In the spirit of getting to know my new home state better and write about it for all to enjoy, we were forced yet again to go off exploring. I know such a hardship. We decided this time to go for a coastal jaunt to Cedar Key, Florida as it is less than two hours drive and because this past weekend they were having an Art Festival, the 41st Annual Old Florida Celebration of the Arts. Cedar Key is the perfect place for a day trip. From the Ocala area, it is an easy drive west, through beautiful country roads. However once you arrive, the country feeling leaves and you are greeted with pure island ambiance.

The houses, beach resorts, restaurants and shops are painted in beautiful colors, from pastels to bright yellows and purples. Mosaics featuring tropical fish and water scenes are tucked in along the streets. There is tropical foliage and palms everywhere and you can smell the seawater with every breath. Since it is a Key, and therefore an Island, the town is totally surrounded by water and seabirds from gulls, to pelicans and sand pipers fly overhead. Cedar Key, Florida is a small, laid back town, where you feel welcomed immediately. One of the main streets in town was blocked off for the Art Festival. There were around 50 local artisans set up with tents selling their wares, and they attracted big crowds. They also had a nice selection of food vendors selling local seafood dishes and specialties, like steamed clams and smoked mullet dip.

Here’s a tip: If you want to check out a small town for a day trip, it is always nice to go on a festival day, or when there are local events going on. During those times a town is going all out and you might as well reap the benefits. Many of the restaurants are also likely to be featuring special menus, often at special prices, and you can usually get great deals from food vendors.

What To Do: Besides the Art Festival, there are many shops and galleries open all year in Cedar Key, which sell local art and products. So even if you miss the Art Festival, there is no shortage of local art to be found and bought at reasonable prices. Much of the art has an Island feel as well – lots of palms, flowers, beach scenes, shell art, as well as pottery, driftwood art and the like.
If you are not into art you can take a chartered boat ride with many local companies. They have pontoon boats, catamarans, kayaks and sailboat tours where you can enjoy the wildlife and the water. There are great fishing opportunities at Cedar Key as well. We saw many people with fishing poles all along the docks and marinas. We also saw dolphins swimming near shore while eating our lunch, so I am sure you are guaranteed to see some if you go on one of the dolphin sight-seeing boat tours.

There is also a small beach at Cedar Key with beautiful palm trees to sit under. There are also a few picnic benches if you are inclined to have an impromptu picnic, which I highly recommend. The sand is pure white and soft, so even if you don’t manage a picnic, I wouldn’t miss taking a stroll. You can pick up loads of oyster shells to take home with you. I wouldn’t recommend swimming as the water was not as clear as many other gulf beaches, and it seemed a little dirty – probably because of all the boats in the area coupled with the fact that the beach area is so small.

For lunch we stopped at Anne’s Other Place, a seafood restaurant right on the water. They have an outdoor deck perched on stilts and each picnic table comes complete with a thatched roof, making that island atmosphere complete. Cedar Key, Florida is known for their clams, and so mom and I decided to try some of the steamed variety. The bowl was plentiful and the clams were sweet and succulent. Roberto opted for the Crab Pattie Sandwich. The pattie was huge with large chunks of crab, sweet and delicious!

The service was a bit slow, but I imagine most of that was from the high traffic that day. But hey, when you are on an island, you should be prepared for island time, which is at a much slower pace.

If you are planning to stay for more than the day, there are tons of wildlife preserves, marshes, state parks, nature and hiking trails in the area. Just take a look at
the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce website for more details.

So if you are craving an Island Getaway, but don’t have the time to make it to the Caribbean, try Cedar Key, Florida. I am sure you will get your fix!

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