Florida Authentica: Your field guide to the unique, eccentric, and natural marvels of the real Sunshine State
Ron Wiggins, a features and travel columnist for the Palm Beach Post for 33 years, grew up in Gainesville, FL where he graduated in journalism before working for the Orlando Sentinel and the St. Petersburg Times. He was twice named best columnist by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors while in St. Petersburg and at The Post. His two-year series of Florida's "bucket list" stories and photos was slated for publication in book form until the economic slump put such projects on the shelf. Ron retired in 2006 and last year updated his 52 favorite stories and self-published "Florida Authentica"  in spring of 2012. In an interview by The Palm Beach Daily News Ron said: "My hope was to persuade readers to erupt out of their arm chairs and go out into the real Florida and get their feet muddy up to their necks."