As the name implies, this establishment caters to anglers. Guests at both the motel and the campgrounds have access to a cleaning room and a cook house on the premises, so they can enjoy a meal of the day's catch. Rooms in the motel feature a variety of configurations, and rentals start at $65 per night for two people as of January 2011. Campsites, supplied with sewer, water and electricity, cost $30 per night. Those fishing in the river are likely to catch large-mouth bass and a Suwannee bass variety. The placid gulf waters are ideal for redfish and speckled trout fishing.
Since Suwannee is a town of only 500 with no major chain motels, visitors may stay in Cedar Key, a larger artists' colony and island about 15 miles to the south. Mermaids Landing's nine cottages were built in Cedar Key in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Painted in the bright beach hues popular in that era, they face the gulf''s edge under large cedar trees. A narrow land bridge connects Cedar Key with the mainland. The cottages range from one to four rooms. While here, guests have the use of complimentary bicycles to explore the area. The inn's name reflects a local legend that the noted naturalist John Muir (perhaps due to malaria-induced delirium) reported seeing a mermaid splashing in the waters off the island during a visit in the 19th century.
Built in 1859 as a general store and post office, this Cedar Key bed and breakfast is listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings. The hotel serves guests a full breakfast daily, either in the dining room or, when weather permits, on the screened porch. The restaurant opens again for dinner every night except Monday. With walls 12 inches thick, the hotel has withstood hurricanes for more than 150 years, even when the roof was blown off. For those interested in the supernatural, the Island Hotel is reputed to have 13 ghosts roaming its hallways and entering certain rooms. The Fox Network even filmed a segment here in 1999 for the television series "Haunted Inns and Mansions."
These seven cottages in Cedar Key have recently been refurbished. Several feature kitchens furnished with dishes and cookware. A canoe, a grill and the sundeck are for the use of all guests. Dogs up to 50 pounds may stay with their owners. Children under 7 stay free.
