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 Instant on the Subject of East Florida (abstract only; paid subscribers should email us for a full copy of the letters)

The Other War of 1812, by Jim Cusick

Image in the public domain.

Support the show

Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.

Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).

NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!

Send us your Florida questions!

Did you know cattle ranchers were the "first intentional conservationists" in Florida? Annie Muscato does. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on it, and this week she joins the podcast to talk — passionately! — about research into how some Florida cattle ranchers are working to protect wild Florida, why Florida cattle ranching isn't nearly as cruel as it is in the rest of the country, and how ranchers work with the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Links We Mentioned

From Cattle to Conservation (the ecological humility of cattle ranching)

The Omnivore's Dilemma

Food, Inc.

Florida Wildlife Corridor

Adena Farms

Support the show

Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.

Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).

NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!

Send us your Florida questions!

Andrea Conover of Azalea City Brewing and Palatka Mayor Robbie Correa join us this week to help roadtrippers find Palatka's best-kept secrets.

Links We Mentioned

Palatka Coffee Company

Angel's Diner

Palatka's historic riverfront

Velchoff's Corner

Ravine Gardens State Park

Magnolia Cafe

Azalea City Brewing

Lemon Street Market

Kayak tours

North Star Charters

Amara Zee

Bronson Mulholland House (and Rick's post about it — and this one)

Camping in Palatka

25 Taps for the St. Johns

Festivals

Azalea Festival (last weekend in February)

Bartram Frolic (April)

Palatka Blue Crab Festival (Memorial Day weekend)

Palatka Craft Beer Festival (November)

Palatka Porch Fest (first Saturday of December)

Historic Home Tours (second Saturday in December)

Mayhem Datil Pepper Festival (November)

Photo by Rick Kilby

Support the show

Question or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com.

Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com.

Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee).

NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!