karisking27-blog

[karisking27-blog]

Gainesville: Coffee Edition

Many college students are familiar with coffee shops as many days are spent their studying and completing homework. 

Most coffee shops are just coffee shops, producing coffee and small bites to eat. Gainesville, however, offers something more than just a coffee shop. 

Cymplify Coffee Co, often referred to as CYM, is a coffee shop that offers it all. 

During the day you can decided to go there for a nice cup of coffee, or to enjoy a nice meal at one of the two restaurants it has. At night you can attend the coffee shop for one of its famous food truck rally’s, or live music. 

CYM was started by Ken Block, the famous lead singer for the band Sister Hazel. Block, when asked about the coffee shop, said, “It’s a coffeehouse, where we also happen to develop the workshops for professional and personal growth.” 

CYM offers something extremely unique, and it is something that everyone should experience. The shop is located right by the Oaks Mall, a 15 minute drive from campus, giving students a nice escape while experiencing the culture of Gainesville. 

Source Link info on background of CYM: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20120614/ken-block-and-friends-open-coffee-shop-with-a-mission

[karisking27-blog]

Gainesville Knows How to Have Fun

The activities that I have covered so far have mainly been about views or education, but now we’re going to get onto what I have come to know as the Gainesville “Fun Spots”. 

The first local hot spot that has been around since as long as I can remember is: Skate Station Fun-works. 

Skate Station offers its customers: roller-skating, rock climbing, go karting, playing in the arcade, or participating in laser tag. The starting admission price for entrance is nine dollars. 

I have had so many positive experiences with Skate Station, and it has continued throughout my college career as many social events are held there. 

College can be extremely stressful, so Skate Station is a prime establishment to go to to relax and have fun, while not breaking the bank. 

The next fun spot is: Splitz Bowling. Splitz is newer than Skate Station, and they are located right next to each other. Splitz offers bowling, arcade games, and laser tag. 

Splitz has never disappointed, and is an especially great place to go when having large social gatherings. 

The average cost for an hour of bowling is around six dollars a person. 

This photo is taken from the Splitz website. it shows what the bowling lines at the establishment look like. Photo source: http://bowlsplitz.com/gainesville/abouts-us/

Skate Station Source Link: http://funworks.com/gainesville/

Splitz Bowling Source Link: http://bowlsplitz.com/gainesville/

[karisking27-blog]

Gainesville’s Natural Beauty

My mother always used to say that the only thing free in life were Publix cookies, but Gainesville debunks that statement with offering various free activities with its nature. 

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park brings a wild side to Gainesville, by allowing visitors to view animals such as: alligators, buffalo, and wild horses. 

Not only is the park available to see different wildlife, but many also use it to watch the sunrise and sunset. 

The park is free to enter, and its location is a 15 minute drive from campus. 

Photo was taken by Ryan Reed, a 16-year-old Gainesville Native. This shows the sunset overlooking Paynes Prairie with me on the left in red, and Courtney Reed on the right in green. 

Devil’s Den is another distinguished example of Gainesville’s natural wonders. It is a 30 minute drive from the university, and has acclaimed a high reputation for a one in a lifetime view. 

According to their website, the den is an underground spring inside of a cave. The spring contains many fossils, and some are even on display in the Florida of Natural History museum. 

The den offers free scuba diving equipment to rent, and they also offer logging accommodations at no extra charge. 

Photo of Devil’s Den taken by the Devil’s Den webiste. Photo source: http://www.devilsden.com/our-story.html 

Source of information on Devil’s Den: http://www.devilsden.com/our-story.html

[karisking27-blog]

Gainesville: A Journey Through Time

One of the major benefits that Gainesville has to offer is rich history. Gainesville has numerous museums that offer a journey through time by different aspects. I am going to show two of the most favored museums in Gainesville. 

The first, and most popular, museum is the Florida Museum of Natural History. This museum has so much material that students can learn from, and it also features an outside butterfly exhibit, where you are able to actually interact with the butterflies. 

I have personally been to this museum several times, and it never fails to impress. The exhibits are set up to catch your eye, while also educating you.  

The museum is free to visit with a student ID, and is located right next to the University of Florida. 

Photo was taken of me by my sister, Camryn King. This photo shows the eye capturing exhibits that the museum provides. 

The second museum is fairly new, and it is the Cade Museum for Creativity & Innovation. This museum showcases the history of the well-know sports drink, Gatorade. 

According to the Cade website, the museum “reflects Dr. Cade's outlandish spirit, zest for life and new ideas and his constant, genuine interest in helping, motivating and encouraging people of all ages and experience.” 

For a 10 dollar admission fee, you’ll be able to see the birth of the brand of Gatorade, and its influence on the Gator Nation.

Photo taken by Visit Gainesville. It shows the outside of the Cade Museum, located right by Depot Park. Site: https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/cade-museum-for-creativity-invention/

Cade Museum Site: https://www.cademuseum.org/

[karisking27-blog]

Beyond the University of Florida

Attending school at the University of Florida can be seen as almost living in a bubble, as most students feel uncomfortable to step foot off of the campus. Lauren Goldstein, a 19-year-old sophomore student, stated that she was very nervous to leave campus the first time, as the unknown is unnerving. 

Not only is it uncomfortable to explore new things, but most college students have lack of funds, which often times enforces their decisions to stick to what the university has to offer. 

A third reason of why students don’t find new activities in Gainesville, is that they simply just don’t know what Gainesville has to offer. Izzy Norman, a 20-year-old junior, said that it took her until her junior year to realize all of the various cheap activities that Gainesville has. 

I have lived in Gainesville all of my life, and attending school here has only made my love for this city grow. I have had the opportunity to explore much of Gainesville’s amenities, and pride myself on being a florida gator through and through. 

I have made this blog to show students the numerous fun, and cheap, activities that they can choose from in Gainesville. 

My goal is that my fellow gators will participate in at least one of the activities that I will show them. My goal is to make this not just a university for them, but a home. 

Photo taken by the University of Florida 

[karisking27-blog]

Buy a Pumpkin, Save a Life

The Trinity United Methodist Pumpkin Patch is a local pumpkin patch that is held during the month of October. It is located at 4000 NW 53rd Ave, Gainesville, Fl, 32653. Every dollar spent at the pumpkin patch goes towards Trinity’s youth program. This is a program that utilizes the youth in the Gainesville community to give back, and to create something bigger than themselves. 

Julie Mishoe, director of the youth program, states that funds from the pumpkin patch are used to sponsor various events that the youth put on. These events range from anything like setting up trick-or-treating, to traveling to Tennessee to build houses for those in need. Mishoe said that their motto is always to give back to those who are less fortunate, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves. 

In addition to giving back, the pumpkin patch is a place where the community can gather. It is a great place for families, friends, clubs, etc. Not only does it have amazing pumpkins available for purchase, but it offers various activities such as: hay rides, delicious pumpkin bread, photo opportunities, bounce houses, and face painting. A special aspect of the pumpkin patch is that it is run completely by the youth, meaning the community can really see that their money is going to much more than pumpkins. 

A decorative design greets potential buyers as they enter the patch. Julie Mishoe, director, said the design is made to be informative while also giving off a fall feel. 

Trinity Pumpkin Patch offers various styles of pumpkins to select from. Julia Burton, a 17-year-old youth participant, says the customers love the numerous options they have. 

Deanna Acre, one of the three youth directors, proudly shows the completed pumpkin patch. 

Trinity has signs, such as the one above, to provide the community with fun photo opportunities. 

Julie Mishoe, left, green shirt, Paul Mishoe, middle, black shirt, Kevin Mishoe, right, orange shirt. Trinity’s pumpkin patch is known to the community as a family event, which is why, such as the ones pictured above, attend. 

http://www.trinitygnv.org/