Backroads of Paradise

In the 1930s, the Federal Writers' Project sent mostly anonymous writers into the depths of Florida to reveal its splendor to the world. The FWP and the State of Florida jointly published the results as Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State, which included twenty-two driving tours of the state's main roads. Retracing the original routes in the Guide, Cathy Salustri rekindles our notions of paradise by bringing a modern eye to the historic travelogues.

Salustri's 5,000-mile road trip reveals a patchwork quilt of Florida cultures. The journey begins on US 98, heading west toward the Florida/Alabama state line, where coastal towns dot the roadway. Along US 17, she stops at Florida's oldest diner and visits a collection of springs interconnected by underwater mazes tumbling through white spongy limestone, before stopping in Arcadia, where men still bring cattle to auction.

Woven through these journeys are nuggets of history, environmental debates about Florida's future, and a narrative that combines humor with a strong affection for an oft-maligned state.

Today, Salustri urges, tourists need a new nudge to get off the interstates or away from Disney in order to discover the real Florida.