Cedar Key, FL

August, 2024

Want to go to one of the most chill places in Florida? Then you need to take a trip to Cedar Key. Situated on the west side of the state, up near the Big Bend area, you will find the nicest people, beautiful scenery, and a relaxed vibe. 😎

We discovered Cedar Key a few years ago and fell in love with it! 😍 We were so blessed to be able to come back and stay a bit longer this time. We love the fact that we walked to most of the places we wanted to go. This old town fishing village has been hit with a few hurricanes in the past few years, but most of the rebuilding has been done. Although, some of the folks we talked to would love for the city to repair the pier that was damaged. Despite the damage, it has held on to the charm and we had an absolutely wonderful time! 😊

We started out touring the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum where we met some amazingly kind people. You can find their awesome YouTube History Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@thecedarkeyhistorychannel4745.

We got to see fossils of the Waccasassa River (The Waccasassa River had fossils of land animals approximately 2 million years old), learn about the history of Cedar Key going back to the 1800’s, and view models of the town during the 1800’s. It was amazing to learn about John Muir and his 1000 mile walk from Indianapolis, IN to Cedar Key, FL. 🙃

The kids especially enjoyed learning about the natural sponges and the stages of development of clams. The museum had some wonderful artifacts and we were able to see a midwife kit from 1933 and a dental set from the early 1900’s. 🦷 There were also apothecary globes. Fun fact: apothecary globes have been around since medieval times and medical lore claims that if it was filled with a red solution it was a warning that there was a plague or epidemic. If it was filled with a green solution it was safe and the stage coaches would stop there. Who knew? 🤯

It was also really cool to learn about the broom making, too. We had no idea that Cedar Key was a leader in the broom making industry in the 1800’s and that the brooms were made from the fiber of palm trees. 🌴

All that learning and walking had us working up an appetite, so we took a walk to Steamers Clam Bar & Grill for some seafood! The grouper bites, fried clam strips, and shrimp were fantastic! Our table looked out over the water and we had a relaxing and delicious lunch. 🐟

After lunch we walked along the city streets and had some fun avoiding the rain in an outdoor sculpture garden. ☔

We relaxed at the hotel while we waited for the rain to stop. Then we walked to the salt flats on the west side of the island. This area of Cedar Key doesn’t have the standard white sand beaches. The sand was pretty well packed near the shore and there are large colonies of oyster beds. 🦪It was fun to watch the isopods scramble away as we came near. They actually were kind of freaky looking and if you want to see the video, we posted it on our YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/shorts/5xqrANpz1tQ.

It was really cool that some scientists from the University of Florida were there at the same time. They told us all about the erosion and water level changing, so they’re in the process of planting various grasses to prevent the shore from washing away. They also found a blue crab and brought it in for the kids to see and later released it. We also got to learn about the special species of conch and other wildlife in the area. 🐚

After the sunset, we walked some more and definitely needed a treat. So we each got a double scoop of ice cream and ate it as we strolled through town and out to the docks. 🍨 Cedar Key is beautiful after dark, too.

We all got up early to watch the sunrise, so we walked back to the docks to watch the sun come up. It was so quiet and peaceful. It was fun to watch the pelican and the seagulls’ antics. 🌅

After that, we made our way through town to purchase fresh seafood for a seafood boil at home. The fresh clams, shrimp, and stone crab claws we bought at Southern Cross Sea Farms were fantastic! 🦀

We hope you are enjoying our travels! We’d love for you to subscribe and share it with your friends, if you’d like. We added some videos on our YouTube channel to go along with the post: https://www.youtube.com/@TravelingwiththeTrapps

Thanks so much and stay tuned for more Traveling with the Trapps! 😀

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