Olde Floridae

There are many remarkable constructed mysteries in this world – the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colosseum in Rome and many more. Now, we can add a new wonder of the world to the list: the Hinge to Nowhere.

There is much speculation about the significance of the hinge and who made it, but perhaps the most important aspect of this amazing artifact is its location. It’s not in Europe or Asia or even South America, but in Cedar Key. And not just anywhere in that venerable gulfside destination, but in the empty lot next to the town’s lone grocery store, The Market at Cedar Key.

Screwed into a palm tree and consisting of materials that, amazingly, look like they could have been purchased at any hardware store or even the neighboring market, the incredibly beautiful Hinge to Nowhere is shrouded in mystery. Was it once part of an elaborate security system designed protect the area’s original inhabitants from invading marauders, or perhaps keep the storm surge from a passing hurricane from flooding everything in the area? Genevieve and I decided to do a little digging by asking some of the locals about this remarkable historical artifact.

Well, since we were on our way to dinner, we just asked one guy. I think his name was Bill. He never told us his name, but he definitely looked like a Bill. Anyway, Bill said he was no expert on the famous hinge but that local legend says it was once part of a wooden fence designed to keep tourists from parking in the vacant lot it fronts during July 4th fireworks celebrations. Ingenious, those Yanks!