Blogs from Gainesville, Florida, United States, North America

blog 01-19-20 Wild horses and bison The day started with light rain showers so I took care of some business inside waiting long enough for the clouds to thin then took Watson for a walk. We went to the lake shore to see who was out and found some critters braving the wind to find lunch. I took some pictures and Watson got a few pats from kids along the way so we were both happy. I dropped Watson at the camper because I was going to the tower and he was not permitted. The tower overlooked most of the prairie so I was able to see part of the wild herds of horses and bison. Apparently before the first European man arrived here bison were a part of the natural environment and the park service's ... read more

We last visited Okefenokee swamp in Georgia. We did trails from the eastern part, then we drove to the western part to do trails there. We then headed South to Florida using highway 75. On the way, we never saw so many jails in one place...... We arrived at Gainesville. This is a nice medium sized town. The area around the college is particularly beautiful. The city served as a base to explore parks in the surroundings. We went to: 1- Devil's Millhopper: a collapsed big sinkhole, that you can go down to, using stairs. Although being close to town, it's a quiet place, surrounded by forest. There's a little museum to explain geology of the place and show fossils. 2-Payne's Prairie preserve: South of Gainesville. Preserve a distinct prairie ecosystem in the region. Saw many ... read more

Geo: 29.652, -82.3232What a day of travel. I had strategically driven further yesterday thinking it would benefit me today. Well it did, but not in the way I thought. We drove through rain in Tennessee for a few hours. Water was actually washing across the road. The Jeep was not designed for fast travel through wind. After blowing all over the road in the mountains, we made it through Ga to the Fl border. Welcome to the tropics said the clouds. Torrential downfalls with near 0 visibility followed by bouts of total sunshine. Great experience driving with people who put their flashers on while still driving so you cant see their brake lights. To break some of the monotony, we watched a movie that was so bad, Alex fell asleep.Well we finally made it to Laran's ... read more

Gainesville to Hawthorne Trail – Gainesville, Florida Text and Photos last updated: 2015 Number of times I have biked this trail: 6 Location: Gainesville, Florida Distance: 25 km (15.5 miles) Distance markers: yes Surface: asphalt Width: 3 metres Grade: Flat with a few hills Conditions of trail: good Parking: yes Water: none on trail Washrooms: yes Garbage containers: at covered picnic areas Rest Areas: yes Trail marking: yes Parking and location of Trail. Gainesville - Boulware Springs Park is at 3500 SE 15th Street where there is lots of parking and a washroom. Follow signs to the trail. A section of the trail heads into Gainesville but I have not taken this route. Lochloosa trailhead is at 7209 SE 200th Drive. Fr... read more

Shelby and I have grown a little road weary… We spent our last week out (our 5th) in search of some more fresh water springs, those jewels that gush from the earth at 72 degrees. I can’t get enough of snorkeling; seeing that blue water, those green plants, and the colorful fish that live under the surface, is so exciting. Since this has been a personal writing retreat for me, I have been writing down conversations that take place with my traveling companion, Shelby the turtle. Our next discussion is about swimming. Some of our other topics have been: expectations, gratitude, wild dancing, wood, slow food, being brave, community, and solutions. Good stuff! Our low spirits have been due to the Florida sunshine – missing in action; it keeps hiding the farther north we drive. And, ... read more