Get away from it all, and enjoy the clams, on remote Cedar Key

CEDAR KEY — You don’t get here easily. Unending miles through forest and farmland to a spit of small islands where clams are king, history is rich and people are scarce.

You would never know Cedar Key was once a bustling Gulf Coast seaport, the primary transit point where goods arriving by ship from Central America were loaded on the state’s first railroad bound for the bustling docks of Fernandina Beach and the East Coast.

A booming pencil industry emerged here during the 19th century under the flag of Eberhart Faber, exploiting the region’s namesake cedar forests.

To the south, Tampa emerged as a new port of entry, resulting in the shutdown of the Cedar Key railroad in 1932, and these islands have been frozen in time ever since.

To give you a sense of Cedar Key’s separation from civilization, the nearest interstate highway (I-75) is 60 miles east.

Oh, those sweet clams

Cedar Key’s claim to fame today is its shellfish industry, clams farmed across thousands of acres of coastal mud flats that are flushed by far-reaching tidal waters.

Clams thrive here, carefully seeded, bred and harvested. It’s one of the reasons we came: We love those sweet Cedar Key clams, and they are readily available in Cedar Key’s restaurants and fish houses.

On our first night, we made a beeline to the Big Deck Raw Bar on Dock Street for steamed clams. The second night found us at Tony’s Seafood Restaurant on Seconnd Street for the world famous clam chowder.

The most popular wholesale source of fresh local clams is Southern Cross Seafood Farm at 12170 State Road 24, as you enter Cedar Key. But we also found small, unnamed fish houses scattered about the islands.

Cedar Key is one of Florida’s earliest Spanish settlements, and it shows. The historic downtown is dappled with aging buildings — some in disrepair, others just worn out — and historic landmarks.

Perhaps the town’s most dramatic living link to its past is the Island Hotel (islandhotel-cedarkey.com), a gracious bed and breakfast with 10 TV-free rooms, each unique, a wonderful restaurant and a popular bar off the lobby.

The sleepy lobby has an early 20th century look with a dark wood check-in desk and cubbyholes for guests’ mail. Off the lobby, guests gather before dinner for cocktails in the Neptune Bar, worth a visit even if you’re not staying at the hotel or dining there.

The bar is dominated by a hand-painted mural of the King of the Sea flanked by bare-breasted mermaids, likely a bit scandalous when it was painted in 1948.

Exploring Cedar Key is not especially challenging, but an inelegant yet informative little pamphlet prepared by the Faraway Inn (farawayinn.com) seems to be the go-to guide for visitors and is widely available throughout town.

Without it, I would not have known about Cedar Key Museum State Park, located far from the historic center but integral to understanding the islands’ history, from naturalist John Muir’s legendary hike to Cedar Key to the islands’ thriving port and Civil War sea battles.

Dozens of small mom-and-pop motels, such as the Faraway Inn, populate the island and most offer bicycle and golf-cart rentals, which seem to be the primary mode of transportation.

Watch the tides

The tides move swiftly over the shallow flats surrounding the Cedar Keys, leaving a muddy bottom with grassy islands, only to be fully covered a few hours later by an incoming tide.

It’s quite picturesque. When the tide is out, shorebirds peck through the tidal pools for stranded crabs and small fish as wood storks stroll through the mud and flocks of roseate spoonbills glide across the grassy islands.

When the tide moves in, so do the deep water fish. Dolphin thrive in this environment, and a small school kept us company for more than an hour one day while we kayaked.

The scene is a bit magical, beckoning to kayakers on the rising tide, but you have to time the tides just right and be aware of their reach.

We left our kayaks above what we thought was the high tide line at our waterfront campsite, not expecting the overnight arrival of higher-than-normal king tide, which swept my wife’s kayak out to sea, only to bring it back on the next tide.

If you’ve brought your own kayak or paddleboard, you can launch from the town’s beach on the south end of First Street and paddle across open water to Atsena Otie Key, which is where the cargo ships unloaded.

Unlike other launch points in Cedar Key, the beach is the only place where you can launch at both high and low tides, and it’s also where you’ll meet “Kayak Tom.”

Tom holds court at the beach concession (kayakcedarkey.com), sharing local lore and advice about paddling local waters, whether you rent a kayak from him or not.

Looking for more options? The folks at Cedar Key Paddling (cedarkeypaddling.com) offer tours, kayak and canoe rentals and fishing gear with eight launch sites throughout the region, depending on the tides.

RV Camping options on Cedar Key

Sunset Isle RV Resort. This well-maintained private RV campground just a short bike ride to the center of Cedar Key. We had a waterfront site with a kayak launch for $50 per night. We had full hookups, including water, sewer, electric and cable TV. Inland sites were slightly less, at $43. The evening breezes off the water were magical. Sunset Isle RV Park & Motel, 11850 SW State Road 24, Cedar Key. Phone: 352-543-5375

Angler’s RV Campground. About 5.5 miles east of Cedar Key on State Road 24. The owners recently added a swimming pool, and there’s a store on-site with RV supplies and propane. Largely shaded sites have full hookups, cement pads, picnic tables and some have fire rings. Hot showers in rest rooms, free Wi-Fi and free cable TV.

Daily rate $30 for 30 amp sites; $33 for 50 amp. (2 people) plus 9 percent tax; $4 extra per person, includes cable TV and Wi-Fi.

Angler’s RV Campground, 11951 SW Shiloh Road, Cedar Key. Phone: 352-543-6268.

Shell Mound County Campground. Almost nine miles from Cedar Key, embedded in the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge and the Lower Suwannee River National Wildlife Refuge, this campground would definitely be my choice for a wilderness experience. The county park has a fishing pier, a boat ramp, extended mud flats and back channels, hiking trails. And the price is right. Water and electric sites for two people are $16, electric-only sites are $10.90 and tent sites are $5.45, including tax. Cash only.

Levy County Campground at Shell Mound, 17650 SW 78th Place, Cedar Key. Phone: 352-221-4466

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