The Quiet Town

The town of Cedar Key, on the island of Way Key, is four miles out into the Gulf of Mexico.  For those of you new to this adventure, Cedar Key is where I was living a "parallel existence" in March 2020 when the pandemic hit and the town shut down before I could truly visit. Since I'm camping down memory lane this winter, I'm thrilled to be here again. 

With the exception of real estate prices, very little has changed. The County Campground, Shell Mound, is still first-come, first-served, affordable and no nonsense.  My spot was just dandy and neighbors helped make this a lovely visit with conversation over morning coffee and evening campfires. Throughout the week, my bike was transportation and I did get to visit the Cedar Key Museum State Park, the Historical Society, the City Park, Tony's Restaurant, and pretty much the entire lay of the land on two wheels. 

Yes, this was my first stop in two years where I felt okay to peruse museums, wait for food to go, and enjoy outdoor music with a group (masked, of course).  Also -- I can't make this up -- on my last night at camp, a woman asked if I had been there in March 2020. After a chat, she said, "Wait till I tell Joe that you're just fine. He was so worried about you being alone here when we left."  Cedar Key is a special place and I'm so happy that I returned.