CEDAR KEY (& Low Key Hideaway)

A normal sight on Florida roads....we followed this orange laden truck for several
 miles before it turned off at a processing plant.....we are guessing orange juice?

We would like to say Cedar Key is a "yet to be discovered" gem jutting out
on a peninsula off the West Coast of Florida....just West of Gainesville.   But we can't
....because it has been semi-discovered (property prices determine that status)
 and it really isn't a "Gem".   Well, okay....a gem in the rough, maybe.  
Cedar Key has an interesting history that deals with pencil making and digging clams
....but more on that later.

 

We came here looking for a place to kayak and found the Low Key Hideaway
 Motel and RV park (3 sites) via a blog that Pam follows.   Little did we know
 how quirky the place would turn out.  Don't get me wrong....it is a great
location, it is cute and it is positioned very well to view sunsets out
your windshield and sunrises from your bed....out the slide out window in
the bedroom, to be more precise.   And we had this luxury of seeing setting
and rising on our first day here....not too many things can get better than that!

 

The Hideaway motel consists
of 6 very well appointed rooms as pictured here.  Colorful, eh?

 

 

 

And the RV parking (again, 3 sites) are adjacent to
 the cute motel.  The sites are set up such that you can drive your motorhome straight in rather than backing in....this gives you a wonderful view facing west....for the sunsets.  The sites are fully equipped with 50amp service, water and sewer hookups and some 20 cable TV channels.   All the comforts of home indeed

 Here we are facing West with the setting sun glistening off the coach.....note the
palm trees: also not too hard to take!!

 

Here's a look at the Low Key Hideaway from the air....it is just to the right of the
long building (a fish farm) to the right of the bridge.

 

Talk about good kayaking country!!!

 



Pictured here are Cindy and Pat, the owners of Low Key.   They spent 4 years
travelling the back roads of America in a travel trailer.  When they realized they
 were about to run out of travel dollars they had to settle down.  Having been to
Cedar Key previously, they came here and bought the motel and added the RV
 sites and the quirky Tiki Bar.  They have settled in nicely to the community
after 4 years and are doing it right.

 

 If you think I may have "overused" the term "quirky" take a look here at
the side yard....a wall sculpture made from empty bottles.

 And here is the Tiki Hut.....don't let the looks of it fool you...the Tiki Bar is a money
maker for the place for sure.  Most nights it is jammed pack with folks "bellying
up to the bar" for some measure of drink.  Note the bikes on the roof.....
talk about quirky!!

 

 

This photo is taken from the dock ramp, looking back at the water side of the
Tiki Bar....note all the bottles built into the structure....and if you look closely,
 yes, those are action figures in all manner of "posing".   Why?   What's it all
about??   Haven't asked yet.

So, this is where we are....miles from most places as the sign out front of the
 motel indicates.  Stay tuned.....more from 32625 as the week progresses.