3/16/26
Hello from Palm Coast! I have been staying here for two nights with a host who has graciously allowed me to wait out the rain here before continuing south to Daytona Beach tomorrow. I’m so glad for that, because yesterday and today we had major deluges in the afternoons, complete with lightning and thunder.
But I’m here now to tell you about my second foray into Gainesville, about a week ago.
I’m sure some of you remember that Gainesville is where my winter’s Florida travels began, back in early December. I had taken the train from Savannah to Orlando, stayed in a hotel there for one night, and then caught a RedCoach bus to Gainesville for what was to be my first visit. At that time, I stayed for a week and a half at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, helping to prepare food and clean cages for 177 monkeys. That was an amazing experience.
I also visited a handful of the Gainesville area’s many nature parks, but I wanted to come back later to see more. I also wanted to make sure to visit the monkeys again. And, I wanted to spend some time just soaking up the vibes of Florida’s most hippie-ish college town.
Thankfully, I got to do all of these things on my recent visit.
I was able to find three Warmshowers hosts to stay with—Demi for two nights, Michael and Rosa for two nights, and Allyson for one night. I also managed to meet up with a friend of a friend of a friend, named Debbie, who is staying temporarily in Gainesville as part of her vanlifing journey with her dog.
My first time in the area, the weather was chillier than I would have liked. That was not an issue this time around. The mercury climbed into the 80s (about 30C) and the air was a bit humid, although nothing like it will be in a few months! I was pretty pleased with the weather, although I felt sticky at times.
Demi lives near the University of Florida (she is a PhD student there, in linguistics) so I got to see the campus again, including a cool underpass I had remembered from before.
On my first day in town, I went back to the Alfred A. Ring nature park, which was as lush and calming as I had remembered.
The next day, Demi joined me for a tour of Jungle Friends. Like so many Gainesville residents, she had been unaware that there was a monkey sanctuary just a few miles north of town. It was fun for me to experience it all over again, but this time with a tour of folks who were seeing it and meeting the monkeys for the first time. I was so happy to be able to reconnect specifically with Zumie and Monkers, and Skotty, all of whom had stolen my heart last time.
Then later that afternoon and early evening, I explored a local nature park my host Allyson had suggested: the La Chua boardwalk trail. It was stunning. The light was incredible at that time of day. I saw more gators than maybe ever before (with the possible exception of the day when I cycled through the Everglades) and also many beautiful birds, and several anoles.
I also got a preview of the adjacent Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, which I rode a few days later. (Stay tuned for that post.)
A couple days later, I met up with Debbie (it was her birthday!) and we went to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, which my hosts Michael and Rosa had recommended. It was a beautiful place with the azaleas in bloom, and many Asian-garden elements as well, such as bamboo, a red bridge, and a few waterfalls.
Then I returned to Michael and Rosa’s beautiful cottage nestled in the woods, where I would sleep in an A-frame trailer next to the house. The driveway and the neighbors’ chickens really transported me to an alternate, “old Florida” reality. I soaked it all in, even enjoying amenities like their outdoor shower. The only downside was being awakened before dawn both mornings by the rooster crowing for what seemed like a solid hour… but the rustic charm was worth it.
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