James & Carla
Things To Do
University of Florida Campus
Welcome to the Gator Nation! Feel free to walk around campus, see Carla's old stomping grounds! A few suggestions would be: - Library West - where she studied, cried, slept during exam weeks - The Hub, campus Chick Fil-A where Tim Tebow used to hang - Lake Alice, campus lake. Beware of the Gators. - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium aka The Swamp where only National Champions get out alive!
Gateway of Champions - UF Trophy Room
Located at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is The Gateway of Champions Facility where all of the numerous trophies won by our football team are held. Feel free to stop by and check out the dynasty, but it's only open during weekdays!
Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History
One of Carla and James' favorite places in town! This butterfly museum is amazing! You can find it inside the Natural History Museum on the University of Florida campus. The general museum itself is free but to get into the Butterfly section, there is a fee right before the entrance. Take a small stroll through it and you can find tons of different species of butterflies and plants!
UF Bat Houses
Sounds weird but Carla swears it's pretty cool. UF has a couple bat houses on campus and every night at around dusk people gather to watch thousands of bats come out at night to hunt. It's a pretty interesting sight to see all these bats (and also hawks) come flying out to feed. Don't worry, they've never attacked anyone....yet...
Mark Bostick Golf Course
One of the local golf courses located near the UF campus. It has an 18 hole course and also a driving range.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a Gainesville staple. Located a couple miles west of UF Campus, it houses about 24 major collections of plants along a 1.5mile paved walkway. It's a great place to wander around to relax, you can even bring some snacks for a picnic! Throughout the year they also host garden/plant shows which are highly anticipated and attended by Carla's parents.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park
A man-made wetlands park with trails in the shape of head of an alligator, this is a great light trail to check out in Gainesville. It's about a 10 minute drive from the campus and a free park to check out the wetlands, alligators, and different other animals local to Florida. The trails are mostly paved, there are a couple areas that may get a little dirty/muddy but otherwise it's pretty accessible.
La Chua Trail
Pronounced "la chew-ah", La Chua Trail is another local trail located in Paynes Prairie Reserve - light hike around the wetlands. Here you can see some bison, wild mustangs, plenty of turtles, birds, and in the winter time thousands of cranes migrate down for the winter and are an incredible sight to see! All animals here are free roaming so please be mindful that this is their space. Please do not feed them. Due to the time of year and increased temperatures, the alligators are more active with feeding - which is cool to see but STILL please be mindful of them! Please do not feed or approach them, they are wild animals after all. “My wedding insurance will not cover you,” says Carla.
Mill Creek Horse Retirement Farm
This is a hidden gem close to Gainesville that Carla found just prior to leaving. Established in 1984 this farm was created by a couple who had a huge passion and love for animals. Mary and Peter began with just 140 acres when they first started Mill Creek, and now it's grown to 334 acres with 130 horses, 4 dogs, and 2 cats! The farm is only on Saturdays from 11am-3pm and entrance fee can be paid in the form of snack for the horses! (Carla suggests huge bags of carrots and apples - bring plenty!!)
Devil's Den Spring
Another favorite! Located about 1.5hrs of Gainesville, this is a MUST-SEE. Devil's Den is a natural underground spring that allows you to snorkel and scuba dive. The water is 72 degrees year round, but water levels depend on the season (remember, Florida gets A LOT of rain during hurricane season), so please check their website for the latest updates as they tend to hit max capacity quick and may have some variable hours depending on the weather.
Ginnie Springs
Not sure that you can go to Florida without going to the Springs. About an hour south of Gainesville is Ginnie Springs where you can camp, float, paddle board, snorkel or scuba dive an dcanoe your way down the Santa Fe River. Again, waters are 72F year-round so it's the perfect way to cool off in the summer. There is an admission cost as well as cost of rentals, but everything is right there at the main office. You can also bring in your own gear. If going, please be sure to sign the waiver at their website to save you some time when you get there!
St. Augustine
If you have some extra time to explore other parts of Florida, we’d highly recommend checking out St. Augustine. It's the oldest city int he nation for crying out loud! Here you can check out the Pirate Museum, the Fountain of Youth (they let you drink from it!) and a local outlet mall. There is also Anastasia State Park if you want to check out some Florida beaches.
La Tienda
If you know Carla, then this place needs no introduction. If you don't know Carla, then you have to know that La Tienda is near and dear to her heart. It's the best taco place in town and if you want to argue with her, she will fight you. Recommended items are carnitas or shrimp tacos, and definitely get the chips with salsa and queso.
Mi Apá Latin Café of Gainesville
Best Latin food in Florida outside of Miami. This place quickly became one of James' favorite spots - serving up the best Latin dishes in town. Order a cafe con leche or cortadito with a guava pastry to get your day going!
Reggae Shack Cafe
If you're into Caribbean or spicy food, this is the place for you! Carla has been going to this place since she was a sophomore in college and it has never let her down. Carla highly recommends trying the jerk chicken - as an entree, a burger, or in the salad - any of it is good! Try the festivals or coco bread to soak up the heat or maybe the oxtail too! If you’re vegetarian/vegan, they have great options too!
Uppercrust Bakery
This place is amazing. It’s a small French bakery located in Gainesville north of the UF campus. Carla used to buy baguettes and pastries here almost weekly so she challenges you to stop by and not buy anything because once you’re in through the entrance it is impossible not to want to eat everything in sight. From pastries to baguettes to a great selection of wines, this place has it all. Feel free to stop by the day of the wedding and pick some treats up for Carla ;)
Steamer’s Downtown + Muñeco Taco Bar
Steamer’s is Carla’s brother’s favorite place to eat in town. This place originated as a small shop a couple blocks from campus, selling different types of fried rice and now I guess they’ve teamed up with a taco place so PERFECT COMBO! Give them a try downtown near the Bo Diddley Plaza downtown.
The Hyppo Gainesville
Two words: Gourmet. Popsicles. Hyppo started out in St. Augustine, Florida and have branched out to other cities including Gainesville. They’re located downtown and have a variety of flavors so give them a try to cool down from the Florida heat!
Maude’s Cafe
Local coffee shop in downtown Gainesville located next to the Hippodrome theatre. They’ve got a huge menu of specialty coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches. The outdoor area is a cute place to hang out and they’ve got tons of board games to play while you’re enjoying your coffee.