Shows
Radio St. Pete Podcast ArchiveCRAIG PITTMAN - Welcome To Florida Podcast, Books & Quirky Florida FolksHost Nanette Wiser chatted with author/podcaster, journalist, humorist, emperor of puns and tropical shirt fashionista Craig Pittman at our THRIVE DTSP studio. We are THRILLED to be re-broadcasting some of his BEST Welcome to Florida Podcasts on RadioStPete.com! His popular Welcome to Florida (WTF) podcast is live every Tuesday. Pittman is joined by radio personality and Florida transplant Chadd Scott to discuss the state's history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness. You'll hear great storytelling and have great fun in each weekly episode.
--Craig's weekly podcast goes live every Tuesday. Click here for all the...
2025-08-0822 min
Welcome to FloridaEpisode 236: David Kirby and Florida PoetsCraig Pittman has a wish list of gifts he hopes Santa brings Florida's environment.Our guest this episode is poet, essayist, and professor of English at Florida State University David Kirby. His latest anthology of poems is titled "The Winter Dance Party." In the episode, Craig quoted an Elizabeth Bishop poem you can read here.Thank you to all of our patrons at Patreon.com/WelcomeToFlorida. For $5 a month "Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to bonus episodes, including our recent "Florida Holiday Traditions" episode, and Chadd Scott's weekly Florida conservation newsletter.
2024-12-2441 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 228: Robert the DollRon DeSantis thinks the Florida economy would suffer from fighting climate change; Craig Pittman knows the Florida economy won't exist if we don't.Cathy Salustri, host of the "Florida Spectacular" podcast and Florida author - and two-time former "Welcome to Florida" guest - fills in for Chadd Scott on this episode focusing on Robert the Doll. Author, historian, and Florida Keys ghost tour host David Sloan joins to discuss the haunted doll.HauntedKeyWest.com
2024-10-2936 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 209: John James Audubon in FloridaOne of the worst bills to pass out of the Florida legislature in the most recent session was supported completely on lies. Everyone has heard of birder and artist John James Audubon, namesake of the Audubon Foundation. Audubon came to Florida twice while researching his epic "Birds of America." Our guest today, Kenn Kaufman, is one of America's great birders and author of “The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness.”Start you adventures birding around Florida with the Great Florida Birding Trail.Thanks again to all of our patr...
2024-06-1837 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 190: Tom PettyNow that his presidential campaign is over, Craig Pittman has some advice for Ron DeSantis.Warren Zanes played music with rock icon Tom Petty and was his friend for decades. He also wrote Petty's biography, "Petty: The Biography." Zanes joins us to discuss Gainesville's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
2024-02-0644 min
The Florida MadcapsInterview: Talkin' Manatees with Craig PittmanSend us a textThis week we discuss the plight of the manatees in Florida during the past, present, and future. Our guest Craig Pittman has written an eye-opening book called Manatee Insanity. He also has the Welcome to Florida (WTF) podcast with Chadd Scott.Welcome to Florida Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1169570A list of Craig's Books can be found at:https://craigpittman.com/Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign u...
2023-08-1631 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 162: Gulf Specimen Marine LaboratoryWhat is "environmental racism?" It goes on all over Florida (BIG SUGAR). Craig Pittman explains.Jack Rudloe has been observing marine life on the Gulf of Mexico around Panacea, FL since the 1950s. He's an author. An environmental activist. And founder of the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. We mention Jack's abuse at the hands of law enforcement; here's more information regarding local efforts to protect Wakulla Springs from development.Thank you PATRONS! For as little as $5 per month you can personally support our production of "Welcome to Florida" and receive regular bonus episodes...
2023-07-2552 min
Florida SpectacularEpisode 104: Insider Ocala: Glass Bottom Boats, Six-Gun Territory, and Harriet Beecher StoweSend us your Florida questions!Join Cathy and Rick as they venture through Ocala, making virtual stops at their favorite restaurants, natural areas, and roadside attractions. Along the way, discover (or re-discover) a central Florida Elvis movie, learn about the "wild west" in Florida, and find out which one of the podcast hosts is kin to Harriet Beecher Stowe.Links We MentionedAppleton MuseumBarberville ProduceCarney Island Recreation AreaCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott's "Welcome to Florida" podcastFlorida Trust f...
2023-05-0344 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 135: '72 Miami Dolphins (NFL's only unbeaten team)The governor is touting his environmental record again, to which Craig Pittman cries foul. Follow Chadd Scott's travel writing at "My Favorite Florida."Our guest this week is Marshall Jon Fisher, author of "Seventeen and Oh: Miami, 1972 and the NFL's Only Perfect Season." Fisher was a 9-year-old living in Miami in 1972 following the Dolphins success week-by-week with his father and brother. He recalls the games, and looks at the societal backdrop of Miami and America at this time which included Nixon's presidential re-election and the early phases of Watergate along with the late stages of t...
2023-01-1735 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 130: Jacksonville history and todayCraig Pittman is ON YOUR SIDE!Our guest is Florida Times-Union columnist Mark Woods. Find Mark's book, "Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks."In the episode we discuss:Jacksonville consolidationAxe Handle SaturdayNorman StudiosMandarin Museum
2022-12-1346 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 126: Florida Land PreservationWhat environmental problems would Craig Pittman like to see Ron DeSantis address in his second term as governor? These ones. Craig's not holding his breath.Our guest this week is Clay Henderson. His new book, "Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation" details the century-plus effort to conserve land in Florida for nature, recreation and human health.Another hurricane just hit Florida and if you managed to elude damage from both Ian and Nicole, chances are, you're next. Preparing for the unknowable, but inevitable is a major pain in the neck, but you...
2022-11-1543 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 123: The Allman BrothersCraig Pittman was recently invited by the New York Times to write an opinion column regarding Ron DeSantis' approach to combating climate change. It's a topic he has covered regularly at the Florida Phoenix.While better known for their connections to Macon, Georgia, the Allman Brothers were a Florida band, with brothers Duane and Gregg growing up in Daytona Beach and the band forming in Jacksonville. Bob Beatty is the author of a newly published book highlighting a critical moment in the band's rise to popularity, the recording of its live album in 1971. The book is titled, "...
2022-10-2535 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 120: A Land RememberedDevelopers and road builders want to plow through a state forest in the Panhandle to bring more people to the Gulf Coast.Patrick Smith wrote "A Land Remembered" in 1984. The historical fiction novel followed a Florida cracker family as it entered the state in the 1850s and successive generations went on to build a fortune here through ranching, citrus and land development. Countless people consider it the greatest piece of Florida fiction ever written.Patrick Smith's son Rick joins us on this episode of the podcast to discuss his father and the timeless book. Rick...
2022-10-0436 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 115: The KKK in FloridaThe Gas and Oil Party (GOP), wants Floridians to believe that it's possible to both promote drilling in the Gulf of Mexico AND protect Florida beaches from the inevitability of oil spills which is, of course, ridiculous.This week's guest is Jamin Wells a professor and researcher at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Wells is helping lead a project analyzing the deep involvement of one of Pensacola's most prominent historic citizens, T.T. Wentworth, in the Ku Klux Klan. Craig Pittman wrote about the subject in the summer of 2021 for Flamingo Magazine."Welcome...
2022-08-3039 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 114: Flamingos!Craig Pittman is taking after Ron DeSantis and "firing" people in state government he doesn't think are getting the job done.Our guest this week is flamingo researcher Tony Pernas. Pernas recently helped found the Florida Flamingos Working Group to help determine if flamingos are a native bird to Florida, or purely an exotic escapee and occasional migrant."Welcome to Florida" is presented by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which debuts its newest temporary exhibition, "Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West," on September 3, 2022. The first of its kind...
2022-08-2349 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 108: St. Pete PierThis week's episode is all about the St. Petersburg Pier where Craig Pittman was married! That was 30 years ago and took place at the "old" Pier, the inverted pyramid pier. This week, we're talking to Raul Quintana, St. Pete's city architect, who was instrumental in overseeing the planning, design and project management for the fabulous new St. Pete Pier which opened in summer of 2020.The all-new attraction features 26 acres of park, playground, beach and market on the city's picturesque waterfront. Visitors will find endless adventures and experiences from walking and biking to sunbathing and swimming at Spa...
2022-07-1243 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 105: John Muir in FloridaThe focus of this week's episode, John Muir, was well-known for getting outside. Taking long walks. Communing with nature. In a recent column, Craig Pittman encouraged state education officials and teachers to get kids in Florida outside, introduce them to the natural places around this state so they can better understand them, more deeply care about them, and, ultimately, more passionately protect them.One of the fathers of the conservation movement, John Muir, set out on a nearly 1,000 mile trek across the South in 1867. He started in Indiana, entered Florida at Fernandina Beach, and concluded his adventure...
2022-06-2146 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 101: The 1928 HurricaneYes, Florida has black bears, and yes, people are the greatest threat to their survival. We begin this week's episode with Craig Pittman's latest column which digs into bears, and bear poaching, in Florida.With hurricane season starting June 1, our guest this week is Eliot Kleinberg, author of "Black Cloud: The Great Florida Hurricane of 1928." The 1928 "Okeechobee Hurricane" remains the deadliest storm in Florida history... and little known about."Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For fine dining at an affordable price, visit Sarasota for Savor Sarasota June 1-14.
2022-05-3150 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 91: Florida Supreme Court (Scandal to Bush v. Gore)Our episode begins with a takedown by Craig Pittman of the Governor and state legislature for their inaction on protecting manatee.Our guest is recently retired Florida Supreme Court Director of Communications Craig Waters. Waters was the public spokesperson for the Court during its most high profile cases including the recount of 2000 presidential election.Follow the Florida Supreme Court on Facebook and Twitter. This week's show is presented by Visit Sarasota. Soak up the sun along Sarasota's white sand beaches. Treat yourself to diverse dining, enriching arts and culture, shopping districts of all s...
2022-03-2251 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 88: Bald eaglesThe most dangerous time of the year in Florida is whenever the state legislature is meeting. More proof of this came recently with a bomb tossed into years of careful planning for Everglades restoration by the Senate president who is bought and paid for by Big Sugar. Craig Pittman explains. Our guest this week is Jack Davis who joined the show about a year ago to discuss his Pulitzer Prize winning book about the Gulf of Mexico. Look through the archives for that one which is a favorite. His new book discusses the successful efforts to restore t...
2022-03-0141 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 82: Florida's state parksThis week's episode begins with a multi-hundred million dollar theft committed by the Florida state legislature.Our guest is recently retired director of the Florida State Parks Eric Draper. Craig Pittman recently featured Draper in his Florida Phoenix column and the threat climate change presents the parks. We discuss our favorite parks, other challenges facing the system and how the parks are funded.If you're interested in helping out at a state park in your area, there are numerous "friends" groups you can contact. The Florida State Parks Foundation is another citizen-run organization dedicated to...
2022-01-1851 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 79: DolphinsThis week's episode begins with our annual holiday tradition: Craig Pittman's favorite wacky headlines from the year gone by across Florida. Our guest this week is dolphin researcher Randy Wells who works for the Chicago Zoological Society out of offices in Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. Randy has been studying dolphins in and around Sarasota for over 50 years! Craig and Randy go way back as he has written about Randy's work previously. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For ecotours and dolphin watching out on Sarasota Bay, head to visitsarasota.com and check...
2021-12-2844 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 77: Florida's Sunshine LawThis week's episode begins with Craig Pittman telling us how the CIA took over Sanibel Island!Our guest this week is Pamela Marsh, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee, a non-profit group working to secure and enforce open government in the state of Florida. Our topic this week is the state's Sunshine Law which requires official government meetings be open to the public.In the episode, we mention a story from Madeira Beach you can read more about here, and a story from Sebastian you can read more about here....
2021-12-1451 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 71: Perversion of Justice - the Jeffrey Epstein storyThis week's episode begins with some Florida myth-busting from Craig Pittman.Our guest is author and Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie Brown. Brown's book "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story" helped bring some measure of accountability to Palm Beach resident Jeffrey Epstein following his years' long, worldwide sex trafficking ring which saw him rape dozens of underage girls.Brown continues to report on the case and ongoing legal proceedings for the Herald. Find her writing and insights on Twitter at @jkbjournalist.
2021-10-2643 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 66: Craig Pittman 'The State You're In'This week's episode is devoted to Craig Pittman's new non-fiction book, "The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and other Wildlife."Joining Chadd Scott this week to talk to Craig about the book is environmental journalist and author of The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans. Also: Mirage; Blue Revolution; and Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, long-listed for the National Book Award. Cynthia was our guest on "Welcome to Florida" episode #55 all about her seashell book.
2021-09-2143 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 55: Seashells!This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and his wife encountering red tide near their home in St. Petersburg.Our guest is Cynthia Barnett, author of the newly published book, "The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans." Cynthia has written numerous books about Florida's freshwater, but dives into the salt for the first time here. She is also an environmental journalism professor at the University of Florida living in Gainesville.
2021-07-0650 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 53: Betty Osceola and the Miccosukee TribeThis episode marks the one year anniversary of the "Welcome to Florida" podcast. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott look back at the first 52 episodes, highlighting some of the most memorable. All previous episodes, and the "Preview" episode which explains how "Welcome to Florida" came to be can be found in the archives.This week's guest is Miccosukee tribal elder Betty Osceola. Osceola works as an environmental advocate on behalf of her tribe and the Everglades and owns Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tours in the Glades. You can find Betty Osceola on Facebook as well as her Walk For...
2021-06-2250 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 42: Florida Scrub-JayThis week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest Florida Phoenix column highlighting the disastrous environmental impacts of the widely used herbicide/poison glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. Our guest is author, veterinarian and professor Mark Jerome Walters whose latest book, "Florida Scrub-Jay: Field Notes on a Vanishing Bird" was released in March of 2021. Mark has also authored "Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them" and "A Shadow and a Song: The Struggle to Save an Endangered Species," both of which are referenced in the episode.For more information about the effort to save...
2021-04-0646 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 41: Rewilding your yard with Jeff and Ann VanderMeerThis week's episode begins with more "bigfooting" by the state legislature, once again in the pocket of developers, attempting to curtail the amount of impact fees local municipalities have accessed homebuilders in order for them to build the infrastructure necessary for all the new residents. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott are joined this week by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer. The married couple live in Tallahassee. Jeff is the best selling author of the Southern Reach Trilogy (Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance). His new book is a thriller, "Hummingbird Salamander." In a wide ranging conversation, we discuss:
2021-03-3053 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 40: Dr. BeachThis week's episode begins with a look at why Florida's manatees are dying this winter at a rate which threatens the survival of the species. Craig Pittman's latest column for the Florida Phoenix digs in deep on the reasons, which are preventable.Craig's 2010 book "Manatee Insanity" goes even further in detailing the decades-long conservation effort in Florida to protect manatees, as well as calling out the people working against manatee protection.Our guest is Stephen Leatherman who you probably know as Dr. Beach. Each year he compiles a list of the 10 Best Beaches in the...
2021-03-2354 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 39: The Everglades and BIG SUGARThis week's episode starts with Craig Pittman sharing some of his favorite Florida Women from the state's history in recognition of Women's History Month. Follow Craig on Twitter and Facebook @CraigTimes and on Instagram @CraigPittman78 for more.Our guest this week is Amy Green, author of "Moving Water: The Everglades and Big Sugar." Amy's book, which published in March of 2021, takes a look at Big Sugar's influence on Everglades pollution and degradation, as well as Big Sugar's influence on Florida and national politics and efforts to repair the Everglades.If this topic interests, you, Craig...
2021-03-1653 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 37: The Gulf of MexicoThis week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott discussing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's unanimous ruling to ban the possession of a large number of non-native snakes and lizards in the hopes of avoiding their introduction into the state's ecosystem like as happened with the Burmese python and tegu lizard.Our guest is Jack Davis who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for nonfiction with his book, "The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea." Craig and Chadd discuss Jack's time on the Gulf, his perspectives on the uses and abuses of the Gulf...
2021-03-0248 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 36: Zora Neale HurstonThis week's episode begins with a song from Zora Neale Hurston, "Shove it Over." Throughout this week's show we'll be hearing songs from Hurston which can be found in the State Archives of Florida.Up next: cruise ships. Craig Pittman wrote recently how Republican state legislators are contradicting their so-called principles of "home rule" and "small government," trying to take away Key West's ability to limit the number of cruise ship passengers it receives in the future. In their haste to bow to the cruise ship industry's big money, however, they forgot one key point....
2021-02-2151 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 35: SHARKS!This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest story for the Florida Phoenix about the remarkable discovery of a new whale species in the Gulf of Mexico. The whale was washed up on a beach near the Florida Everglades allowing scientists to study the animal. In doing so, they determined it had died as the result of a piece of plastic cutting through its stomach. Single use plastics have become one of the greatest threats to the environment and animals globally, particularly fish and marine mammals. Learn more about the growing epidemic of plastic pollution and what...
2021-02-1646 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 34: Kelvin Hair and the Florida HighwaymenThis week's episode begins with Craig Pittman putting Ron DeSantis in the crosshairs over the governor's big talk and small action on protecting the state's water. If you'd like to learn more about the state's water quality problems, what causes them, what can be done to fix them, a previous episode all about the Floridan Aquifer does so in depth.This week's guest is artist Kelvin Hair. Kelvin is the son of Alfred Hair, one of the original, legendary, Florida Highwaymen painters. The Florida Highwaymen are the subject of an exhibition on now at the Tampa Museum...
2021-02-0941 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 33: Panther biologist Deborah JansenThis week's episode focuses on two of Florida's - and the nation's - most endangered species. First up, Craig Pittman tells us about recovery efforts for the Florida grasshopper sparrow which he detailed in a recently released story for "National Geographic."From the very small to the very big, Craig and Chadd Scott are then joined by Florida panther biologist Deborah Jansen, a key figure in Craig's book about the heroic efforts to save the panther against the forces of development and government in "Cat Tale." "Cat Tale" was the genesis for the "Welcome to...
2021-02-0244 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 32: Daytona Beach, Bill France and the origins of NASCARCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing Craig's hope for a modern-day Richard Nixon (???) to save Florida from the disastrous M-CORES project, better known as the "Roads to Ruin." He explains the connection.Chadd highlights a project working to secure American Beach's historic character and how you can help.This week's guest is Neal Thompson, author of "Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR." Neal talks about Bill France, how France organized NASCAR in Daytona Beach in 1947 from its bootlegging roots, and how it's evolved since t...
2021-01-2643 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 31: Cockroaches!In what is sure to be the grossest episode of "Welcome to Florida" yet, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin by discussing Craig's latest story for the Florida Phoenix which focuses on a toxic sludge disposal facility in Lakeland, aptly called the BS Ranch, that has neighbors upset and is looking to renew its permit to handle 5,000 tons of sludge PER DAY!From there, Dr. Roberto M. Pereira joins us. He specializes in urban entomology, conducting research on different aspects of the biology and control of cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, flies, mosquitoes and other insects that live...
2021-01-1932 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 30: Con Men (Lt. Commander Bobby Thompson)Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking briefly about the history of con men in Florida, the attempted overthrow of the federal government last week by white nationalists which prominently featured a Florida Man, and Craig's latest Florida Phoenix article about ecological catastrophe caused by a paper mill on the Fenholloway River in Perry.This week's guest is Jeff Testerman, a now-retired former investigative reporter at the St. Petersburg Times (before it became the Tampa Bay Times) whose background as a mortgage banker gave him a unique ability among reporters to follow a paper...
2021-01-1246 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 29: America's most evil sheriff: Lake County's Willis McCallThis episode begins with exciting news about "Welcome to Florida's" first sponsor, Hipcamp. Hipcamp is a growing community of respectful people looking to get outside for camping, glamping, and RV stays on private land. Anyone with a property that helps people connect with nature can be a Hipcamp Host. Landowners across Florida are earning up to $1,000 a month. It’s free to list and Hipcamp takes care of everything including liability insurance! All you need is a flat spot where someone can pitch a tent or park an RV.Got a place to shar...
2021-01-0552 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 28: Triumph and Tragedy on Henry Flager's Over-Seas RailroadThis week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" begins with great news for Florida's critically endangered grasshopper sparrow. Being Florida, the story of course involves a long and twisty road with no shortage of "colorful" characters who Craig Pittman introduces us to.Craig and Chadd Scott's guest this week is Les Standiford, author of "Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean."Standiford provides the definitive account of an essential Florida story featuring one of the state's most prominent figures, an engineering marvel and a deadly...
2020-12-2937 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 27: Jacksonville and the Roots of Southern RockMerry Christmas everyone. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" with unusual ways in which the holiday has been celebrated around the state.20 years ago, a multi-billion dollar, bipartisan, multi-agency, decades-long plan to restore the Everglades to a more natural water flow and ecology was signed by President Bill Clinton and hailed as a fix for what ailed the 'Glades and a model of future ecosystem-scale conservation and environmental restoration globally. Since then, hardly a fraction of what was envisioned has been completed. Craig wrote about this in the Florida Phoenix...
2020-12-2242 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 26: Miami 1980: Riots, Refugees and CocaineThis week's episode begins with Craig Pittman offering advice to Governor Ron DeSantis. Craig and Chadd Scott are joined by Nicholas Griffin, author of, "The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees and Cocaine in Miami 1980." Griffin's book shares the remarkable, harrowing and history-altering interconnected stories of Cuba's Marielitos, the largest mass migration event in U.S. history, the explosion of the cocaine trade, and the race riots spawned by the acquital of four Miami-Dade police officers following their beating to death of Black resident Arthur McDuffie, all of which shook Miami to its foundations over a matter...
2020-12-1554 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 25: Landscape photographer Clyde ButcherCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking about the return of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to public view following a month in hiding. Craig and Chadd discuss the governor's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.This week's guest is renowned Florida landscape photographer Clyde Butcher, Clyde has been photographing the state for 30 years and shares his favorite spots to shoot, tips for hobbyist photographers, and how his career led him into environmental activism.
2020-12-0842 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 24: Tarpon fishing ('Lords of the Fly')Craig Pittman shares good environmental news with Chadd Scott to begin this episode and the two discuss a quirky feature of Fernandina Beach's local government.This week's guest is best-selling author Monte Burke whose latest book, "Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon," dives into the tarpon fly fishing craze around Homosassa in the early 1980s. From Flip Pallot, to Ted Williams, Jimmy Buffett to a hardened gangster, everyone wanted to take a crack at landing a world record tarpon on fly tackle.
2020-12-0136 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 23: Immigration (Cubans, Minorcans, Greeks, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Sicilians)Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this Thanksgiving Week episode discussing their favorite holiday traditions before engaging in a conversation with historian and author Gary Mormino about the influence immigrants have had, and continue to have, on Florida.Mormino is the author of "The Immigrant World of Ybor City: Italians and their Latin Neighbors in tampa, 1885-1985."
2020-11-2437 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 22: Florida TV showsCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott take a break from the anxiety of 2020 to discuss their favorite Florida TV shows and the shows which have shaped the state's image. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans joins to discuss everything from "I Dream of Jeannie" to "Miami Vice," "Golden Girls," "Dexter" and "Siesta Key."Remember to follow Craig on Twitter and Facebook @CraigTimes and Chadd on Twitter @ChaddScott.
2020-11-1743 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 21: Election analysis and the Miami Book FairCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this episode of "Welcome to Florida" discussing the 2020 election in Florida, why Trump took the state, where the Democrats failed and what it means moving forward.This week's guest is Mitchell Kaplan, co-founder of the Miami Book Fair which begins November 15, the most prestigious litterary event in the country. Mitchell is a long-time Miami resident and owner of Books and Books bookstore. We discuss Miami's turnaround, why the fair and his shop have done so well in Miami, and he shares stories of Hunter S. Thompson and Judy Bloom. ...
2020-11-1048 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 20: Presidents at work and at play in FloridaThis week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" releases on Super Tuesday! As Floridans go the the polls and await the outcome, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott share their voting experiences from this year and years previous. This week's guest is UCF historian Jim Clark. Jim has authored several books on Florida history, including "Presidents in Florida." That's what we're talking about this week. From Andrew Jackson to Donald Trump, Harry Truman's "Little White House" and the seeds of Watergate, we trace Florida's history from presidential afterthought to presidential essential.Throughout election week, Craig will be...
2020-11-0336 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 19: Discovering forgotten cemeteriesOn this week's Halloween-themed episode, Craig Pittman shares Florida ghost stories before Craig and Chadd Scott talk with Tampa Bay Times reporter Paul Guzzo who has done outstanding work finding lost cemeteries in the Bay Area.The episode wraps up with a discussion of Craig's recent "National Geographic" article surrounding the end of greyhound racing in Florida.
2020-10-2737 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 18: Presidential politicsThis week's episode, unfortunately, begins with bad news as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to begin water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Why does this happen and what makes this decision so environmentally ruinous? Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott explain.Gary Fineout from Politico.com is this week's guest. He has covered government and politics in Florida for almost 30 years. Gary discusses many of the key issues impacting how the presidential race in Florida will turn out focusing on Florida's ever-evolving demographics. Finally, Craig and Chadd share the story of their first...
2020-10-2047 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 17: HikingCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking about a strange obsenity case from Florida's past which is back in the news. They also help you make sense of the proposed amendments to the state constitution on this year's ballot.They're guests this episode are Sandra Friend and John Keatley. Sandra has written numerous guide books to hiking throughout Florida, she's logged almost 10,000 miles across the state on foot herself, and is the founder of FloridaHikes.com. John's a former NASA employee who's a Florida resident and has hiked, biked and paddled extensively around the...
2020-10-1344 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 16: Lisa Nowak the NASA love triangleIn 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak drove 900 miles to confront her lover's new lover in the parking lot of the Orlando airport. Then things really got weird, especially with the discovery of used diapers in her car.This episode of "Welcome to Florida" features Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott discussing the NASA love triangle which fed the tabloids and legitimate media for weeks, cast a harsh spotlight on NASA, and changed the way it psychologically profiles astronauts with Kimberly Moore, author of "Starcrossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak." Craig and Chadd also discuss NASA's history in...
2020-10-0844 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 15: Religion - Billy Graham, Jim Bakker and the Cult of Cyrus TeedOne of the many histories explored in Craig Pittman's great book on the state of Florida, "Oh, Florida!," is Florida's checkered history of religion. Billy Graham found his calling here. Martin Luther King was arrested here. Jim Bakker visited Florida for illicit sexual affairs.Craig and Chadd Scott discuss these events on their way to being joined by this episode's guest, Lyn Millner, author of "The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp and a Renegade Prophet." Millner's book recalls the Koreshan cult, which, among other things, believed the earth was hollow and that their...
2020-10-0137 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 14: Cigar City MafiaCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing the latest environmental nightmare Floridians, and Florida Panthers, have to worry about.This week's guest is Scott Deitche, author of "Cigar City Mafia" and numerous other books about the mob. He shares details and stories about the Mafia's involvement in Florida politics and gambling. The Mob was big in Tampa and South Florida, starting in the 1930s when they moved in on the locals who were bootlegging and running the bolita racket during Prohibition. In the 1950s, when the Kefauver Committee held hearings here, Senate investigators found...
2020-09-2428 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 13: The Florida House, Florida's embassy in Washington, D.C.This episode of "Welcome to Florida" was recorded hours after the attempted murder of Jacob Blake by police officers in Chadd Scott's home state of Wisconsin. Chadd and Craig Pittman discussed the shooting and their reactions to it, how Trayvon Martin's murder was the catalyst for Craig's book "Oh, Florida!" and why the Florida Department of Environmental Protection doesn't protect Florida's environment.This week's guest is Diana Beckman, executive director at the Florida House, Florida's embassy in Washington, D.C. Florida is the only state with an embassy! Why does it need one? What takes place there...
2020-09-1736 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 12: The Floridan AquiferThe Floridan Aquifer is one of the most amazing natural resources in the world, producing eight billion gallons of fresh water daily! Julie Hauserman joins Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott to discuss her book, "Drawn to the Deep: The Remarkable Underwater Explorations of Wes Skiles," which examines the aquifer, one of it's greatest champions - Wes Skiles - and the threats it faces.
2020-09-1037 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 6: Walking across Florida with Lawton Chiles and Kent RussellCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott recall the story of former Florida governor "Walkin'" Lawton Chiles and how he helped inspire author Kent Russell to similarly walk across Florida. Russell shares the story of his journey in the new book, "In the Land of Good Living: A Journey to the Heart of Florida." This episode also features Craig explaining old-time Florida lingo such as "Florida cracker," "he-coon," and "worm gruntin.'"
2020-07-3037 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 2: Florida's Civil Rights history and American BeachCraig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this episode discussing a personal experience with white supremacy as Black Lives Matter protests and the nation's history of racial inequality fill our consciousness. Craig shares stories of Florida's Civil Rights past including details about the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr. in St. Augustine. The episode concludes with a conversation with Marsha Dean Phelts, author of "An American Beach for African Americans." Marsha grew up in Jacksonville visiting American Beach as a child. Why is American Beach important? Because the beach and community on Amelia Island was the...
2020-07-0251 minWelcome to FloridaEpisode 1: ALLIGATORS!J.R. Greene enjoys taking "Sweetie," the blind, 6-foot rescue alligator he cares for at Jungle Adventures wildlife park in Christmas, Florida to the Florida Key Lime Pie Store in Cocoa Beach. Despite her name, Sweetie does not eat pie.A photo of Sweetie and J.R. at the Pie Store went viral recently as a classic, "only in Florida" sighting. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott talk to J.R. about how citizens in Florida share the state with alligators, safety tips for dealing with alligators, alligators' surprising comeback story in Florida and what to see and d...
2020-06-2525 min
Welcome to FloridaWelcome to Florida: PreviewMeet best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman who is joined by radio personality Chadd Scott for the preview episode of "Welcome to Florida." In this series, Craig and Chadd will explore Florida's history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness.Meet Craig and Chadd as they discuss what they love most about Florida and how they came together to create the "Welcome to Florida" podcast.
2020-06-1820 min