Happy Birthday to Me

Number 53. I'm in Cedar Key.  61 photos before breakfast. None from the kayak, yet. Deleted two, downloaded 61.  53 and 63 in Cedar Key. Time to shower and brew coffee. Will I see a manatee? Unlikely, says Davey.

I continue the Tale, 10 PM, Tuesday.  No manatee. Maybe. More on that later.  The sun was not yet over the horizon when I took the photo above at 6:46.

The opening photo came at 6:54

I went back to bed , but not to sleep. Short fall days are to precious to spend lying down. Especially my birthday  Began the traditional last day walk at 7:35.

 

The next two pics were taken from the floating dock next to the boat ramp.

 

 

On to Dock Street.

 

 

 

 

Views from the Big Dock

Atsena Otie Key

 

Seahorse Key. Looks calm enough to kayak to it, later.

 

View from the Number 1 bridge. Unless the bridge over a canal is Number 1. See Sunday's Tale.

I've written that the Old Fenimore Mill is the only lodging on a non rocky beach.  I stand corrected. This is Island Place

Walk into town, past the volunteer fire department

 

 

 

 Four blocks from Gulf front to bay side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature Trail, old RR right of way at the Nature's Landing condos

 

 

Almost looks like railroad tracks

 

Low tide, wreck out of the water

 

 

 

8:30 tour complete. Into my "home" to shower, eat, pack and download photos.  Too bright to do it on the patio, so I had to move into the kitchen.

Still a great view. Check out was 11.  I will be back Christmas. This unit is not available, I was given the units that are, and am looking at the website for the best of the remaining ones on the third floor

Back on the Gulf at 10 past 11

 

The big concrete dock replaced a wooden one wrecked by the hurricanes of 2004

 

 

Atsena Otie Key dock

The original City of Cedar Key was on Astena Otie Key. Until a hurricane in 1896.

 

These paddlers went around Astena Otie.  Which gave me a clear path to Seahorse Key

Once I stopped taking photos of the dock

 

 Grassy Key, foreground, Snake Key, background.

 

The crossing to Seahorse Key took fifty minutes. Highlight was a dolphin surfacing 20 yards or so in front of me.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paddling in the channel that leads to the lighthouse, something large went, woomophh, as it dove next to my kayak.  Manatee? Sea turtle? big fish?.  I waited. Nothing surfaced a second time.

 

 

The lighthouse is closed to the public, except for a few events during the year.  I visited this summer.

 

 

 

A far off flock of white pelicans. One of two.

Great egrets, not pelicans

 

 

Kayaking around Seahorse Key

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The back door to the lighthouse

 

52 feet above sea level, highest point on the west coast of Florida.

 

 

 

 

Like the bird, I was ready for a rest stop

I chose this spot.

 

A pod of hungry dolphins also thought it was a good lunch spot  One slapped the surface with its tail, not once, not twice, but three times.

 

I've seen dolphins here before

 

 

I found my beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a 20 minute break, I was back on the water.

 

 

 

Two dolphins, one with the coveted tail standing shot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Astena Otie. 

 

 

 

 

 

Remains of the original town.  Windmill.  Walk the trail and you will see the blades on the ground

 

Back to Way Key. Home to present day Cedar Key

I do not recall seeing a deck here before.  The Seabreeze, above. 

 

 

 

Landed at 4:25, on the bike 30 minutes later

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cemetery Point Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out of the Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super vivid Dave

 

Auto Dave.  A nice young couple returned the favor after I took their picture.

 

 

 

 

I decided to have my birthday dinner at the Sea Breeze.  It is the big brown building on Dock Street. Over the years, restaurants have come and gone. It was empty for a while.  Maybe that is why its prices seemed a tad lower then other Dock Street eateries.  They want to rebuild a clientele.

 

 

 

If the Seabreeze wants to rebuild its clientele, the staff needs to pay attention to its clients.  A sign in at the door says seat yourself.   I did.  No one came to my table, although a waitress brought drinks to a 4 top two tables away.  How about turning around?  I left.

 

Not far, just downstairs to the bar.  Asked it the full menu was served.  Yes, but bingo starts in 0 minutes. That was ok by me.  I had clam chowder,

A "hot mess of shrimp" appetizer

 

and, more clams

With just appetizers, I did not get the salad bar that comes with dinners.  I looked at it when I was on the dining level, and decided it was not worth the walk up and down the stairs.  My bartender/waitress had to do that.  I tipped accordingly.  I asked about the deck I saw from the water.  Built 3 weeks ago.  Good to know, even at my advanced age, my mind is not completely gone.

 

Or maybe it is.  I had left my sponge, towel, and aquasox outside the car so they would dry some.  And they are still outside the car.  I emailed the kayak concession in the hope that they saw them.  Have not heard back.  I'll have to ask when I return at Christmas.  Booked Unit 324 during lunch, today, Friday.