Cathy Salustri knows Florida like few others.
For his master’s thesis under his adviser, the great Gary MorminoSalustri traveled nearly 5,000 miles retracing the WPA Federal Writer’s Project Guide’s drive-thru tours of Florida’s forgotten destinations, which became a travel book titled “The roads of paradise.”
- She’s been a freelance writer here for years, and during the pandemic Salustri bought the Gulfport Weekly The Gabber. She also writes a Florida Bulletin.
So we asked Salustri, “What is your favorite Florida…”
To stroll: I love the back streets of Gulfport. You learn so much about a community by what it doesn’t show to the rest of the world
Raise: It’s like asking me to choose a favorite cheese. … I love to walk Lake Dixie at Lake Louisa State Parkbecause even though the park has removed most of the citrus due to greening, there’s still a wild bitter orange tree there, and even though it’s probably not legal, I’ll take some oranges for a pie or sour orange margaritas.
Body of water: florida bay. Especially on a boat. Bonus points if I take my dinner on this boat.
Beach: It’s a stalemate between St. George’s Island State Park and Grayton Beach State Park. People call it “sugar sand” but it’s not true; it’s more like Bisquick – soft and powdery.
City park: Fort of Soto. I am grateful every day that Pinellas County had the foresight to turn these five keys into a park.
Outdoor dining area: Kayaking on a river. I learned a long time ago how to make a veggie burger, wrap it in foil, and when I’m ready to eat, put it on my bow for the sun to warm it up. Elsewhere: Lazy days in Islamorada. There is a fish market downstairs and a small beach.
Equipment piece: The search app. As an undergrad at the time, I had a great teacher, Dr. Jerry Smith, who taught “Identifying Florida Biota” – he could name any tree, lichen, or animal in Florida. Having this app with me is like having it in my pocket.
Ideal zone: It’s more of a soft experience. I call him the Oolite Slide, and it starts as I turn onto US 41 just north of Collier Seminole State Park.
- While I’m driving, civilization crumbles and the world shows its wild side as I slip to the edge of North America. It lasts until the top of the Bridge Sound Cardwhere I disappear into the limestone world of the Florida Keys.
