The Dreamers of Cedar Key

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Maybe the irresistible magnetism of the flames that holds our gaze captive is the natural instinct to go back to the beginning. To the fire that started it all. Back to the simple life.

Our trip to Cedar Key was exactly that; to go back to a simple lifestyle. This was a trip in which we couldn’t do what we planned but yet it was full of memorable moments.

Our first day itinerary included a visit to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park that we couldn’t do because there was not enough time to visit the park and still get to Cedar Key on time to watch the sunset. The second day kayaking had to be cancelled too because of weather. So what was left for us was to enjoy the island and the people in it, and that is what we did.

Cedar Key doesn’t have a department store, or a big grocery store, or chain restaurants. It is a Fisherman’s haven where life sails slowly from sunrise to sunset on the Gulf of Mexico. The idea was to go on a road trip with a long-lost friend to catch up on what had happened in our lives and to reconnect. After driving endlessly through a deserted road between rows of tall cedar trees we arrived to town just in time to watch the sunset. Downtown was a re-creation of a Hemingway tale. Old wood buildings housing quaint stores, seafood restaurants, and dive bars. We sat at the Big Deck, a bar restaurant where locals gather on Thursdays for some open mic. It seems like everyone knew each other. I was people watching and a word to describe the locals escaped from the tip of my tongue. A slippery word I couldn’t catch at that moment but I knew it existed.

Next day we went to the Welcome Center, where a lively guide introduced us to the attractions in town. According to her, The Shell Mound was not to be missed. This mound was formed by discarded oyster and clam shells that had been the source of food for native Indians centuries ago. The way locals described this place had us full of expectations. As we entered the park a fisherman warned us we could get nose bleeds from the altitude after hiking the mound. We soon realized the joke. When we finally found it, let’s put it this way, I’ve seen many beautiful places in Florida, but the Shell Mound is not one of them. To notice its uniqueness you really need to tuck yourself into thinking that you are at the top of one important archaeological site. Nevertheless we ended up making fun of our expectations and taking some cool pictures.



A couple of fishermen we met the night before had invited us to a bonfire at their place. We accepted, hesitant about going to some strangers’ place. At the bonfire we met Americans who didn’t fit at all the image of consumerism and shallowness that the Sunshine state is known for. People with natural beauty and free of pretensions. We had clams and oysters shucked by a skilled 7 year old boy who stole my heart. While staring at the dancing bonfire flames and listening to the Eagles’ Lying eyes sang by a group of locals that called themselves rednecks, I realized this was the highlight of the trip. A trip that was about the people and not the place. About a couple of friends reconnecting after a while through a road trip. That night the slippery word that had escaped me earlier to describe the locals came to me from one of the girls we met at the bonfire. In describing herself and her autistic son she said to me they were DREAMERS and I knew exactly what she meant. Dreamers that live off the ocean, unpretentious artists of the seas that found in Cedar Key a refuge from modern life.

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Photos

From the top of Shell Mound
We're finally here!