The island village of Cedar Key off the west-central coast of Florida is joined by a causeway and three bridges across four miles of shallow salt marsh. Home to clammers and fishermen, its picturesque charm draws artists, tourists, writers, showbirds and nature lovers. It is Florida’s second oldest settlement and the end point of naturalist John Muir’s thousand mile walk to the Gulf.

Cedar Key, which still looks like a frontier town in places, has developed a reputation for its artisan shops and seafood restaurants along Dock Street. Commercial fishermen farm clams, which have become a culinary icon.