Day Two: Gainesville Camping Trip

Gainesville, Florida:  We awoke for the second day of our weekend camping trip to a cool and comfortable 62 degrees with a light fog over the park.  There is just something about camping in the great outdoors that leads to a great night's sleep.  We woke up refreshed and ready to take on the town for our final day in Gainesville.

Our morning routine was changed due to car problems the night before.  As we left from dinner, the truck gave us difficulty starting.  So to keep from getting stranded over 200 miles from home, we decided to tear down camp first thing this morning, pack the car and pray it starts.

With camp packed up, we crossed our fingers and fired up the truck.  It started without a problem and we were on our way.  We tried to head to the observation tower and try spotting some bison, but it was still closed.  So we chose to head to breakfast instead.  On the way out of the park, we passed a whole bunch of deer along Savannah Boulevard, the main park drive.

After breakfast, we headed back to the park and our mission to spot the wild bison and horses.  But like the last visit, we were unable to spot the elusive giants of the prairie.  However we did manage to spot a few more white tail deer.

We decided to check out of the campground and head into Gainesville for a stroll through the University of Florida.  Unlike yesterday's homecoming game and parties, this morning it was extremely quiet at UF.  We spent a couple hours taking a leisurely three mile walk thought the heart of Gator Country.

The highlight of the walking tour for me was Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.  What an amazing facility.  It was almost surreal to have the stadium to yourself, well minus a few joggers.  We explored the stadium for a little bit, including a climb to the top.  I don't think there is a bad seat in the house, its amazing how even up in the top row, you still have a great view of the field.  I hope to catch a game here in the future and see how it compare to Happy Valley at Penn State.

After almost getting lost, we finally made it back to the truck to begin our journey home.  But not without one last stop along the way.  We made a detour to Cross Creek to visit the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park.  The rural homestead was where the Pulitzer Prize winning author penned her novel "The Yearling".  We got there a couple minutes before the scheduled tour so we took the walk through the home and took a jouney back into rural Florida living in the 1930's.

The conclusion of the tour brought a close to our weekend trip and put us on the long drive back home.

For a trip being literally thrown together at the last minute, we had a great time immersing ourselves in the history and culture of Gainesville.  After 15 years of living in Florida, this was the first trip where I forgot I was in the state of Florida.  The cooler weather, hills and valleys, look of fall and overall architecture of the city reminded me so much of my home in Pennsylvania.  The city had the charm of a older town, not the flat everything looks the same look that much of Florida has.  We enjoyed it here so much, the thoughts of relocating to Gainesville has crossed both of minds.  But whether we relocate or just come back on a trip, we will be sure to return.

Until we return, we will reflect on the memories we made during this trip.  From the depths of the Devil's Millhopper to the heart of the Swamp, there was plenty to enjoy on this trip.

Be sure to check back later for more photos and stories from our trip.