Cedar Key Florida Vacation Rental with Sweeping View of the Bayou and Gulf of MexicoAt This Cedar Key Florida Vacation Rental, You’ll Trade Crowds for Close-ups of Egrets and Dolphins, Spectacular Sunrises and an Insider’s Welcome
Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular from the balcony of this
• A pocket of peace, light-years from the crowds at Disney and “the beach”. No traffic lights, malls, chain restaurants or theme-anything. I had never heard of Cedar Key. When I checked in my Frommer’s guidebook, the map of Florida’s Gulf Coast was blank from Weeki Wachee Springs north of Tampa, where “mermaids” put on underwater shows for tourists, all the way to the Panhandle several hundred miles north. I had to go there. About 50 miles southwest of Gainesville, Cedar Key is a tiny fishing village on Way Key in the heart on Florida’s pristine Nature Coast. There are no tourist shows anywhere on the dozens of islands, or keys, in the maze of old tidal creeks and marshes interwoven with 800-acre Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge —except the nature dance of herons, egrets, storks, osprey, brown pelicans, and dozens of other birds that nest here. Cedar Key has a Tom Sawyer feeling. It’s the kind of place where the days are tuned to the tides rather than clock time and shopkeepers are serious about their “Gone Fishin’” signs. You have to slow down and come to all your senses. The cedar-scented air rings with birdsong. The few blocks in town are lined with the cracker-style houses with pitched roofs and shaded verandahs original settlers designed to vent the heat. Many are now home housing funky art galleries and notable restaurants. The clam chowder at Tony’s Seafood is heaven in a bowl. The sea trout practically jump out of the water off the dock and the peace is palpable. Click here for a photo tour of Cedar Key Florida.
There’s no place better to soak it all in than from the balcony of Tranquility. “It’s fascinating to watch the world float or fly by on the channel -- a parade of fishermen, clammers, crabbers, kayakers, pleasure boats, and other ‘travelers’ including dolphins, pelicans and large wading birds,” says Cindy Svec, who owns this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental with her husband, John Lock. Together, the couple has blended the rich organic colors and textures of the surroundings with traditional Japanese design elements to create a Zen retreat. These owners don’t want you to miss a thing during your visit. Before you arrive, you’ll receive their chatty recommendations and personal advice for enjoying the best of Cedar Key. Once you’re settled into this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental, you’ll find Cindy and John's own recipe for fresh clams, along with some of their favorite movies and music. It’s nice to feel like you’re in the care of good friends.
Perfect for Couples and families (It’s “Florida without the mouse,” in the words of one guest at this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental: “Beautiful peaceful, and educational. So much better than ‘going to the beach.’”) Unit Configuration 2 bedrooms/2 baths (sleeps up to 6) Price Holidays: Minimums 5 nights from February through May 1, although shorter stays are occasionally available during peak season; 2-night minimum during the rest of the year. December and January can be jacket weather. A plus: the cleaning fee is included in the rental fee for this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental. Per night Per week Per month Kids? Once you’ve exhausted Disney, Cedar Key, Florida can be a great active and educational adventure for kids -- especially over age five. In addition to the wildlife, there’s a playground and small sandy beach with a marked swimming area just across the road from this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental. Frogs is a kid-friendly restaurant with a children's menu. Watch small children near the stairs (the condo is three flights up with no elevator) and dock. Pets? Well-behaved pets are welcome at this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental; the $10 pet fee does not cover extra cleaning charges for accidents, so cover the furniture with pet sheets (provided) and leave pets in a crate when you leave. The complex where this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental is lcoated has a designated area for walking dogs by the dock. (Bags for picking up after your pet are provided.) There's a nice beach for walking dogs at 1st and G Streets with a different view of the keys and more room to run.
Lay of the land A corner, top-floor unit in an arc of bleached wood buildings facing the water, Tranquility overlooks Cedar Key’s back bay and a broad channel that opens into the Gulf of Mexico. Once you take a seat at the bar height table on the balcony, you could be out there for hours with the binoculars and field guide from the condo or just watching the boat and kayak traffic and the exquisite change of light on either side of the day. On clear nights, the star cover will remind you how much light pollution typically blots out. Inside, clean lines, organic colors and natural materials mimic the natural surroundings. The vaulted ceilings give the illusion of space. The walls are painted sea-green, rich, loamy brown and a sky blue that feels like fresh air. Counter surfaces have the graphic imprint of fallen leaves and vases are filled with tall stems of pink pampas grass. The open-plan living area (at the back of the condo, where the views are) is casually quartered a living room, formal dining room, good-sized kitchen and mini-office. Bathed in natural light and studded with candles, the space has a soothing natural flow that makes it feel both spacious and cozy. The TV facing the couch (that folds out into a queen-sized bed), loveseat and rattan easy chair is tucked into a low profile cabinet at the end of a long, sleek counter-style desk where you can work (if you must!) with a view of the bayou that’s almost as good as the one from the balcony. Here in the heart of this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental, you’ll find a small, eclectic library of movies and music (from Casablanca to Jimmy Buffett), along with books, magazines, puzzles, games and a basket of brochures about local attractions. Connect to Wi-Fi and you can (try to) work on the balcony. Behind the office, the glass top dining table sits at an elegant angle under spot lights on dimmers. Across from the dining room, the open kitchen has everything a good cook could wish for --from stock pots to an enormous pizza tray. The two bedrooms in this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental feel more like Zen retreats -- with blonde hardwood floors and minimalist furnishings, paper lampshades and even bamboo bathroom fixtures. The master is largest with an ensuite bathroom and bay views from the king-sized bed. The smaller bedroom has a queen-sized bed and full bathroom across the hall. I’m a suburban girl -- more accustomed to manicured spaces where the quiet is punctuated by the sound of leaf blowers than the nuances of nature. On the balcony of Tranquility, nature is the show -- the sudden splash of a fishing bird (or was it a dolphin?), the changing light, repainting the scene by the minute. Once you settle down and tune in, you’re hooked. A pair of kayakers glided by, a boat pulled up to the dock and dropped off a fisherman and his fresh catch, a flock of pelicans circled and floated by the dock. I hurried off to do a quick tour of town and pick up a few things at the market and then made a beeline back to the balcony, where I snacked on cheese and crackers until the sun went down. It’s hard to convey the fascination. You have to experience it. The next morning (after a deep sleep under the comforter in the king-sized bed), I was back out on the balcony of this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental, watching the sun rise over a lacy patchwork of mudflats at low tide. If I had another day -- or a week -- at this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental I would have bought a bushel of clams and tried the recipe in the guestbook. I would have rented a kayak tour, taken a swim, plucked a novel from the bookcase, brought home a Key lime pie from Robinson fish market, taken a day trip to Manatee Springs State Park. There’s plenty to do if you’re not a mall-rat or super Type-A. Tranquility invites you to stop long enough to really look and listen and breathe.
Amenities • 27-inch Cable TV with DVD/VCR player in living room; smaller TVs in both bedrooms • 3-CD stereo with small library of CDs and movies • Mini-office with two-person desk; PC with 20-inch flat screen monitor; free wired DSL and Wi-Fi; printer/fax/scanner; cordless phone/answering machine • Air conditioning -- and natural air conditioning from ceiling fans circulating the Gulf breezes. Sleeping with the windows open is divine unless it’s a chilly December or January night. • Shower/tub and wall mounted hairdryers in both bathrooms • Shared amenities in the complex where this Cedar Key Florida vacation rental is located include: a heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi seating up to 6; 60-foot private fishing dock with sink for cleaning your catch; canoe/kayak launch; shallow beach; boat/trailer parking (first come, first served); charcoal grills and picnic tables 
The very best things • This Cedar Key Florida vacation rental is a soothing retreat in a pristine natural setting; a bird’s eye view of the bayou and gulf from a private balcony • Civilization (with box store conveniences)is 50 miles that-a-way. The local market stocks staples and an amazing collection of sauces and condiments, stock up on fresh produce, ethnic food, and your favorite wine or beer in Gainesville before you head out to the island. The condominium has a 24/7 emergency line.
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Tranquility: Owner’s Favorites
Sunday Brunch at The Island Room at Cedar Cove
Try the crab benedict or the smoked trout plate for a real treat! Right next door to the condo! Check out the
special Monday and Wednesday dinners
(They seldom update their website, so if menu is critical, call!)
Mangrove Outfitters has terrific kayaks and folks dedicated to helping you have a great experience renting a kayak and paddling Cedar Key!
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