Did you know Florida has more than two coasts? It’s not just the Atlantic and Gulf like your atlas says. We Floridians take great pride in the different areas of our state and name them to represent their characteristics. The more popular ones are the First Coast, Emerald Coast, Space Coast and Treasure Coast, but Florida has about 12 altogether. You can check them out here.
The Nature Coast
We recently took a trip over to the Nature Coast to the town of Cedar Key. Once leaving the Gainesville area on State Road 24, the nature comes into full view with very little signs of civilizations (including no billboards!) At one point we were even concerned about finding a gas station in time that would fit our truck and travel trailer. This long stretch of pine trees suddenly breaks open to views of the marsh and bridges over channels as you enter the town of Cedar Key.
Cedar Key envelopes the full personality of the Nature Coast. If your passion is fishing, birding, boating or kayaking, this is the place for you. Steeped in history, this little town if full of local charm and embraces its visitors openly. You are not going to find motel chains or high-rises here, but plenty of family run businesses ready for you to visit.
There are an abundance of restaurants and bars to pick from in this area, some featuring over the water views. If you are looking for fresh seafood, you’ve come to the right place. Besides the bountiful number of fish swimming in these waters, the Cedar Key area is the number-one producer of farm-raised clams in the U.S.
Parking on A St. for Waterfront Dining 
A look at some of the clam farms in the distance 
View towards the Cedar Key Fishing Pier
The town of Cedar Key is as unique as it is historic. There is a beautiful City Park located on the beach with picnic shelters and playground equipment.
A walk down 2nd Street takes you past multiple businesses, art galleries and a community garden.
The hidden charm of this community continues as you drive out to the airport, visit a historic landmark or head out of town towards one of the many nature preserves. Check out our Tiki Bar post for a great sunset hang out.
Whatever you decide to do, there are many ways to experience the nature of this area. For a full list of ideas, check out the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Guide.
Camping?
We stayed at Cedar Key RV Resort which is about 10 minutes from the town. Very clean and quiet, this campground is home to quite a few seasonal residents. Paved sites and open space between units make it especially friendly to big rig units and we enjoyed seeing the variety of campers. It definitely had the resort feel with a heated pool, dog park and fire pit. Close to Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve, we saw plenty of nature here as well!
Wandering with the Williams Family 
May I live there, please!!! Looks ever so quiet and beautiful!
On Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 1:22 PM Wandering with the Williams Family wrote:
> Anna Williams posted: ” Did you know Florida has more than two coasts? > It’s not just the Atlantic and Gulf like your atlas says. We Floridians > take great pride in the different areas of our state and name them to > represent their characteristics. The more popular ones are the ” >
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It definitely is – even on a busy Holiday weekend. Very easy to forget what the rest of Florida is like when you are there.
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What a fun review! I love the photos and the places you’ve suggested. We don’t know a lot about Florida, but your posts would be a great help.
Thanks for following our travel blog, Oh, the Places We See. We’re not doing a lot of traveling right now, but in January, we’ll highlight some places close to us. Happy New Year!
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Thank you! We are staying pretty close to home right now as well. Looking forward to reading about the places near you!
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