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Key rest
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN, Times Staff Writer If you're into electronic game arcades, movie theaters, shopping malls and raucous night life, the tiny fishing village of Cedar Key 50 miles north and west of Crystal River isn't for you. Cedar Key is about re...laaax...ing. And eating, browsing, fishing, bird-watching, hiking, camping, kayaking, going to tiny museums or walking up and down back streets that look like the Florida of 50 years ago. Or maybe just contemplating your navel. "Some people come here and are disappointed," said Kathy Carver, owner of the rustic Mermaids' Landing waterfront cottages nestled by the road leading into town. They expect another Key West and all that bustle and activity. Cedar Key is the polar opposite. "We have nature-type activities, and some people aren't into that," Ms. Carver said. Cedar Key is pretty much geared to grown-ups, particularly grown-ups who are into the more laid-back stuff. Unless your children like fishing and canoeing, there's not much for them. Even college kids don't show up except for festivals like the Cedar Key Seafood Festival on Oct. 19 and 20 this year. Cedar Key is a neat day trip destination. The auto ride is less than two hours from Hudson -- 114 miles by the Suncoast Parkway, 106 miles via U.S. 19 (go north to Otter, then 24 miles west to the end of State Road 24). There's also an airport with a 2,300-foot hard surface runway, with shuttle service, or you can anchor your boat at the public pier for varying fees day and night. But to get into the feel of Cedar Key, you need to spend a few days, weeks, or months and take your time. First, the high spotsCedar Key has two main shopping and browsing streets, and a day visit could be a stroll along these streets ducking in and out of interesting places. If you're not into walking, you can rent a golf cart for $10 an hour, $50 a day or $200 a week from Cedar Key Gulf Kart Company (352-543-5300) and go anywhere on the small island. Bicycles are $2.50 an hour, $10 a day. Dock Street, which was once a railroad trestle over the water to fishing boats and warehouses, is the newer of the two streets. It's lined with good quality gift, home decor and souvenir shops, serious and whimsical art galleries, a couple of stores with resort clothing, an ice cream shop and several restaurants with dining balconies or patios over the water. As you edge your way along the narrow walkway (12 inches at most), you can look down and see the gulf washing up on the shells below. Stores open about 10 a.m. and close about 5 p.m., give or take a half hour, with hours a little longer on Sunday. Restaurants usually open about 11 a.m. or so and close by 9 p.m. All the restaurants I checked feature the local staple, fried or broiled mullet, and some have a local favorite, palm salad, made with peaches, pineapples, dates, fresh hearts of palm, lettuce and a dressing that tastes sort of like melted ice cream. Most have seafood platters; some have steaks (steaks in Cedar Key? Get outta here!); some have vegetarian dishes. I tried several places, but Pat's Red Luck Cafe, a no-nonsense diner recommended and frequented by the locals, was my favorite. The black beans and rice with jerk chicken ($8.50 at lunch) is unsurpassed, as are the giant, perfectly cooked hamburgers ($4.25, with home fries). House wine goes for $2.75 a glass, draft beer for $1.25. The only drawback is that it's up a steep flight of stairs, making it inaccessible to wheelchairs. If you're around in the evening, you must have dinner at the Island Hotel (6-9 p.m., closed Tuesdays) in the historic Island Hotel on Second Street. The hotel has been there since 1859, surviving hurricanes, freezes and thousands of visitors. Entrees are $16 to $26, but they're big enough for two modest appetites, and the help will cheerfully split one and add a soup or salad for an additional $5. The rest of Second Street, also called Old Town, has more gift and shops, including Cedar Keyhole, a co-op of 25 local and area artists and craftsmakers that's been around since 1976. There's also Cedar Key Canvas, where you can buy totes and handbags made from genuine sailing canvas, and the Yellow Door Coffee House in the Hale Building, circa 1880. Across the street is the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum, open 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. You could spend two days just reading the old newspapers in the stand-up plastic flip file, but save time to tour the Andrews House adjacent to it. There, you'll learn about the huge whisk broom and pencil factories that once flourished on Cedar Key -- that is, until the area ran out of palm and cedar trees to make them. If you decide to stayAnd, please note, there are no chain motels or hotels to be found. Isn't that refreshing? For those who like all the comforts of home, there are numerous condominiums for rent for $80 to $150 a night, depending on size and season: The Island Place at Cedar Key by the bridge to Dock Street (toll-free 1-800-780-6522); Old Fenimore Mill (toll-free 1-800-767-8354) close to the city park; and Whitman Point Townhouses on a quiet street by the Gulf (toll-free 1-800-868-7963), to name a few. History and nostalgia buffs must stay at least one night at the Island Hotel (toll-free 1-800-432-4640), which has 13 rooms, some with bath by the room, some with bath across the hall, no television or phones in the rooms in the main building, and, it is said, a variety of ghosts who roam the halls. Be aware that the walls are thin, the floors uneven, and the plumbing full of little surprises (hope no one flushes while you're taking a shower), but the wraparound porch with rocking chairs and swing can't be beat. Rooms go from $90 to $125, which includes a hearty breakfast for two. And after the bar shuts down at 11 p.m., the only sounds you can hear are those made by your fellow bed-and-boarders. Romantics will go for the Cedar Key Bed & Breakfast (877-543-5051), a lovely two-story home, circa 1880, that has five bedrooms, all with private baths, one of them handicapped-friendly, and a separate "Honeymoon Cottage" that is touted by owner Lois Benninghoff as having "giggle proof" walls. Rooms go for $80 to $125, and include a bountiful breakfast. Those who go for funky and bucolic digs can check in at the 1940s era Pirates Cove (352-543-5141) or Mermaid's Landing (877-543-5949). Both are brightly painted (Pirate's Cove is blue, Mermaid's Landing is yellow and green), single wall cottages with kitchenettes and baths, all tucked between State Road 24 and the back bay. The best views at Mermaids' are cottages 3, 4 and 5, which have porches facing the water, where dolphins frolic and play. Avoid the rooms near the road if you're sensitive to traffic sounds. Rooms go for $49 to $64 a day, $250-$350 a week and $800-$1,000 a month. Well-mannered cats and/or dogs are welcome at both places. The key also has several motels, from the very modest to the plush. Three of them are on the dock with marina or gulf views -- Sawgrass Motel (352-543-5007), $70-$75; Dockside Motel (800-541-5432), $55-$85; and the relatively plush Harbour Master Suites (352-543-9320), $70-$125. More stuff to doDay-trippers and longtime visitors can hop on the Island Hopper ($12 adults, $6 kids) and tour the other keys in the area, some of which have excellent shelling and small beaches. For longer jaunts, there's Captain Mike's Scenic Suwannee River Airboat Trips for $15-$75. Motor boats from 14 to 24 feet go for $40 an hour to $150 all day (352-543-5904). There are also charter diving and fishing boats (352-543-5902). Rent kayaks and canoes at Mermaids' Landing. Singles start at $18 for four hours to tandems for $44 a whole day, also available by the week. Fishing fans can cast a line off the public pier for free. Take time for the Cedar Key State Museum ($1), a couple of miles from downtown, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. It has historical and topography exhibits and stories of long-defunct industries. It's a perfect place to spend a rainy day. And finally....Cedar Key is near salt marshes, so insect repellent is always recommended, especially at dawn and dusk. Few shops and restaurants are wheelchair accessible, and many are tough navigation for those who use canes or walkers. Summer is off-season at Cedar Key, and a few of the shops and restaurants are closed, though there's still plenty to see, do, eat and buy, and -- oh, boy -- the crowds are sparse. High season is from Christmas Day to mid-April, and the most crowded and hectic times are during the art and seafood festivals. A perfect time to visit would be October, November and December, when it's cooler, and the snow birds haven't arrived.
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From today's Pasco Times Letters |
