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.

Tourism and agriculture have always been the backbone of Florida's economy. Primarily people flocked to our shores to escape cold northern winters, but weather was not the only reason. It seems there is something in our natural spring water and there's plenty to go around as Florida has more springs than any other place on earth. In the Gilded Age, it was promoted heavily like some kind of magical elixir to heal almost any disease, from Typhoid to TB. We discuss this little known time in history with Rick Kilby author of Florida's Healing Waters. Then we look into the whereabouts of Florida's true Fountain of Youth.

If you've ever thought of just getting away from it all, there is a secluded island located off of Florida's Forgotten Coast. Dog Island is part nature preserve and part home for very resourceful residents. It is amenity deprived, hurricane prone and only accessible by plane or boat. This ancient paradise has a history dating back 8,000 years. We meet up with author Laura Valeri who talks about the island's wild beauty as well as its extremely fragile state. Then we go through Florida's back roads to the small town of Two Egg, to find out the origins of how it got its name.

On the menu...creamed rattlesnake meat, possum stew and anti-aging pancakes.  SoFlo Weird Contributor Michelle McArdle and I are dishing up the dirt on these Florida-centric foods and some weird dining experiences.  Should you wish to feast with magical creatures or spirits of a different kind, we've got the goods on where to go that are out of this world.

Imagine walking through the entire state of Florida for four months. That's just what author Kent Russell did and documented in his book "In The Land of Good Living: A Journey To The Heart of Florida". Intent on making a film, he and two of his friends embarked on a thousand mile pedestrian journey pushing a shopping cart full of gear and camping along the roadside reducing themselves to filthy drifters. The mayhem that ensues had them loving and loathing Florida, but what they discovered was the true story of our state. Then we offer up places you can visit in 5 regions of Florida should you be searching for your own weird journey.