It has long been a dream to visit both the eastern and western terminus of the Florida Railroad, and earlier this month that dream became a reality. For those unfamiliar, the Florida Railroad was the first railroad to connect the east and west coasts of Florida, running from Fernandina Beach to Cedar Key. Completed in 1861, at 156 miles in length, it was the longest railroad to be completed in Florida before the start of the American Civil War.
Cedar Key is an off the beaten path treasure, and the Island Hotel is the gem of the key. It is truly amazing to find an intact antebellum structure in such a location, and even more astonishing that it is still in use. Built in 1859, the Florida pioneers who settled Cedar Key constructed the building with remarkable hardiness, mixing oyster shell, limestone and sand to pour tabby walls 10 inches thick. The building has survived the Civil War as well as countless hurricanes, tempests, floods, and other disasters. After service as a general store, warehouse, and even quarters for the Yankees, the structure is now a charming, 10-room hotel & restaurant owned by a couple from Atlanta.
December 2015
COUNTYTRIP 