2015 Florida Trip - Day 7 - Cedar Key

Cedar Key could be called Cedar Keys as it is composed of several islands with most development on Way Key. 

^{It has been inhabited for thousands of years but major settlement occurred in the mid nineteenth century when it became a major port, the cedar trees began being harvested for pencils, and mills were built by Eagle and Eberhard Faber.}

^{At the start of the twentieth century, fishing, sponge hooking and oystering had become the major industries, but around 1909 the oyster beds were exhausted and the old-fashioned fishing village is now a tourist center.  After a statewide ban on large-scale net fishing went into effect July 1, 1995, a government retraining program helped many local fishermen begin farming clams in the muddy waters.}

^{Today Cedar Key's clam-based aquaculture is a multi-million dollar industry growing the smaller clams that are popular for steaming and eating raw.}

^{And even though they use larger clams from somewhere else, clam chowder from Tony’s Seafood Restaurant is renowned after winning three straight World Championship competitions in Newport, RI. - this is the restaurant and our meals of chowder and sandwiches.}

The chowder was definitely the best I'd ever eaten and it is also very good from the can if you live near a Publix store.

^{For those of you who watched Murder She Wrote, Bev thinks Cedar Key, population about 700, reminds her of Cabot Cove and here are some shots of it beginning with the main tourist street - the buildings on the right actually sit out over the water on the back side.}

^{This is the old main street.}

^{These are a few shots around the island and those awaiting the next incoming flight at the airport.}

This is a typical view of the waters surrounding the islands at high tide - it is mostly mud flats at low tide.

^{Remember our pully-ham from Christmas, well we used the last of it in scalloped potatoes for supper, using the recipe from food.com as it used ingredients we had on hand and it was delicious.}

^{Wada you think Laurie?}

^{Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.}

^{Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.}

^Larry

1/2/15 event date