a gator’s guide to being social & safe

Like many of you, I’ve been cooped up inside my apartment for the past year. I’ve been forced to learn that there are only so many ways to occupy yourself indoors before you start to go stircrazy. Luckily, there are still quite a few ways to entertain yourself in Gainesville while staying safe. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite activities below!

Hiking: Since the start of the pandemic, my favorite way to take a break from everything has been hiking. Gainesville has quite a few different trails to choose from. Loblolly Woods Nature Park is the trail that I hike most often. It’s a relatively easy trail with a boardwalk that winds along a creek, and it offers many offshoot paths. Clear Lake Nature Park is another one of my go-tos. It’s only accessible to pedestrians through nearby neighborhoods, so there are rarely many people on it which makes it a great spot to visit if you’re seeking some solitude. This park borders the wetlands of the Sugarfoot Prairie Conservation Area, a park that contains another set of beautiful hiking trails, including a walkable levee. All of these trails are also prime locations for birdwatching, biking and discovering Gainesville’s plentiful wildlife.

Florida Natural History Museum: Another great reason to get out of the house is a trip to the Florida Natural History Museum. This museum is located near the edge of UF’s campus and is free to students with a UF Gator ID. Security strictly enforces masks, social distancing and one way paths, so it’s still a safe place to visit. Additionally, the museum rotates through limited special exhibits that have included animals like live baby alligators and sloths! My personal favorite exhibit is the Butterfly Rainforest. This is a permanent outdoor exhibit that includes hundreds of exotic butterflies, tropical plants, birds and waterfalls. If you wear bright colors and are lucky, you may even have butterflies land on you!

Lake Wauburg: Lake Wauburg’s North Shore Park is currently open and free to UF students with Gator IDs. This park has a beach area, an observation dock, picnic tables, grills, volleyball courts and even boat rentals. I’ve been kayaking on Lake Wauburg and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just don’t make the same mistake I did; make sure to bring bug spray for the mosquitoes! All these activities can be enjoyed either alone or with your quarantine pod! Although it looks as though we may have some time left before the pandemic ends, Gainesville’s beautiful outdoors still offer us many ways to entertain ourselves safely.

Story by Ananya Jain

Photo by Veronika Schmalfuss

Design by Soumya Kona