Cedar Key for a Change of Pace

1. Clams in garlic white wine butter sauce..tif — Clams in garlic white wine butter sauce.

Clams in a garlic white wine butter sauce at “Steamers” in Cedar Key. Just writing about them makes my mouth water again.

It was a long drive from Marco Island to this perfect example of an Old Florida city north of Tampa. We never touched I-75 and got to enjoy many quiet country roads in the Sunshine State. We drove through endless groves of oranges our state is so well known for. We enjoyed the magnificent Ocala horse country with little or no traffic and even a Greek Orthodox Monastery in the middle of nowhere that seemed to have been transported from a Greek island. The last twenty miles of a straight road bordered by scrub brush and mangroves led to the Florida Coast and America’s clam capital: Cedar Key, the second oldest city in Florida after St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.

7. Dock Street offers numerous restaurants..tif — Dock Street offers numerous restaurants.

However, the two cities couldn’t be any more different. I really like St. Augustine with charming pedestrian cobblestone streets and a wide choice of eclectic restaurants and cafes. But St. Augustine is one of the busiest year-round tourist destinations in the United States. In contrast, Cedar Key is so laid-back that golf carts without license plates are one of the main means of transportation in town for tourists and locals alike. Or one can easily walk as the whole city only encompasses just over two square miles and, at this time of the year, there never is a wait at any of the restaurants on Dock Street at the colorfully rustic waterfront. In the middle of downtown is the Island Hotel, originally built in 1859. A year later the Florida railroad from Fernandina Beach on the east coast to Cedar Key was opened and business took off. The Civil War put a temporary halt on it but going forward Cedar Key became a major port. The Island Hotel functioned not only as the General Store and Customs Office but Post Office as well and eventually owners, Parsons and Hale, made upstairs rooms available to travelers. It is said that U.S. President Grover Cleveland stayed here after a voyage to Cuba. In 1865 Eberhard Farber of the Eagle Pencil Company built two timber mills to produce cedar slats for pencils. The colorful history includes a year-long terror of Mayor Billy Cottrell who threatened and killed citizens in a drunken stupor whenever he felt such action was justified. His behavior was so brazen that then U.S. President Benjamin Harrison felt compelled to send a military vessel to arrest the wayward mayor of this important harbor. Billy fled to Alabama where marshals caught up to him, but he was freed when posting bond. Next, he threatened to kill an Alabama Police Chief and his family but was eventually shot in the head by the Chief himself.

2. We enjoyed quiet country roads..tif — We enjoyed quiet country roads.

3. A Greek Orthodox Church in the middle of nowhere..tif — A Greek Orthodox Church in the middle of nowhere.

In 1896 disaster struck and destroyed the good fortunes of Cedar Key. A hurricane with a ten-foot surge and 125-mile hour winds not only flattened the mills but also claimed the lives of over one hundred people. Through all this calamity the Island Hotel remained, albeit with serious roof damage. The town tried to redirect their small population to fishing but over the years the area further declined, and depression set in. In 1932 the railroad stopped running when a new railroad link to the larger Tampa port took away what business was left. In 1995 a state law banned large-scale net fishing and a government training program was established as an effort to rescue what remained of Cedar Key by retraining fishermen to harvest clams.

5. Wildlife watches over the runway. .tif — Wildlife watches over the runway.

6. Historic Island Hotel, a step back in history..tif — Historic Island Hotel, a step back in history.

Today Cedar Key remains a sleepy old Florida town, but at the same time it produces 90 million clams, or 90% of the annual farm-raised clam cultivation in Florida. Unlike most of the Florida coastline there is no development along the town’s shores, and this is keeping the water and algae level perfect for the clam’s cultivation in this muddy area. During my last visit I did not have an opportunity to revisit the Island Hotel and from the outside the “old lady” looks a little worse for wear. However, it is the only building in town that survived the innumerable hurricanes. I remember from previous visits that the history of this Florida Historical Site is palpable, walking on the old dark uneven wooden flooring that has seen the footsteps of so many famous people. The long, massive reception has welcomed guests for over a hundred years and all ten rooms are different and kept in the old historical style without TV or telephone. Jimmy Buffet visited numerous times and, it is said, played impromptu music in the Neptune Bar of the hotel on occasion.

4. Cedar Key has its own small airport..tif — Cedar Key has its own small airport.

My main reason for visiting Cedar Key at least once a year is a short “Time Out,” a meal of their famous clams and a complete change of environment without ever leaving our beautiful state. The city also has its own small airport with wildlife watching over the runway. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the excellent oysters available at most restaurants as well as Tony’s world-famous clam shower. His restaurant, two blocks away from the Island Hotel on 2nd Street, supplies shops, restaurants, and individuals with their award-winning delicious soup in cans all over the United States.