A Day In Gainesville – 2 Interesting Locations On a Budget

We spent a weekend staying at Champions Run RV Resort in Ocala for a some rest, a place we had visited a couple of times before. It has everything you need, including a small Grill restaurant and a Tiki Bar, along with the pool, hot tub, fitness center and other activities. We had planned to just relax, but, well, we always seem to find something that sounds fun!

On our way south on I-75 the day before, I had seen signs for Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park we hadn’t checked off yet, and it sounded like a nice day trip. Gainesville is a nice area and was only about 45 minutes away, so not a bad drive.

This is a small State Park nestled in downtown Gainesville and is centered around a sinkhole that has been drawing in curious visitors since the late 1800’s.

Entry was $4 per vehicle when we went. They have picnic tables, restrooms, an information pavilion about it’s history, a half mile hiking trail around the rim of the sinkhole, and 132 stairs leading down into the sinkhole itself.

What drew us in was that it was covered in tree canopy, making for a shady day, and it was surprisingly cooler there. The 1,000 foot deep sinkhole is home to a diverse ecosystem that rivals a rain forest and has nothing like it anywhere else.

It seems the sinkhole collapsed in two phases – the initial collapse about a thousand years ago, with evidence of both sea life and land animals that frequented the area, as well as a newer collapse part of the way down that is only a hundred or so years old.

Some images of the area show the pool at the bottom with some depth, but it was fairly dry when we visited on a hot June day, with shallow pools teeming with life, and a few streams feeding into it from small waterfalls and cascades of water finding their way down the sides.

We spent an hour or so there, exploring and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

When we left and were headed back toward the campground, we stumbled across a sign pointing to Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, and BJ being the adventurous partner he is, he immediately took the turn for us to scout it out.

It is a small 10-acre zoo that is part of the degree program they offer at the college. They have more than 70 species on property, and some we hadn’t seen at other zoos before.

With admission under $10 a person, with discounts for kids, veterans, seniors, students, teachers, and first responders, it meant we could enjoy it for under $20.

They have picnic tables out front, but don’t sell any drinks or snacks on property, and the restrooms are out the front entrance. We had packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed it before entering.

The beauty of this zoo is that it is entirely covered in tree canopy, so has shade for the majority of it. We enjoyed exploring the wildlife exhibits, chatting with the zoo staff and students and the boys took lots of photos, turning it into an impromptu photography field trip as our son has recently developed an interest and is learning to use a professional camera (BJ’s old one) while BJ practices on his new one.

While it was a hot afternoon, some of the animals were as curious about us as we were them, so they came out of hiding.

Since this was also in the city, we found an ice cream shop when we left to complete our day.

We really enjoyed the outdoor adventure for a few hours that made for an enjoyable Florida summer afternoon and loved that it was budget friendly! Being an unschooling family, we really liked having educational and affordable options. Going during the week allowed us to avoid crowded weekends and truly experience nature, and have time to explore and let learning take the lead.

If these two places aren’t checked off your list of places to explore, be sure to add them!

Gainesville has a lot to offer, so even if you don’t live or camp near the area, it can make for a great Florida day or weekend trip!

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