Cedar Key Florida
Cedar Key Florida, A City Worth Visiting!
Shhh! Don’t tell them that we told you about this place!
If you have not heard of Cedar Key Florida that is because that’s kind of the way this small, quaint, historic community of about 700 residents really would like to keep it. Not that you are not welcome, they make you feel plenty welcome while you are there, it’s just that they would prefer to keep life as “old Florida” as they can!
When most people think of a vacation weekend in Florida, they might think of the white sand beaches in Panama City, or a quick trip down to Orlando for some Disney fun. But, if you are thinking you need to disconnect from the real world, and really just get away from it all, Cedar Key is a hidden jewel and might be a new alternative for you.
Cedar Key Florida is an island city off the northwest coast in the “big bend” area of Florida and sits on the Gulf of Mexico. If you are driving in from anywhere north, just drive south on Interstate 75, and once you get to Gainesville basically hang a right and go west until you run into the ocean. I mention driving because Teresa and I commonly use Delta when booking flights. If you try to purchase a ticket, you will notice that there are no flights headed into Cedar Key Florida. The island has a very small airport, that services basically private jets and very small aircraft use only. If you don’t drive down, you will probably need to fly into Gainesville and rent a car. Also worth noting, there is no camping on the island. If you would like to visit pulling a 5th wheel or other type of camping vehicle, you can come onto the island for the day, but you cannot overnight in the camper. For camping you would need to stay off the island, and I might recommend this cute little tiny house and camping community or make a short trip over to shellmound island and take in a history lesson while you are over there!
Cedar Key is part of what is known as the Nature Coast and is second to only St. Augustine as the oldest city in the State. Cedar Key was originally named Depot Key due to the train station (yes, there was a train that ran on top of the water, which is impressive work for that time period in my opinion, and there are still ruins of the train tracks in the waters there) but in 1896 the Cedar Key Hurricane with a massive 10 Foot storm surge annihilated the key and basically separated the land of the key chain and the remaining- and surviving- residents moved to the depot key, where the city sits today. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Cedar_Keys_hurricane)
Once you arrive on this 2 x 2 square mile piece of salty land, you should park your car as you probably will need to spend the remainder of your time here with a good pair of flip-flops, possibly a bike if you brought one with you, or do what we did and rent yourself a golf cart. Once you chose your mode of transportation, head out to 2nd Street which is the “main drag” and comprises about 3 blocks of this unique island. This street is lined with historic buildings, with interesting art galleries and shops, camera ready architecture, and good-fresh-local seafood! While we were there, most of this street was filled with vendors from the Cedar Key Arts Festival.
Other than the art and historic buildings, my favorite part was the lack of commercialism. There are no big name corporations on the island. No Wal-Marts, No McDonalds, No Hampton Inns, it is all local and laid back or it’s not here! Note also, this isolation is wonderful but has a few problems as well, for example, the nearest hospital is in Crystal River Florida (about 50 miles) so something to keep in mind if traveling there.
As many of you already know from our blog and stories, Teresa and I are Key West fans. What we learned from the locals here is that this community of Cedar Key often identifies as “the Key West of 50 years ago.” What does that really mean? Well, let’s just say you will not be passing by this place as you decide to take an exit break off the road. You go here purposely, and as Jimmy Buffet sings, you go here to get a “license to chill.”
After crossing over the 4th bridge, it sort of feels like you have stepped back in time to a tiny fishing village. Or in this case, a claming business. But for the record, if you enjoy fishing, there are many places to fish. Local catch include a variety of ocean wildlife including anything from shark, to eel, and even sting rays. However, out in the water clam farms are visible from the shore, and in the water, you can see clams near the shore at about every entry point into the gulf waters. Look closely at the picture and you will see what I am talking about.
Cedar Key ships millions of clams all over the country every year. The brackish type waters from the Lower Suwannee river mixing with the Gulf waters creates a perfect environment for the cultivation of clams. Let me say this; They are good, and they are on about every menu on the island! More to come on clams from Tony’s Seafood Restaurant soon!
I know that there are plenty of blogs that will tell you that there are the top 10 things to do while you are here. I also saw one that offered the top 61 things to do, but we say you could narrow that down to Eat, Drink, and Sit on the beach. Agenda for the next day? Repeat. Kind of like Key West was 5 decades ago!
Fun Fact: On many of our trips to Key West, I have made a game of asking the cab drivers that pick us up from the airport, “how did you get down here?” Always, the answer is “I came on vacation and just simply never went back!” You guessed it, the same stories here.
Just like old Key West, the history of Cedar Key goes way back with the Island Hotel back in 1859 (if you ever go there, try out the Neptune Bar-more to come on that!) However, if you are looking for things to do besides Eating, Drinking, and working on your tan, there are plenty of nooks and crannies where natural wildlife can be observed up close and personal. Bird watching is a big to do on the island, which you can see by the pictures we got to see some, maybe a little to close for comfort in the case of the Pelicans! We also viewed a porpoise show every afternoon at a tucked away, small private beach area at about 2:30 each day!
For us, what determines a satisfying beach trip, and really if we might return, is the sunset. Comparing the two keys again, to wrap up each day in Key West, you travel down to Mallory Square or Sunset Pier and check out the sunset. Here in Cedar Key, you can just take the golf cart ride down to west side of town and check out the amazing sunset from one of the benches that is provided for your enjoyment basically on the side of the road. Private, quiet, and beautiful, highly recommend the experience. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, we think this one is worth 1….WOW!
So what’s the catch right? Not much of one. The gentleman we were traveling with states he visited there in 1964 and in his words “not much has really changed.” So based on your perspective of that comment will determine your outlook on your visit. For us, Budget Friendly prices on lodging, food, and drink was a plus. Being in a place where most past Floridians say, “I have, or currently, live there and I don’t know where that is!” speaks volumes to the ability to get away from it all for a bit. With everything taken into consideration, and without a doubt, Cedar Key Florida is worth a visit. The fresh food, the friendly residents, the private beaches, the amazing sunset will leave you but one thing to say, “What A Weekend!” Enjoy, Randy and Teresa
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