SoFlo Weird Show

Two fantastic, dark, and eerie stories are featured in Freaky Fiction. The first is Deb Rogers' debut novel, Florida Woman. It's the story of one woman's journey to redemption after going viral for committing an outrageous crime she never intended to commit. When she seizes the opportunity to redeem herself by volunteering at a monkey sanctuary, she soon realizes something far more sinister is going on and wonders if she is in more danger than she was before. We interviewed Deb at the Miami Book Fair to talk about the inspiration behind this intriguing tale. Then, we read Bob Carr's Conch Chowder, a deliciously good story about friends, fishing and tasty conch chowder with a mysterious secret ingredient. Sometimes you just don't want to know how it's made.

One town in Florida has a rich history and unsolved mysteries. There are miles of tunnels beneath the city that may have been used for smuggling, cigars once held secret messages with instructions to launch the Cuban rebellion against Spain and there's a park belonging to Cuba with rogue chickens running wild. This is Ybor City, Tampa’s premier historic district. This gem of a city has a unique and twisted past. In our final episode from our Tampa trip, we speak with Gary Mormino, one of the foremost authorities on Florida history and culture, to get the inside scoop on the city's roots.

The SoFlo Weird Street Team met up with award winning author and reporter Craig Pittman, at the Miami Book Fair. Pittman, a Florida native, worked for The Tampa Bay Times, where his environmental reporting garnered him multiple regional and national honors. He is the co-host of the Welcome to Florida podcast and the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida! How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country. The Florida Heritage Book Festival named him a Florida Literary Legend in 2020. We spoke with Craig about his work, what he enjoys about this strange and bizarre state and his book Manatee Insanity: Inside The War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species.

In another installment of our SoFlo Weird Street Team Tampa Trip we explore the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. Taking up an entire city block at 52,000 square feet, which includes 6,000 just for the kitchen, and seating for up to 1,700 people, the Columbia holds the title for the largest Spanish Restaurant in the world. Over 100 years old and with 5 generations of family run ownership, we sat down with the current owner and operator Andrea Gonzmart Williams of the Columbia Restaurant Group to discuss the trials, tales and success of this Tampa gem.

The SoFlo team met Brian Kramer and Donna Lyman of Paranormal Adventures on a late-night ghost hunt at the St Augustine Lighthouse. They discuss their investigations and give tips on what they've learned on their paranormal journey as the busiest ghost chasers in Florida. What's strange is how their interest in ghost hunting began. Then we highlight a few of Florida's apparitions, Specters, and Spirits.

The SoFlo Weird Team hit the streets of Tampa to explore it's sordid past. Historic Ybor City was once a hotbed for criminal activity during prohibition, only second to New York City. From bolita and bootlegging to a turf war that led to the Era of Blood, we sought to get the real scoop on the seedier side of Tampa’s history with mob expert, author and historian, Scott Deitche. Then, we take a look at the women who had an active role in Tampa’s old bolita lotteries in Tales From The Vice Squad.

Neighbor disputes date back centuries to the time of early settlements. You can bet that in our colorful state of Florida, those disagreements can get downright absurd. We've got several stories about those jerks who will do just about anything to infuriate their neighbor. From famous cases of unsightly spite walls, to fighting off attack chickens and an assault with a bucket of pee, you'll quickly realize whatever you're fighting about with your neighbor isn't so bad. Historian Casey Piket joins us to discuss examples of spite wall brawls in Miami, and contributor Michelle McArdle shares stories of bad behavior from nasty neighbors. This is so bizarre, you'll think we made it up.

One of America's favorite pastimes has always been the circus. And dominating that entertainment spectacle were the larger than life circus kings PT Barnum, James Bailey and John Ringling. Independently they competed for control of the American Circus; together they created the Greatest Show On Earth and captivated the nation. Best selling author Les Standiford brings to life this remarkable story and shines a spotlight on Florida's circus scene is his book Battle For The Big Top.

Florida is famous for its magical theme parks and pristine beaches, but for those who seek adventure off the beaten path, there is a fantastic resource offering a daily look into the hidden gems you can find only in your state. Marisa Roman, a travel writer, will share some highlights from her Florida explorations as we delve deep into our state's urban legends and hauntings. Her work appears in the travel publication Only In Your State, which shines a spotlight on those roads less traveled and unique natural wonders in each of the country's 50 distinctive states. Then, we veer off onto those byways and side streets to talk about Florida's foreboding roadways where unexplained phenomena occur.

Our adventures in Key Largo take us to Mile Marker 100, where a special piece of film history floats along the dock next to the Holiday Inn. It's the iconic African Queen, the real boat on which movie legends Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart navigated their way through the Congo River in 1951 when filming the movie of the same name. The SoFlo team jumped onboard for this immersive history lesson. We also feature the haunting tales from the Titanic Artifact Exhibition in Orlando where restless spirits reside.

The SoFlo Weird Street Team headed to Key Largo Florida in search of a one of a kind real treasure, an underwater hotel located 25 feet deep on the ocean floor in a mangrove lagoon. The Jules Undersea Lodge, a unique underwater sanctuary, is available for overnight stays. Imagine sleeping with the fishes and getting pizza delivered to your room! The Lodge, which first served as a marine research lab, is nearly 50 years old and has hosted some interesting visitors. We documented this adventure with a mother and her young son for 2 days to understand the experience.

To find the true essence of Florida you must be willing to travel it’s backroads, coastal regions and swamps to immerse yourself deep within it’s communities. That's just what author Tyler Gillespie did. In his latest book "The Thing About Florida" – Gillespie journeys to unexpected places such as halfway houses, gator pits, rattlesnake rooms, and clothing-optional campgrounds, where he meets eclectic and unconventional Floridians. He talks about his interviews with storm chasers, Civil War re-enactors, cattle ranchers, drag queens, python hunters, and pet smugglers in his quest to explore our misunderstood state. And if that's not weird enough, we look into the story of a snake-handling preacher, who spread this venomous gospel throughout Florida to deadly results. Then from the pages of Weird Florida, we read about Cassadaga, The Psychic Capitol of the World.

These crimes predate the Florida Man phenom, but back in the day, there were brazen thieves with catchy nicknames like Gentle Jim, The Kissing Bandit and Murph The Surf. We meet up with historian and fellow podcaster Casey Piket, who discusses some strange crimes that occurred in the Miami Brickell neighborhood over a three-decade period, one that includes a likeable thief named Gentle Jim. Then, there's my own personal account of being robbed by a petty thief who puckers up for his prize. And finally, the story of the man behind America's biggest jewel heist of the 20th Century. This is the stuff of movies!

Outta time brings on a whole meaning when we discuss the mystery of time slips, a phenomenon that happens when a moment from the past spontaneously intrudes on the present through seemly-unexplained means. There are numerous documented cases around the world where this has happened. We talk about this mystery with archaeologist Bob Carr who has experienced this firsthand. He talks about the time he and a coworker were inadvertently transported 60 years into the past.

Florida is home to some pretty weird wildlife. Aside from our state's mascot, the gator, there are West African Monkeys residing in a mangrove swamp between Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale Airport. These playful primates have been living there since the 1950's and are actually the descendants of monkeys that escaped a local farm. To find out how they got here and why, we talk with Dr. Missy Williams of the Dania Beach Vervet Project. Then we feature a story about the Great Toad Invasion of 1982.

The SoFlo Weird Street Team hit the road and headed to Lake Wales, home of the most beautiful and unique sanctuary you'll ever see, Bok Tower Gardens. This National Historic Landmark is a 250-acre contemplative garden and nature preserve with a Neo Gothic singing tower located on top of Iron Mountain. Join us as we talk with Erica Smith about Bok Tower’s history and the preservation efforts going on in these majestic gardens. Then, we share stories about two other Florida Botanical wonders; the mysterious Torreya tree that may have ties to the Garden of Eden and the Saw Palmetto plant, which natives and pioneers used as cure all and an aphrodisiac.

In this special episode we celebrate Miami's 125th Anniversary with historian Cesar A. Becerra as he reveals some very interesting facts about the birth of Miami. Cesar's book, Orange Blossom 2.0 tells the untold story of Miami's "other" Mother Mary Brickell, a woman who has been ghosted in the city's history. We dig deep to find out why Mary has been marginalized for so long and in true Miami fashion, there's politics, greed, jealousy and of course, slick marketing.

The SoFlo Weird team dive into the murky history of the Bermuda Triangle, that infamous part of the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico. A place riddled with mystery and intrigue, as it has been a place where many ships and planes have gone missing without a trace. Then we feature one of the spookiest urban legends in Florida, the Carnivorous Pink Clouds that hover in the woods along the Tamoka River. Legend has it that this strange fog eats human flesh and the only thing left is bones.

We discuss the in-depth history of Jacksonville’s Southern Rock Music scene with media historian and author Dr. Michael Ray FitzGerald. In his book "Jacksonville and The Roots of Southern Rock" he shines a light on the artists and songs that powered a phenomenon. Despite differences in musical tastes, the success of homegrown bands like the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd, paved the way for Southern Rock.

The SoFlo Weird team looks into shock entertainment, those live circus side show attractions that featured human oddities and bizarre performances, Freak Shows as they were once called. This live entertainment drew crowds like a moth to a flame... But what happened after the curtain fell was most shocking of all. We will also dive into the amazing act of Harry Wise the Ghost Master of Horror Shows, who took his secrets to his grave.