Our lodging accommodations and activities were covered. However, all my opinions are my own. 

My girls and I enjoyed a wonderful mother-daughter weekend getaway in Gainesville. Yes, you’ve read that right. We left the boys behind and traveled to Gainesville for a wonderful time away.

Road Trip To Gainesvile

We took a short road trip from Jacksonville to Gainesville. It was less than an hour’s drive away. We stayed at the amazing Residence Inn by Marriott in a double bed suite. The room was very comfortable and had a living room and kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator and microwave. They also offered complimentary breakfast each morning for all guests. 

If you’re a football fan, then you know that Gainesville Florida is home to the University of Florida, Florida Gators. However, we are not football fans, and we did not travel to Gainesville for football. We travel to visit the amazing museums that are in Gainesville. I truly was blown away by some of the amazing attractions that are in Gainesville Florida. 

Overview of Gainesville Florida

Gainesville is quite unique. It has a mixture of historical and modern touches. I especially liked Gainesville because it offered activities for both the younger and older crowds as well. While Gainesville, is considered quite modern there is not a beach located in town. However, they are home to some of the most amazing Springs. For example, Ichetucknee Springs State Park is one of them. Since we were visiting in the fall, we weren’t able to experience the springs. However, we have experienced it in the past.

Great Family things to do in Gainesville Florida

For starters, the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention was our favorite! Trust me! It is fun for the entire family. This amazing museum was built in Depot Park. It is meant to inspire children of all ages. They have amazing classes as well as labs that influence creativity. 

All their activities are interactive and very engaging. My children literally spent hours exploring this amazing museum. I especially love the amazing sofas that were around. While my children were exploring, I made time to relax and read a book. Did I mention that there were no boys on this trip?

Florida Museum of Natural History and the Butterfly Rainforest

We were able to also experience the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Butterfly Rainforest. I have heard that this was an amazing museum for children to experience. I especially was very interested in experiencing the butterfly rainforest. Let me just say, it was an incredible experience. The butterflies were amazing. This was such a wonderful experience as a family. The admission to the museum was free but there was a charge for the butterfly rainforest and the exhibit. The exhibit at the time was the survival of the slowest. My daughter is truly enjoyed learning about the different animals in their ecosystems.

Food Truck Rally in Gainesville

This was a new experience for my daughters and I. We have never eaten from a food truck before. However, we had to experience this for the first time. It was quite an experience. It was neat trying some of the different foods. We enjoyed our Italian icees. 

Our overall experience was very neat. If you are thinking about checking out Gainesville, I recommend you do so. I’m sure that they were other things that we weren’t able to experience. We’re definitely looking forward to our next visit to Gainesville.