's written a book about alligators, and he joins Rick and Cathy to talk about why alligators deserve respect, not fear. The trio also talks about the gator's place in Florida's culture, roadside Florida gator attractions, and why gators are amazing creatures. Links We Mentioned Mini-Lights and Black children used as gator bait? Mini Lights p...

Send us your Florida questions! This week Rick and Cathy talk about Punta Gorda Links We Mentioned Warm Mineral Springs Things To Do in North Port Myakka River State Park Royal Order of Ponce de Leon Conquistadors Radioactive Fountain of Youth in Punta Gorda Sunseeker Resort DeSoto Veterans Memorial Park Ponce-apalooza Ponce-y Scheme Revisiting Warm Mineral Springs Old World Meets New Age at Warm Mineral Springs (Image via Google Maps/Fair Use) Support the show Question or comme...

Send us your Florida questions! Florida icon Lars Andersen joins the podcast to talk about his passion: Florida waterways. Links We Mentioned Payne's Prairie: A History of the Great Savanna by Lars AndersonBook a river tour with Lars at Adventure Outpost or email him. Lost Springs in one minute with Margaret Tolbert Wacissa Slave Canal Big Blue Spring. Haulover Canal. Photo: Canon Springs during drawdown. Support the show Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.c...

Send us your Florida questions! Michael Grunwald talks about cattle ranching and why Floridians — and everyone — should eat more plants. He, Cathy, and Rick also talk about meat grown in a lab, why Grunwald thinks Michael Pollan gets things wrong, and Michael's new book, We Are Eating the Earth: The Race To Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. Links We Mentioned We Are Eating the Earth The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise Support the show Question or co...

Send us your Florida questions! Anna Cooke, editor-in-chief at The New Barker magazine, jons the podcast to talk about rescue work in Florida; the long-gone Florida roadside attraction, Dogland; and a few famous Florida dogs. Links We Mentioned The New Barker Magazine An abandoned dog in Memphis Dave the Wonder Dog (Annie Oakley was a snowbird) (bonus link) Brownie the town dog of Daytona Beach Garden of Love Coonhound Cemetery in Alabama Senior Dog Sanctuary in Nashville Donte's Den An...

Send us your Florida questions! The Ocklawaha River in Central Florida has been dammed for decades. Now, there's a chance to tear down the dam and reunite the rivers. That's good news for bass, anglers, environmentalists, and the local economy. Margaret Spontak comes on the podcast to talk about why, and she encourages people to call their state legislators and ask them to support restoration of the Ocklawaha and reuniting the rivers. Links We Mentioned Interactive map of the Ocklawaha...

Send us your Florida questions! Ryan Worthington joins the podcast to talk about a new initiative he and Cathy are working on — a podcast to document and discuss history in Florida that doesn't get taught in schools. Submerged Stories is the name of the forthcoming podcast, and the Facebook group they've created to crowdsource information. Check out the link below, join the group, and share it with your like-minded friends. Links We Mentioned Submerged Storie: Florida's Other History (Ryan an...

Send us your Florida questions! With Cathy traveling through what she calls "historic West Florida", she and Rick talk about forgotten parts of Florida's history — and geography, the War of 1812, and some less savory parts of the early history of the United States and why they get left out of history classes. Links We Mentioned Map showing Florida and a "contested" area "sold" to the US by France Documents Accompanying the Message of the President of the United States of the Fourteenth Instan...