Quiet, beautiful, and low-key is how I would describe Cedar Key, Florida. This post is short because our stay in Cedar Key was short, the weather was cold, and, frankly, we weren’t very active given those conditions. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our visit–the third stop on our winter journey.
Cedar Key is an island city in the northwestern part of Florida on the Gulf Coast. Our drive along the coast from Pensacola took a little over four hours to cover the 200 miles. We had reservations at Cedar Key RV Resort, located on the mainland and about nine miles from the island bridge. The resort was very spacious, with paved sites and full hook-ups. We were assigned site #67 and backed in without incident, or so we thought. The next morning, the camp host knocked on our door to let us know we parked on site #68, not #67. He was very accommodating and allowed us to stay since we had already unloaded chairs and tables and connected our satellite antenna. Moving would not be fun.
With two full days to do anything we wanted, we decided to explore the area. Helen pulled out her guide books and did a little searching on Trip Advisor. Cedar Key is known for its wildlife and birds, so we chose to visit Cemetary Point Park, part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. We saw few birds this cold day. We were there for the exercise as much as for the birds. Cemetary Park has good walking trails and boardwalks that meander through a marsh. Kingfishers, Herons, Pelicans, and Gulls were about all that greeted us, and I captured a few of them with the camera. The only wildlife we saw was one lizard.
The town of Cedar Key is small, charming, and crowded with snowbirds in the winter. There is one short row of buildings along the water, filled with small shops, bars, and restaurants. We wanted oysters as a reward for our exercise walk, so we slipped into one of the oyster bars and treated ourselves. The oysters were local and very good, and the beer was cold.
Day two was not a whole lot different from day one. Helen read about a seafood market near the bridge that sold fresh scallops. Until recently, I was not a scallop lover, but a friend of ours prepared a seared scallop dish on our church campout that was delightful. We contacted Jennifer and asked her to send us the recipe. She sent it almost immediately, and we were off to the market. We bought two dozen large scallops–a half-dozen for dinner and the remainder for the freezer. The scallops were delicious.
That afternoon, the weather warmed up enough for Helen to work on her puzzle by the campfire before dinner. Campfires, puzzles, and scallops are the ingredients for one happy camper. We hit the road the next day very happy…and just Easin’ Along. See you at Lake Kissimmee.
Sounds and looks like y’all are having fun in spite of the cool weather!
Hi, Cammy,
The cool weather kept the crowds down and the snowbirds inside…plenty of room at the oyster bar for social distancing 😁. Have a great Super Bowl weekend! Joe
Somehow that Lizard looks like he is a bit cold.
I love the paperclip on your first photo.
Campfires, puzzles, and scallops are all awesome. Thank you for sharing them with us!
Hi, Donna,
Looks like you’re up early, but I suspect you’re an early riser like us. That lizard never moved, so he probably was a bit chilly. Our visit to Cedar Key was short, but fun. We had never been there, and we love exploring. Have a great week! Joe
Thank you Joe for your recent post. Now if I can get my hands on good scallops. Enjoy your day. David
Good morning, David,
The scallops were awesome, but the ones we had at the church campout came from Sam’s. They were frozen, but excellent. Thanks for stopping by! Joe
Nice of the camp host to allow you to stay in that site. Looks like a great place for a couple of nights. Yeah, I too am not a fan of scallops and have struggled to prepare them. I’m probably doing something wrong. 😏
Ingrid,
I’ll send you the scallop recipe if you want to give it a try. Sure turned me around. You and Al would enjoy the Florida Gulf Coast a lot. Have a big Super Bowl weekend. Joe
We know something about cold weather while camping in an RV, Joe. Cedar Key looks warm and delightful. I enjoy seafood, love oysters and scallops. My SIL is preparing some tasty treats for super bowl Sunday but I doubt it’s seafood! I love the image of the pathway! Happy trails!
Hi, Terri,
I’m certain that you are an authority on cold weather camping by now. Hopefully, the new home will be ready for y’all soon. Enjoy the Super Bowl spread! We’re socially distanced in our fifth-wheel in Southern Georgia, ready for some football. Have a great week! Joe
Looks like you enjoyed some relaxing time in Cedar Key—it’s one of our favorite spots in Florida! I’m glad you discovered the boardwalk because I completely forgot to mention it when we were talking about things we enjoy in Cedar Key.
Scallops can be tricky to cook but I’ve had good success either searing them quickly or simmering them for a couple of minutes in a Thai curry. I’d love your recipe! Now I want scallops! 🙂
Laurel,
Cedar Key was a nice place to rest up and do some exploring. I agree with you that three days was the right amount of time. I’ll send you the scallop recipe. We seared them and smothered them in a unique sauce. I think you’ll love it. Please stay in touch. Eager to hear your plans for the spring and summer. Joe
I really enjoyed this post about Cedar Key. We have enjoyed several visits there and love the fresh seafood and have walked on that nature trail. We camped at Sunset Isle RV Park twice back during our RV days. So glad I found your blog by following Suzanne’s link on Picture Retirement.
Hi, Beth,
Thanks for stopping by. We had a nice stay in Cedar Key and will return. The scallops we purchased there were first rate. Although our campground was outside of town, it was very nice and the reviews we read were very accurate. Have a great weekend, and please come back. Joe