Cedar Key

Almost good enough for Views From Our Kayak. wink. smile.

 As usual on overnight Cedar Key visits, the day began on the Wacasssa River

Bright? and early, 6:30 AM

Confluence.  As usual, I went right, up the Wekiva.  Levy County Wekiva, that is.

 This sunken boat is new. Or old, and disposed of.  I had been paddling just over an hour.  Earlier I may not have been able to see it.  Down river the water was dark from Thursday's rain. 3 inches from Andrea. So said the only person I saw since leaving the boat ramp.  The landowner said it would clear up in 3 or 4 days.

This barrier has been on the Wekiva as long as I have been paddling it.  I  turned back.

Limestone.  The underlying geology of Florida.  A, or the, reason there are so many springs.

Saw a swallow tail kite soaring with vultures near the confluence.  Too high for a photo.  I paddle a short distance up the Wacasassa River. Earlier, I missed an opportunity, two actually, as it flew from tree to tree, of a barred owl.

Black crowned night herons.

Paddle to, but not through, the 326 bridge.

 Pretty good reflections on  rain swollen river

The Wekiva and Wacasassa meet, and the Wacasassa gets the honor of getting the name on to the Gulf of Mexico.

Back to the Levy County Wacasassa River boat ramp at 9:30.  Not bad, getting 3 hours in before some people are out of bed.  Only 10 trucks in the parking lot.  Only trucks.

The bridge over the Wacasassa that you saw from the kayak

 The caboose is on County Road 326.   A steam locomotive is a few miles away.  On US 19, on the south bound side. Tough to get a photo driving north at 65 mph

Entering Cedar Key

 This was a spur of the moment trip.  I called Park Place in Cedar Key at 6:45  Friday night.  The office closes at 7.  I asked if any rooms were available.  There were.  I was given unit 330.  I have stayed there once before.  Arriving a little before 10:30, I did not expect the room to be ready.   I would park, take the kayak across the street, and paddle.  Stopped in the office.  As expected the room was not ready.  "But 326 is, would you like that?  Here is the key, have a look."   So, I took a look, came back down and said I'd take it.  I love Park Place.   Here is Unit 326

 I did not take a photo of the loft bedroom, as I did not go up there until bedtime, which was a long way off

Balcony view

 Kitchen table view

 Kayak view, 12:10

Dolphins were just offshore. There is one in this photo.  Also saw a sea turtle

 There is a dolphin in the above photo, too.

 Into the Number  2 Channel.  Just the prow of the wreck showing.  Time to look for roseate spoonbills.

Found some

 An ibis gets in the picture

Black crowned night heron. I forgot I had a photo of one.

 Looking for spoonbills in the mangroves, I made my way into the Number 3 Channel

 Scale Key. Part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

 Did not see any bald eagles this time

Osprey

 My spur of the moment decision to go to Cedar Key meant I did not have the usual dinner fixin's.  I'd have to do some shopping.

Number 3 Bridge

 Laughing gull

 Cormorant

Dolphins

 Cemetery Point Park is a good place to watch dolphins. Even if you don't have a kayak

video I think the breaths are the dolphins', not mine

I was with the dolphins for an hour.  From the octagon house, near the Number 3 bridge, to the wreck above, near the Number 2 span.

I ended the dolphin watch when I saw four kayaks coming my way. I think they launched from the octagon house.  I may have ended my watch, but dolphins swam near me as I set course to the Number 2 Bridge

Clam processing

Sometimes, you just have to pull the underwear out of your butt.

Dock at the Natures Landing Inlet. Accessible only at high tide.  I went into the mangroves where black crowned night herons roost.  Saw one, it flew away.

 Tide higher than it was before.

 Went to where spoonbills are sometimes found, again.

Landed at 3:45.  Wasted a couple hours trying to get online, then got on the bike to look for dinner items.

Prius and a fancy trailer.  All I can afford is the Protect Florida Springs Tag

I had thought of getting something on the way, but did not want to leave fish in the car. Which, as I was able to check in, would not have been a problem.  I first stopped at Sandy's Produce, at the Number 2 Bridge.  To check their prices and see how the compared to Southern Seafood,  at the Number 3 Bridge.  Southern closed at 1.  Sandy had told me she was closing at 6.

 So, I biked to the place above, that I have ridden past many times.  No one around, so I took the scenic route back into town.

 Stopped at the local grocer, no fresh fish.

 Lucky for me, Sandy's was still open.  I bought black grouper, two big fillets, and a pound and a half of Gulf Shrimp.  $31.75.  I am eating some of the grouper now, Monday night.  I asked where the seafood was from. "I don't know, we buy it wholesale.  The State does not allow us to buy it off the boat and resell it to the public"  Interesting.  It was also frozen.  That was due to Tropical Storm Andrea, which passed through on Thursday, 2 days before.  Can't keep the tents up, and get orders, during  storm.

 Went back to the grocer for yellow rice

Steamed about half of the shrimp, with rice.  Then off to see the sunset.

Two weeks ago, when driving back to the Ocala National Forest from Cedar Key, I saw that the Number 4  Bridge was a good place to see the sunset this time of year.  So, I launched from the ramp at the old bridge fishing pier.  Spoonbills, and dolphins, again, but cloudy.

Black skimmer

 The clouds got low, and dark.  The wind kicked up.  Time to head to safe harbor

Landed at 8:20. Got the yak on the roof, a challenge in the wind. Then, what I came for.

A gap between the cloud bank and the water.  And the new bridge.  Which is why I was in the kayak, to get past the bridge. Oh well.  But, the tide was out, could I walk under the bridge?

The answer, yes, but not far. Unless I wanted to sink in to the primal ooze.

Back to Park Place, cooked one of the black grouper fillets in butter, garlic powder, pepper and red onion that I brought from home.  Tasty.  Still had wi fi issues, sat outside the office to download a few pics. Two days later, the Tale is told.