If you’re in Gainesville this summer, don’t be jealous of your friends interning in other cities and studying abroad, you can still have a lot of fun traveling in Florida. Here are some trips you can take from Gainesville.
Day Trip
Cedar Key
The quaint island is only about 40 minutes away from Gainesville. Boating, fishing and kayaking are the most popular tourist activities and are part of everyday life for the locals. And the seafood is delicious. There’s even a seafood festival in Cedar Key in the fall. That’s how good it is.
Boat and kayak rentals and tours
Cedar Key Boat Rentals and Tours
Cedar Key Guide
Cedar Key Paddling, Rentals, Taxi, and Tours
Tidewater Tours and Rentals
Kayak Cedar Key
Restaurants
Big Deck Raw Bar
Blue Desert Café
Island Girl Cakes of Cedar Key
Island Hotel Restaurant and Neptune Lounge
Island Room Restaurant
Ken’s Cedar Keyside Diner
Kona Joes Island Café
Robinson Seafood
Steamers Clam Bar and Grill
Tony’s Seafood Restaurant
My recommendations: I recommend kayaking in Cedar Key. I personally have not been kayaking there because I didn’t have time when I was there, but I know many people who have and enjoyed it. Prices vary for kayak rentals, and many places don’t list prices on their websites. But I’ve heard you can kayak for about an hour for $25, so use that as a rough estimate, so you don’t get ripped off. Of course the price will depend on if you go in a single, double or triple kayak. Call ahead to find out prices; prices might vary because of holidays.
Shops on the water sell souvenirs and can be over-priced, since they’re for tourists. (And we all our experts at spotting tourist-traps, since we live in Florida!) But there are other shops farther back from the road the water on Second Street, which offer more hand-made items and clothing.
Your restaurant choice will depend on your personal preferences. You basically have two options: 1. Seafood restaurant on the water 2. Seafood restaurant not on the water. Now, I know this limits you to seafood, but trust me, it’s so good, so even if you don’t like seafood all that much, you’ll like it in Cedar Key. Obviously, if you eat on the water, you’ll have a beautiful view, so I highly recommend this option for a date or any romantic situation. These restaurants are Ken’s Cedar Keyside Diner and Steamers Clam Bar and Grill. However, the food isn’t that great at these places, and it’s pricey; you can get better food away from the water for cheaper. I’ve eaten at Tony’s Seafood on Second Street, and the food was excellent and reasonably priced.
Plan to spend: Roughly $35-45 per person for one activity and dinner. However, you can spend much less and still have fun.
Day trip or weekend trip
St. Augustine
You’ve probably been here at least once, but if you haven’t, I’ll give you an overview. The city is on the beach, houses the Castillo de San Marcos, is filled with good shopping and Flagler College is here. Those are some of the main attractions, and while I like all those places, I personally love St. Augustine for another reason- it has a very fun, laid-back feel that is hard to find.
Places to visit
Castillo de San Marcos- $7 per person
Flagler College
The Shopping District
Colonial Spanish Quarter
St. Augustine lighthouse
Restaurants
Cap’s On the Water
Columbia Restaurant
Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille
Raintree Restaurant
Santa Maria Restaurant
Hotels
There are lots of hotels in St. Augustine from the Hilton to Best Western to small, locally owned ones. If you’re looking for a hotel, just do a Google search for hotels. I recommend not using booking.com, since there are usually extra fees with that site.
My recommendations: If you’ve never been to Castillo de San Marcos or haven’t been in awhile, go. For my fellow shopping lovers, definitely visit the shopping district, but don’t worry, if shopping isn’t your thing, there are lots of good ice cream places in the shopping districts. And who doesn’t love ice cream?!
This completely goes against my number one travel rule: don’t eat in super tourist areas, but I recommend eating in the shopping district. Some of the restaurants are pricey and not good, so beware, but there are also some good seafood places, particularly at the end of the shopping district. (If you can’t tell already, I’m a huge fan of seafood.)
Plan to spend: For the day- $25-35.
For the weekend- $65-80, excluding a hotel.
Start traveling!
