Ohio Off the Beaten Path

Florida Curiosities is your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Sunshine State has to offer. Columnists David Grimes and Tom Becnel have combed Florida for one-of-a-kind gems that make their home state truly unique. You'll meet a 1,000-pound Bradenton bachelor named Snooty (a celebrity manatee) and a ninety-one-year old snake charmer from Punta Gorda. You'll hunt for the Bardin Booger and learn all the lyrics to the Booger ballad. You'll visit the Tito Gaona Trapeze Academy in Venice, where you can get in on the act. You'll go worm fiddling and try kudzu growing (best left to the professionals). You'll discover Big Daddy Don Garlits's drag racing museum in Ocala. And where else but in Florida would you find a museum dedicated to air-conditioning. Whether you were born and raised in Florida or are a recent transplant, Grimes and Becnel's home-grown humor will have you laughing out loud as they introduce you to neighbors you never knew you had and take you to places you never knew existed -- right in your own backyard. Book jacket.