The Laker/Lutz News

St. Augustine

Wesley Chapel couple launches tourism-themed podcast

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Wesley Chapel’s Andy and Shannon Herbon love exploring Florida — then sharing those experiences with anybody who’ll listen.

As often as they can, the Herbons and their two young children venture across the state to visit theme parks and state parks, beaches, springs and waterfalls, hidden gems and other attractions.

Andy Herbon, left, and Shannon Herbon recently created a Florida tourism-related podcast, ‘Sunshine State of Mind.’ From hidden gems and state parks, to beaches and theme parks, Shannon and Andy discuss, review and debate all the wonderful (and occasionally weird) destinations and tourism news throughout the state.
(Courtesy of Andy and Shannon Herbon)

From the Florida Panhandle, to St. Augustine, to Miami — they’ll go just about anywhere to seek out fun, meaningful adventures.

“We live in paradise, so take advantage of it,” Shannon said.

The married couple’s interest in traveling the state recently sparked the idea to create a Florida tourism-themed podcast called, “Sunshine State of Mind,” that focuses on activities, events and destinations around the state.

The free, weekly podcast launched in April and has 18 episodes to date.

“We’d always be doing stuff on the weekends and friends would ask us for tips…and we kind of got to be real pros at what do around Florida, and we said, ‘Well, why don’t we do a podcast about this?’” Andy explained.

The couple got the extra motivation they needed to start recording as Shannon was wrapping up her master’s degree in digital media this spring from University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

She figured a podcast would make for the perfect thesis project.

They’ve been recording ever since, making it a regular part of their weekly routine, from their home studio. “After you do it, it kind of gives you a little buzz, like, ‘Yeah, that was fun,’” Andy said of podcasting.

In each episode, which run about 40 minutes, Shannon and Andy discuss, review and debate destinations and tourism news throughout the state.

Podcast topics have included “Our Summer 2018 Bucket List,” “Ten Amazing Places Floridians Don’t Want You to Know About,” “Ten Tips for Saving Money at Walt Disney World,” and “Florida Tourist Trap Alternatives.”

Said Andy, “People love lists. It’s a way to break it down easy – easy to digest.”

Other episodes have been reviews of entertainment venues such as TopGolf, Legoland Florida and other spots along the Interstate 4 corridor.

Yet, the podcasters don’t just focus on major tourist attractions such as Disney World, Busch Gardens or Universal Studios, nor the state’s collection of well-known beaches.

They also like to dive deep into lesser-known locales, such as Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Micanopy, known for its bison and wild horses; Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, a contemplative garden and bird sanctuary; and, Devil’s Den Spring in Williston, where divers, swimmers and snorkelers travel in an underground spring inside a dry cave.

Locally, they’ll share tips and ideas about some of their regular adventure staples like Hillsborough River State Park and Lettuce Lake Park.

Sometimes the banter comically spreads to other Florida-related topics, such as to whether the state truly can be considered part of the South.

Andy and Shannon happen to be at opposite ends of that debate.

“It’s the south, geographically, but culturally it’s not the South,” says Andy, who moved to Tampa from Chicago in 2001.

Shannon quickly counters, as a sixth generation Floridian born in Tampa and raised in Land O’ Lakes: “My argument is that just because all of the northerners came and invaded doesn’t mean that those of us from Florida aren’t Southern.”

This podcast is picking up listeners
Lighthearted quibbles aside, “Sunshine State of Mind” has steadily grown in popularity.

Sunshine State of Mind, a Florida tourism podcast that focuses on fun and exciting things to do throughout the state of Florida, was launched in April by Wesley Chapel residents Andy and Shannon Herbon. The free, weekly podcast is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean and TuneIn.

After telling several friends and family members about the podcast, word-of-mouth eventually spread to complete strangers, many who’ve come to use it as a resource for upcoming vacations to Florida.

The podcast has a 5-star peer review rating (the highest possible rating) on iTunes among 34 reviewers.

Each episode has averaged anywhere between 150 to 200 downloads, Shannon said.

The most popular episode is “Ten Tips for Saving Money at Walt Disney World” with more than 300 downloads, closely followed by “Our Summer of 2018 Bucket List.”

Also, the podcast’s official Twitter page has nearly 3,000 followers and YouTube page has more than 1,400 subscribers.

“It’s been a lot more successful off the beginning than we thought,” Andy said, noting the number of listeners increases each week.

Shannon added: “Every once in a while when we do hear from strangers it’s like, ‘Wow, people are actually listening! What a thought?’ It’s kind of surreal because it’s only been a couple of months.”

Living in a subtropical state where others vacation is something the Herbons try not to take for granted, especially Andy, who came from the cold Midwest.

He explained: “Up there you’re stuck indoors six months out of the year and you really can’t do anything, and here, the festival season is great here during the winter time; there’s just so much to do all the time.”

Added Shannon: “(Andy) kind of opened my eyes to, ‘Wow, we really do have amazing things here,’ because to him, it was all new…”

They try to instill the same mindset into their kids, who are ages 10 and 11.

Said Shannon, “We don’t want them indoors, on their screens all day. We want them outdoors, experiencing Florida, having fun and being active…”

For families looking to get their kids out of the house this summer, Andy and Shannon highly recommend a visit to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, in Spring Hill.

The park, which opened in 1947, is renowned for its live mermaid shows, river boat cruises, animal shows and Florida’s only spring-fed water park, Buccaneer Bay.

“I feel like it’s so underrated,” Andy said of Weeki Wachee.

“It’s such a great park,” Shannon added. “It’s very ‘Old Florida’, like ‘Old Florida’ nostalgia. They have the waterpark, which is included with the admission, and you can swim in a spring; it’s beautiful.”

For information on Sunshine State of Mind, visit SunshineStatePodcast.com or email the Herbons at

Published July 11, 2018

McDonald’s, office structure planned for Connerton area

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People waiting for a new McDonald’s restaurant on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard may not have to wait much longer.

Planners are meeting with Pasco County officials this week to build a McDonald’s, as well as a 5,000-square-foot office building on the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Pleasant Plains Parkway. The nearly 6.5-acres of land is currently owned by Pasco Investment Land LLC of St. Augustine and FCPG R E Fund 09-03 LLC of Orlando.

Pasco Investment Land is affiliated with Hayman Woods, the current developer of Connerton. FCPG is run by Charles Mitchell Jr. of Orlando. He is the president and owner of First Capital Property Group of Orlando, according to an online profile, a company he has owned for a little more than 19 years.

Mitchell is one of the people involved in the development of the property, as well as Stephanie Tyrrell, a construction manager for McDonald’s USA. It’s not clear if this will be a franchise location, and if so, who will own it. Ed Rogers of Heidt Design will function as the engineer of record, according to documents filed with Pasco County officials.

Once opened, this would be the 11th McDonald’s in Pasco, joining one franchised by Brickman Management Co., down the road at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54. The location would be near a SunTrust Bank, Subway, and a Walgreens.

A request for comment to Stew Gibbons with Connerton earlier this month was not returned. No timetable was released on when plans for the restaurant and office building will move forward.

Mariano calls artificial turf fields ‘mistake’

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Artificial turf fields are now being fast-tracked for Wesley Chapel District Park, but not before one Pasco County commissioner called the entire project a bad move.

Commissioners Tuesday approved a $1.9 million bid from Mainstay Construction Services to build a pair of 81,000-square-foot artificial turf fields for the park off Boyette Road. The decision, according to county tourist development official Ed Caum, will help keep an annual tournament at the park, and could attract others.

But the focus should not be on tourism, but instead providing services to the residents already living here, Commissioner Jack Mariano said. He wanted five or six grass fields constructed instead to help alleviate some of the crowding for soccer and lacrosse teams who say there is not enough room to accommodate everyone.

“I think you guys are making a huge mistake,” Mariano said. “Your own citizens have spoken.”

Fellow commissioner Ted Schrader, however, rebuffed Mariano, telling him that this is the same argument he brings up each time the artificial turf is discussed, and that Mariano is clearly in the minority on his position. However, Mariano presented a new letter from one of the tournament organizers saying they preferred five new grass fields over two artificial turf fields.

“We have been having this dialogue for some time, and the tournament officials are fully aware what we are planning there,” Schrader said. “This does not come as a surprise to them. We just need to move forward and get these fields constructed, and then we are going to expand it.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she empathized with Mariano, but the artificial turf fields were the better choice.

“I would like to add a lot more fields everywhere,” Starkey said. “We in the Trinity and West Pasco area have gone without fields for a long time.”

Maintaining five or six additional fields to tournament standards would be costly and difficult for the county with its current resources, county administrator Michele Baker said. Plus, the county is not abandoning the idea of adding more grass fields in the future — just not with tourism funds that are being used to construct these fields.

Six companies responded to the bid request, with the lowest coming from JCT Development of Dunedin. However, the company didn’t complete its necessary paperwork, and Tampa-based Mainstay won the bid instead. None of the bids came from companies in Pasco County, instead submitted from St. Petersburg, Atlantic Beach and St. Augustine, among others.

Artificial turf moves big step closer at Wesley Chapel park

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Although the move is controversial, a Tampa company is expected to take on the planned artificial turf expansion project at Wesley Chapel District Park that is expected to cost just under $1.9 million.

Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)
Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)

If accepted by the Pasco County Commission, Mainstay Construction Services will build two artificial turf fields in Wesley Chapel, each spanning 81,000 square feet, and also will construct additional parking areas. The commission was expected to make a final decision at its Feb. 25 meeting, after The Laker/Lutz News went to press.

The artificial fields are intended to help bring some additional tourism dollars to the county by making the Wesley Chapel fields more attractive to regional or even national tournaments, Ed Caum, who works in the county’s office of tourist development, told commissioners last October.

“I cannot market grass fields,” he said at the time. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Some people who have used Wesley Chapel District Park, located just off Boyette Road, have complained about overcrowding and the need to build more fields. Some have even started traveling farther away to play soccer and other sports in places such as Zephyrhills.

Commissioner Jack Mariano highlighted those problems in October, suggesting the county look to serve local demands first before seeking to attract teams from elsewhere.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said at the time.

When the project was first put to bid last year, only one company — QGS Development Inc., of Lithia — responded, and they priced it $500,000 over budget. County Administrator Michele Baker, however, felt the request the county sent out was too broad, and that re-bidding it would get them closer to their budget.

Six companies responded this time, with QGS staying close to its original $2.2 million bid, higher than everyone else. The lowest bid actually came from JCT Development of Dunedin. However, the company was disqualified after failing to submit necessary final paperwork on bonding.

None of the bids came from Pasco County companies. Bids also came in from companies based in St. Petersburg, Atlantic Beach and St. Augustine.

Work could begin as early as late spring.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.