The Sea Hagg

Sometimes you find a junk store/antique store that's so over-the-top and jaw-dropping that you want to go back again and again to view it as one would a museum. Some of these places, like Joe Ley's in Louisville, have even figured that out and decided to charge admission just to enter their store. Thankfully, The Sea Hagg in Cortez, FL is still free to browse.

The photos here are all of The Sea Hagg's outdoor area, an extensive labyrinth of nautical bric-a-brac, but there's even more inside, including fine aquatic-themed home decor, jewelry, and ephemera. If you're thinking about opening a seafood restaurant and you need some rustic tack to decorate the place with, make tracks for this place. They have all the flotsam and jetsam you could ever want, Cap'n.

According to the Sea Hagg's blog:

Proprietor Jan Holman began her nautical voyage from Lake Erie where she crossed Ohio to the Ohio River and traveled down to the mighty Mississippi at Missouri. From there she traveled down the Mississippi to Louisiana and finally made her way to the sun drenched coastal beauty of Florida. She spent her 25 year voyage honing her distinctive talent and expertise in the areas of antiques, decorating, retail, advertising, and all things nautical. Her passion for the maritime led her to the historical fishing village of Cortez and the creation of her treasure-filled chandlery, affectionately named, The Sea Hagg. The Sea Hagg has been featured on FOX-13’s Good Day Tampa Bay and One Tank Trips and was dubbed the "best store to finally go into that you’ve driven by a million times."

The Sea Hagg perfectly exemplifies life in Cortez, FL, a historic fishing community where everything is laidback and everyone is eccentric. As you can see on this map, its location couldn't be better - you have Perico Island just above it to the north, Anna Maria Island straight ahead to the west, Longboat Key to the south, and the big city of Bradenton behind you on the mainland in the east. It's a good spot to be to feel like you're in the center of everything that matters in the gulf coast island-hopping Interzone.