Gainesville Area

Gainesville Orientation:

Avenues run east-west, Streets run north-south

University Ave divides north from south numbering, Main St. divides east from west

The University and my house is in the southwest quadrant

Maps

Some Things to do in the Gainesville Area

University of Florida

#1 Nice old part of University to walk around

#2 Walk along Lake Alice trail, possibly see alligators, bat house

#3  FL Museum of Natural History, good for kids and adults (free) with butterfly rainforest ($7)

           next to Harn Art Museum http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/

#4 Football stadium – impressive, can walk right in often

Gainesville

#1 Downtown Gainesville:  Nice. Restaurants, sidewalk cafes, clubs and shops

#2 Wal-Mart, Loewe’s, Target, CVS, fast-food etc

#3 Oaks Mall

#4 Paynes’ Prairie Preserve State Park: visitor center:  woods, lake , wetland, trails ($4.00/vehicle) Paynes Prairie,

#5 Paynes’ Prairie Preserve: Bolen Bluff Trail (free)

#6 Paynes’ Prairie Preserve: La Chua Trail, best place to see alligators on sunny day (free). From 13st, turn E on SE 4^th Ave and S on SE 15^th st , On weekend, if road not open, park at gate and walk (1-2 mile)

#7 Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, very nice (adults $5) http://www.kanapaha.org/index.htm

#8 Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park: a sinkhole, 500 feet wide, 120 feet deep with steps to the bottom   North on 43rd Street, turn left. onto Millhopper Road (53rd Ave). Entrance on right, $2

#9 Many sandhill cranes winter in this field on the corner of Williston and SW 23^rd St.  Quite a sight.

Restaurants I recommend:

A. Dragonfly Sushi – Downtown, 201 SE 2^nd Ave, Liquid Ginger – Pan Asian: 101 SE 2nd Pl.

B. Virtual Cuban – 2409 SW 13 st

C. Bahn Thai – 1902 SW 13 st

D. Chopstix Café – 3500 SW 13 st

E. 43rd Street Deli - 3483 SW Williston Rd

F. Davis Real Pit Barbeque - 5121 NW 39th Ave # A

G. Jeff’s New York Deli – Corner of NW 6^th St and N 23^rd Ave

Around Gainesville: Within 40-minute drive

- Waldo:  BIG Flee Market on Saturday and Sunday

- Micanopy:  Nice old little town with good ambiance, antique shops and café

- Ichetucknee Springs State Park, inner tube, canoe, hike, constant 72-degee waters.  Go to High Springs, then Take US 27 north to Ft. White, stay on US 27 north approximately 4 miles

- High Spring:s old tobacco town, antique shopping

- Cross Creek: Home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the author of The Yearling, Cross Creek Visit her "Cracker shack" home, eat at Yearling Restaurant

Within 2 hour drive from Gainesville

- Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park (75 miles, 1.5 hours), manatee and zoo, good for kids ($10 admission)

- Cedar Key: Nice coastal town with lots of shops, seafood, and wetlands  (60 miles, 1 hour)

- St Augustine: Spanish Colonial Town, nice but pretty touristy (80 miles, 2 hours)

- Nice Undeveloped Beaches: Anastasia State Park just east of St Augustine

LODGING

1)  Travelodge

-The nearest to our house - 0.7 miles, nice walk down a quiet scenic road to our house

- We've booked a block of rooms here for the special rate of 56$/night for 2 double beds or less depending on how many of us book there.

-It's a classic motor lodge with a "classic" feel. i.e. a little bit down home and gritty but nice.

-Just off Interstate 75

2) Quality Inn - Another motor lodge near the house close enough to walk but on the OTHER side of I75 (can walk under the interstate)

http://reservations.hotel-guides.us/hotel/10006044-10229893O.html

3) Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites  
2900 SW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL 32608

352-377-4000

http://reservations.hotel-guides.us/hotel/10006044-10000933O.html

-about 4 miles from the house (little traffic).

-A more typical nice hotel (i.e. not a motor lodge)