"Gainesville, Florida" Gainesville by noidiotsplease

Home of the Florida Gators football team

Gainesville, a medium-sized inland city about an hour and a half drive southwest of Jacksonville, is home to the University of Florida, the largest institution of higher learning in the state. As the campus of UF is very large and spread out, it is easy to think of the city and university as one in the same. Nevertheless, this overgrown university town and research center also boasts a small but growing downtown area with a couple of multi-story office buildings and a historic theater to its credit. If exploring the grounds and halls of a large, pedestrian-oriented, red brick university campus appeals to you and you have an appreciation for unique natural attractions, Gainesville makes for a worthwhile day trip excursion.

Located immediately adjacent to downtown is the beautiful campus of UF. Here, red and orange brick buildings give the school a Northeastern Ivy League appearance set amidst sabal palm clusters, majestic oaks and lush shady greens. You can wander around campus aimlessly or catch a guided tour to learn more about the school. (Be warned that a several block area around the stadium gets very packed on home football game days throughout the fall).

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, GAINESVILLE

Located northeast of UF and downtown, in the middle of a suburban residential area, Devil's Millhopper is a very unusual and scenic state park. Here, you can wind your way down a boardwalk into the base of a giant sink hole full of lush vegetation. You can even see a few waterfalls along the way .

Speaking of water, Gainesville may be an inland city but several natural springs dot the area immediately surrrounding it. In these parts, intertubing down crystal clear spring-fed streams is a popular local activity. Just beware that unlike the generally warm waters found along all of Florida's coasts and in its rivers and lakes, the state's inland springs are quite chilly, as the water that fills them comes from great depths.

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