What a beautiful park! So many trails to take advantage and never enough time!…read more Great and helpful staff (who will allow you to loan binoculars if you forgot yours and give you ideas on which trails are best for you based on what you are looking to experience) If you are in the area and are a nature nut (like me), come and take a look around. We saw deer, alligators and plenty of birds in our short excursion!

We took advantage of our Florida State Park Pass (saved us the $6 entrance fee) and took a drive to…read morethe park. This is a beautiful park to drive or hike. The drive in and to the visitor center is so pretty! The trees make a nice, shady canopy. You can see various animals from the observation tower, open range or hiking. It was late afternoon and hot when we were there so we didn't see much (one deer!) and I'm sure the animals were in the shade somewhere.

Historic cemeteries offer us not only a glimpse into an area's past, but also show us the reverence…read morefor those no longer with us that past generations held. I find it interesting to walk through a necropolis, reading simple, but powerful words, that sum up a life spent within this realm. Words such as "beloved father" or "beloved mother", with the date they came upon this world to the time that they walked their last step in this incarnation of their journey speak leagues. Simple words that cannot begin to explore the depths of the love and ultimate mourning of a life and the inevitable departure of that person. Perhaps most tragic is to stand before the grave of a child, sadly so tiny, and think about a life cut so short, so much that wasn't experienced. I find it comforting to walk amongst the aisles of headstones, each a testament to a life lived, lives of joy and sadness, of triumph and tragedy. Lives lived to their inevitable conclusion.

North Central Florida is lucky to share similar flora and fauna with Savannah and Louisiana. Even…read moreafter those similarities our cemeteries are no where near as expansive or spooky. With that being said, the Micanopy Historical Cemetery is still my favorite in the area. The expansive canopy of oak trees covered in moss will give you a chill even before you find the Victorian headstones, sculptures, and ironwork. The ground is covered with a bright green moss carpet that is soft under your feet, and your are shaded by the low hanging canopies above. It is difficult not to be taken in, when you are being sandwiched between the two. The Historical Society claims that the oldest grave is from 1825, but who knows... The best time to visit is when the sun is setting. Scared to get out of the car? Both gates are open on either side, so you can slowly and carefully drive your car through and safely come out the other side. Happy Halloween! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragdollco/sets/72157627686774267/

I jut wish that someone would come and put some money back into this place. The spring has been…read morecompletely neglected, and the building is in disrepair. It's pretty disgraceful that UF or the state doesn't put more pride and love into this spring. It has such an incredible history, and is a state landmark.

Excellent little park and historic site in Gainesville. Perfect for hiking, biking or a just an…read moreeasy stroll. There is also a horse trail. The waterworks building is very cool and a few tables and grills allow for picnics and snacks in a shaded setting.

Located along the Waldo Rd Greenway-Depot Avenue Rail-Trail this pedestrian bridge also carries…read morebicycles over SW 13th Street / US-441. That's a major roadway and instead of leaving it as something boring and functional, they've built something pretty and attractive. The DNA Bridge (sometimes called the Helix bridge) was originally built for rail traffic to the Gainesville Depot. The rail line was no longer and then converted to a rail trail in the 1980s. And then it was rebuilt in 2012 to somewhat resemble a DNA helix. At night, it's lit up. There is also a staircase on the east side if you're walking along SW 13th Street and want to get up to the bridge. This is near the Sorority Row and University of Florida Health campus so it's popular with students, medical professionals and nature lovers. When I was here, several folks in scrubs walked or biked past. There is no legal parking nearby, but I found a spot in the hospital lot for a brief visit to check out the bridge. [Review 19890 overall - 1692 in Florida - 863 of 2023.]

New York City has 6th Avenue, Avenue Of The Americas - big deal. Gainesville has 8th Avenue, Avenue…read moreOf The Galaxy. You don't have to be an explorer to know which of these is more monumental. And indeed it IS monumental - the planetary representation of our solar system is a series of monuments starting at the cross section of 34th St (the Sun) and ending with Pluto at 22nd (strict astronomical interpreters may end at Neptune, but understand you're missing out in your understanding of the cosmos). The beauty of it is that the planets are installed as a 4-billion (read that in a Carl Sagan voice) to 1 scale model, giving you a glimpse of just how far these planets are from each other. And 8th Ave is straight and flat here, so you can aim to see the whole run should you choose (though standing at the sun my eyes gave out around Saturn). The respective monuments stand about 15 feet high with a planet-esque sphere atop it - all of equal size, which was a slight disappointment until I realized a truly scaled Jupiter would take out a streetlight. Planetary stats and info is engraved on each monument, with impressive sketches of the mythological namesake gods and some choice quotes - can't get better than "Gangrene Uranus, ghoul of the heavens." This was exactly the quirky kind of thing I was hoping to find on my brief stay in Gainesville. The whole length of the run is 0.9 miles one-way, and even better there's a park trail (Loblolly Woods? Something like that) around Jupiter that looked promising had we more time. You can drive it for a quick science lesson, or you can walk it if you feel the calling to be a true galactic navigator (and this is the city of 'gators after all). I did a round trip, so I walked the scale model twice - only 3,999,999,998 more times and I can truly say I've walked the length of the solar system! That'd be cool if they can give me a badge when that happens.

These monument's were one of the first things I noticed when I moved to Gainesville. If you are a…read morepassenger riding towards Downtown or UF on 8th Avenue from the Oakview Mall it is pretty hard to miss this display of the planets on large cement columns on the right hand side of the road. Depending on traffic, you may miss 1 or 2, but I like the roadside display of the planets in our solar system. If you feel like you might want a better view of the columns you can easily plan to walk, run, or bike Solar Walk when you have the time.

As an English teacher, a lover of nature, and someone who loves to travel, I can say that our long…read moreanticipated journey to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park did not disappoint. I first stumbled upon "The Yearling" earlier this year after having a conversation with a wonderful woman on the Cumberland Island boat ferry tour over the summer. She mentioned how much she enjoyed her visit to cross Creek. As a California resident, I borrowed the book from a family member who had it, and thus my love for Marjorie, her life, and work was born! We first arrived at her house, and walked around the citrus orange groves. We played with the pet chickens, and made numerous observations of the property. Shortly after, the tour began. The house tour was led by Emma, a young, extremely warm, and knowledgeable tour guide. Emma made everybody feel extra comfortable, inviting questions and comments openly. The tour takes you through her living quarters, her bathroom, master bedroom, and guest rooms. The artifacts, decor, and design have been preserved to fit the exact historical era of Marjorie's life, and the artifacts are original belongings. The tour offers visitors a chance to learn colorful stories about Marjorie's life, a close look at her literary accomplishments, and a bonus is to get to see her kitchen to truly appreciate her love of cooking. After the tour, it's highly recommended that you make a stop at the yearling restaurant, just around the bend in the country road. It is there were you can enjoy delicious southern cuisine inspired by her, and buy from the incredible selection of books and gifts they offered in their gift shop. The tour guide also had mentioned that the park offers great cooking demonstrations from her cookbook "Cross Creek Cookery" in the spring months. I certainly look forward to visiting again to participate!

I was prompted to read "Cross Creek" because I am closely associated with the Mickens family who…read moreare referenced throughout the book. So we decided we'd go visit. I felt taken back in time The tour and information shared was well presented and only lead to more curiosity about this beautiful place that Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings immortalized in her novels. Read her books, visit the park, history is our teacher. Florida is such a beautiful place, if only we could stop paving this paradise... maybe we'd all see places like Cross Creek. Thank you to the staff and for Marjorie's gifts to the State and humanity.

There aren't many tunnels in Florida, seeing as how most of the state is at sea level. A tunnel…read morewould put you into the water table and you would be digging into coral bed, both of which present significant challenges. The other tunnels are the New River Tunnel (aka the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel) in Fort Lauderdale https://www.yelp.com/biz/henry-e-kinney-tunnel-fort-lauderdale?hrid=fXumVP8axkh_tcxVRR4Fww and the Port Miami Tunnel (aka State Road 887) that joines the MacArthur Causeway with PortMiami https://www.yelp.com/biz/port-of-miami-tunnel-downtown-miami. I've been to the former, I have not been to the latter, but I'm passing through Gainesville and now I need to visit the third publicly accessible tunnel in the state. The Norman Hall Tunnel is also known as the 13th Street Tunnel. It connects the two halves of the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and was opened to the public in 1957. It is not open to vehicles, but rather pedestrians and bicycles. It's pretty well covered in graffiti from end to end. I found parking nearby. Probably not legal but I was only here long enough to check out the tunnel and then time to move along. [Review 19657 overall - 1679 in Florida - 629 of 2023.]

Since my restaurant was located in downtown, I did walk by here on my way to the restaurant…read more Parking can get a bit difficult during the weekend nights, and I did have to drive around twice to find a spot. I was able to find one near the garage.It looked to be free parking, so that's always good. I did not know whether the garage cost extra, but I did see some parking areas that had a cost. I saw the main square with the gazebo, and looks like there were people hanging over there. There are lots of horse statues with artwork painted, and signs displaying the descriptions. And since they were artwork, there was definitely no mounting on the sculpture allowed! There are many nice restaurants, including Brick City Southern Kitchen and Harrys Seafood. There is also a theater, but I didn't go inside. Downtown Ocala looks to be pretty safe and welcoming. I should visit again during the day time and see if there are farmers markets as well. But definitely I will come back for the great restaurants over there. I just wish parking was easier. Overall: B

This is a must if you have 30 min to spare. Cute little downtown, very small, displaying equestrian…read morehistory of the area and giving homage to the biodiversity of the area. We loved it.

Century Tower is an icon of the UF campus. It can be heard on the hour or when the carillon studio…read morehas students performing music on the bells. Great place for photo ops for those visiting or graduating on campus.

As a proud double Gator, Century Tower has served as a beacon of hope. It represents the heights…read moreyou can reach with whatever you decide to purse at the University of Florida. Located in the center of campus, it demonstrates the fact that everything you decide to do is within reach after leaving the Gator Nation. It is a symbol for our university and is a beautiful one at that. You can sometimes hear your favorite tunes chiming from its bells, offering a reminder of how Florida Gators like to be whimsical and silly sometimes too. It stands tall and can be seen anywhere from campus like the Gator Nation which can be found anywhere. It is a part of our tradition keeper book, so at the end of every semester you are allowed to climb it and explore the inside. It serves as a meeting place, a memory and an icon for our fine university and I'm glad that it greets me every morning as I make my way to campus. Go Gators!!