Florida Coaster Club – Lots of people enjoy riding roller coasters, but only a select few seem to enjoy it as much as the members of the Florida Coaster Club. This band of thrill seekers gets their adrenaline fix by riding the country’s newest, tallest, fastest and scariest coasters over and over (and over) again. New Florida tags along as Club members get their hearts racing on Universal Studio’s high-tech “Hulk” and Dania Beach’s old-fashioned wooden “Hurricane.”

Bear Cubs – After they witnessed their mother’s death in a car accident, the two orphaned brothers from Maine were welcomed with open arms in Palm Beach County. The fact that they were black bears, and their adopted home was the Palm Beach County Zoo at Dreher Park, makes the story no less touching. New Florida pays the cuddly bear cubs a visit to see how they’re adjusting to their new home.

Spanish Monastery – In North Miami Beach, just a quarter mile from a busy fast food strip, sits a surprisingly serene sanctuary: the Spanish Monastery. Though it has existed in that location for only half a century, the Monastery is, in fact, ancient. Originally erected in Spain in the 12th century, the stunning structure was purchased by an American millionaire in the 1900’s, dismantled stone by stone, and transported to Florida. Here, during a reconstruction gone awry, it came to be known as the most expensive jigsaw puzzle in the world. Now, New Florida visits the Monastery to hear the fascinating tale of its resurrection.

Under the Microscope – These days, it seems like every other program on television showcases forensic scientists or criminal investigators solving crimes. But is their work really so fascinating – or so easy? New Florida visits the labs of Florida International University’s Graduate Forensic Science Program to find out.

Back on Track – When the curator of the South Florida Railway Museum discovered a 1950’s-era caboose rusting away on the side of the road, it gave him a curious notion. Why not restore the dilapidated caboose to its former splendor and use it as a beacon to lure train lovers to the museum? New Florida meets this imaginative curator and follows the caboose as it begins its journey from rust to renewal.

Indian Canal – West of Lake Okeechobee, near the town of Moore Haven, a 1,700-year old canal system lies hidden by scrub palmetto. There, long before cranes and backhoes would make the digging of a canal seem feasible, Native Americans dug these deep trenches using handmade tools of wood and shell. New Florida visits this historic site to bear witness to what the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy is calling an “engineering marvel.”

 

 

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