Cedar Key, Florida

[bsacks05]

What's better than baking chocolate chip cookies with your daughter? Flying her to lunch, of course!
With great flying weather, how could we spend a Saturday at home. I have long wanted to fly into Cedar Key and Diana loves seafood so off we went.

9:15am - We were airborne on the 205 nm journey. I let her choose the music on the XM radio. Now, I love flying at 5500ft and 140kts GS through the skies of the southeast, but listening to today's "hits" just doesn't fit the moment. Anything to keep my passenger happy, I guess. Besides, I get to play DJ on the way back.

10:30ish - We were in the pattern for CDK. After making our position reports we were asked if we needed a ride into town. Nice. The temps were approaching 90 but the winds were calm which made for a nice landing. We loaded up into the waiting car ($5 each) for the short ride into town.

Diana and I did a little sightseeing at the waterfront, then went to Ann's for seafood. We split a seafood platter which consisted of scallops, shrimp, grouper, clams, and crab cakes. I also had a really nice Greek salad and Diana had some crab bisque. Very tasty!

After lunch, we went to a gift shop because we could not return empty handed. I usually loathe gift shop prices but these were actually reasonable and we bought a few souvenirs.

1:00pm We called for our ride back to the airport. Next time I leave my plane somewhere hot, I will have to put the canopy cover on. The seatbelt buckles were searing hot and my chapstick was melted. Anyway, we were soon on our way home with Diana sleeping and me listening to the XM 70s and classic rock channels.

http://picasaweb.google.com/besacks/CedarKey

[Bob Martin]

Great write up, thats for sharing! The RV's are great!

[petehowell]

Planes and kids are a great combo. I do wish we had better seafood here in the midwest, tho!

Bruce, I logged on to APRS.fi yesterday and hit the show moving button - I caught you on the flight home. From where the track started, I figured Cedar Key was the origination.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

[bsacks05]

Yeah Pete, Flying with the kids is the best!

I am wondering why my APRS transmissions were not picked up closer to Cedar Key. I was not more than a couple miles over water and not at a really low altitude. Perhaps it is because the location is somewhat remote and I am still using the little belly antenna until I put in the J-pole during next month's annual. Maybe the water had something to do with it as well.

Anyway, there's nothing like an RV for a quick getaway to the coast.

[JerryG150]

Nice write up and great pictures. Plan on following your lead and flying up to Cedar Key with my wife real soon. It would be just a short hop from Sarasota. We love seafood too.

I'll have to rent a plane for the flight ... have my wing kit for the 12 inventoried but haven't started building yet.

[TankerBob]

Cedar Key is a great place. I went there on my solo cross country for my PPL. I can't believe that my instructor let me go there, in fact he encourage it!

Great place can't wait to go back!

[carolsyracuse]

Cedar Key is my absolute favorite fly out destination. We always take binoculars and walk at least one way (either to or from the restaurant). There are Ospreys and herons and many other birds to see. We even saw sandhill cranes in the stream adjacent to the airport once. It is the best of all worlds- a great flying experience, great birdwatching and a great seafood restaurant selection.

[BlackRV7]

Last time I was at Cedar Key, I was sitting on the runway sign, after going for a walk in the tidal area off the end of the runway at the ramp, when a gentleman came up with his dog. I mentioned what a great place that was for a walk, when he said, "yep great, but the snakes out thar gotta heads bigger than a cat, ate one of ma dogs" What did he just say!!

Anyway great island, I called ahead of time to a bed and breadfast, and tried to reserve a room by credit card only to be told he only accepted cash or check..........and would leave the room key on the bed side table, just pay the next morning.

Great place that Florida has forgot. Put it on one of your places to visit.