We traveled over to the northwest portion of Florida and arrived at the small town of Cedar Key which is located near the upper gulf coast area of the state. Our son and his family had vacationed there a few years ago and Becky had spent a few days at Cedar Key 4 years ago but Craig had never been on the island. It is a quaint place known for its clamming industry. Founded back in 1869 the waters surrounding Cedar Key are known as great fishing areas. The famous naturalist John Muir once walked the 1000 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana to Cedar Key on his “1000 mile walk to the Gulf”. Although Cedar Key had been a highly successful clamming area for years a Florida law passed in 1995 changed their industry significantly. In 1995 the citizens of the State of Florida voted to ban the use of gill nets in state waters. As a result, many commercial fishermen were out of work. Some found work away from the fishing industry while others became part of a newly formed clam industry in Cedar Key. The State of Florida helped train fishermen through several clam training programs. Due to Cedar Key's rural location and exceptional water quality, the little island quickly became one of the largest producers of farm raised calms in the country!
We ate lunch at a local favorite, Tony's Restaurant, and enjoyed their award winning, world famous clam chowder. It was delicious indeed. After lunch we wandered through a few shops then drove around a bit to see more of the island. We passed the small Cedar Key airport which is actually just a short paved runway only 2355 feet long and 11 feet above sea level with no fuel and no mechanic available. There is however a porta potty provided by the county and according to the signs they do NOT allow camping in an airplane there. Yet another of the many colorful things we have discovered and chuckled about on our travels!
Views of Cedar Key!
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