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 Cedar Key has old Florida
feel, new farm-raised clams
By TERRY CONWAY
Waterfront News Writer
When the number of bird and animal species nearly
rivals the human population, you know you've entered a unique coastal environment. All day long visitors stroll along Cedar Key's sugary white beaches and marshy
shores, as ospreys build their nests and feed their young. Egrets, blue herons, white ibis and a myriad of other wanderers quietly harvest the water's glassy surface.
With its tranquil old Florida feel, life in Cedar Key reflects the Gulf of Mexico's own tidal cycles. Days here
aren't measured by clocks or the speed of a computer. Change comes slowly and patterns of life are still passed down to generations.
Located on Florida's west coast, 50 miles west from Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Cedar Key is among a
group of small keys. One main road rolls into town, crossing over salt marshes and channels on four small, low
bridges. It's three miles back to the mainland. Saltwater fishermen arrive year-round, except for a month or two
of extreme heat or cold. Cedar Key's surrounding waters are home to several species of grouper, spotted trout,
redfish (red drum), sheepshead, cobia, Spanish and king mackerel, hardhead catfish, black drum, flounder, silver perch, Atlantic croaker, mullet and several types of sharks.
City Dock is a popular meeting place and a spot to take in the daily routines of local fishermen and
spongers. No large head boats are based in Cedar Key; the maximum number of people any local captain can
take is six. Some captains specialize in inshore 'flats' fishing, while others fish strictly offshore, but many accommodate both. Experienced divers can navigate limestone ledges, rock formations and man-made reefs
from Capt. Kelly's 26-foot Cheri Lynn.
As the key's name suggests, the cedar industry once was king. Sawmills and factories spit out lumber
and pencils in the 1800s until forests of cedar trees vanished. Home to a thriving port terminal for a
trans-Florida railroad, Cedar Key shipped timber and seafood daily to the Atlantic coast for distribution to the
northeast. But the trains disappeared in the 1930s due to the emergence of the trucking industry. Reinvention has always ruled Cedar Key.
Today, the economy is split between tourism and the seafood industry. The island town's latest
business is its farm-raised clams: it's recognized as the U.S.'s number one producer. The clams are grown in
mesh bags in designated waters offshore known as clam leases. Shellfish such as oysters, crabs and clams are
plentiful. The bounty of their harvest depends on water quality, which is rigidly monitored by the Department of Agriculture's Division of Aquaculture.
State Road 24, which vaults a series of pine-studded keys, brings visitors into the modest, three-block
downtown. From the outskirts, visitors pass vividly-painted rental cabins and cottages with water views, a
string of bait and tackle shops, restaurants in clapboard buildings, marinas and a compact grocery store that
sports a faded aquatic mural. Nearly 160 years of island living is reflected in the town's architecture, homes
built of tabby and wood with gables and porches. More intimate history is offered at the Cedar Key state
museum, where exhibits range from Indian artifacts to folklore as well as a guide to the natural history of the area.
Accommodations include the Island Hotel, circa 1859, now a bed and breakfast that offers an inviting
piano bar known as Neptune Lounge, which served its first drink in 1948. Specializing in baked and sautéed
local seafood, including stone crab claws, soft shells and clams in season, the gourmet food selections can be also enjoyed on a screened-in patio.
Downtown centers around Dock Street where stores, souvenir shops and galleries have taken root. It
runs parallel to the Gulf of Mexico. Waterfront eateries include the Captain's Table, serving fantastic jambalaya, stuffed flounder and crab bisque. Live music cranks up on weekend evenings. Climb to the second
floor deck of Frog's Landing for specialties like thick, juicy burgers or shrimp pie. Over at Pat's Red Luck Cafe
menu choices include breakfast omelets, salads, pastas, pastrami sandwiches and burgers as well as superb local seafood.
A federally protected sanctuary, the Cedar Keys Wildlife Refuge is surrounded by a cluster of a dozen
barrier islands within five miles of the coast, accessible only by boat. Indians occupied the refuge for nearly
1,000 years and during the Civil War, it was used as a prisoner of war camp. The Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge boasts 40,000 acres of unspoiled habitat largely covered with scrub pine, oak and palmetto. Sea
kayakers paddle in shallow, well-protected water thick with oyster bars.
In 1867, famed naturalist John Muir strolled into Cedar Key, wrapping up his 1,000-mile walk and recorded
his first impression: "Today I reached the sea and many gems of tiny islands called keys."
All things considered, not much has changed.
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For more information, contact the Cedar Key Area Chamber of Commerce at 352-543-5600, or visit online: www.cedarkey.org
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