I had been to Cedar Key some years back and thought it was a neat little seaside town. I promised to go back one day and explore it. Years later, I finally had my chance, so I spent a day and a half working in the area, and when I wasn’t working, I explored. This small island is definitely a great place for those in need of a relaxing spot off the beaten path.

It is such a quiet and peaceful town, and the folks here are down-home friendly. When my car wouldn’t start (the battery cable had come loose), I was assisted by a myriad of folks who stopped to help—from a local realtor to a teenager in a pick-up truck to the corner auto parts mechanic who helped me out of my dilemma and didn’t charge me a penny.

A small town where everybody knows everybody and no one is a stranger, even an out-of-towner like me, was so refreshing. I felt right at home in Cedar key and perfectly safe to wander the downtown areas on foot and look at the sights.

Cedar Key is part of a cluster of islands off the northwest coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and can be reached by car via SR 24 or CR 347. There is some evidence showing that the town’s history dates back to 500 B.C. with archaeological finds dating back 12,000 years.

Its modern history begins with its colonization in 1542 when it was an important shipping and military port. During the Civil War, Cedar Key was a source for salt and later became the western terminus for the Florida railroad.

The city has seen many changes due to hurricanes and a large fire that nearly destroyed it.  In recent years, Cedar Key’s main industry became fishing, oyster harvesting and sponge gathering. Today it is noted for its clam farming, which is a multi-million dollar industry.

The tourist and sports fishing industry is also of economic importance to the town, offering a variety of shops, lodgings and seafood restaurants. Thousands of folks visit Cedar Key each year for the popular Spring Sidewalk Arts Festival and the Fall Seafood Festival.

My first evening there, I strolled down to the waterfront area where the western railroad terminus once stood. It is now denoted by a historic marker. In the place where the terminus once stood is a modern pier that is popular for fishing, viewing wildlife at the nearby Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge and gazing at beautiful sunsets.

I wandered out to the pier and watched folks catching a variety of fish and wished I had my fishing pole with me. What fun that would be to watch the wildlife and fish and see a beautiful sunset all at once. 

But alas, duty called and so did my stomach as I made my way to the Island Hotel Restaurant located in the oldest hotel in town and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The restaurant has some of the friendliest service staff I have met, and I had a wonderful steak and seafood meal. After I dined, I strolled a bit more of the historic part of the city.

Cedar Key offers few shops as it is a small town, and I only browsed through window. I then decided to take a drive off the island and began my trek along the shore front, which offers gorgeous views of the wildlife refuge as well as interesting remnants of an old fishing shack that sits in the waterway.

The shack really intrigued me, as this old wooden structure sits so peacefully out in the water with birds flying about it. I wondered about its long ago history and took several photographs at various angles all the while wondering what secrets from the past those old walls hold. 

As I was in Cedar Key for two nights, I drove and strolled about the island on both nights and enjoyed the architecture of the historic downtown area as well as the surrounding neighborhoods that included nicely restored Victorian homes as well as weathered seaside houses and businesses. 

I also wandered about the “newer” section of town off of the pier area and browsed through the surf and souvenir T-shirt shops.  When I returned to my room for the evening, the view from the balcony was just so beautiful. My room looked out over the mangroves and waterways teeming with wildlife. Behind the hotel was a hiking trail originally part of the old railway line. I decided to take a walk on it and was able to view, fish, turtles and lots of birds from the wooden docks that are now there.

Back at my balcony, the sunset views were stunning. Who would have thought that a sunset behind an old water tower would give me such beautiful keepsake photos? They were just breathtaking.

Visiting Cedar Key was a peaceful coastal retreat and well worth a visit.