Gator Magazine’s Family Summer Day Camp
How much do you normally pay for your child’s summer day camp for one week? $175? $200? $250?! That seems like an awful lot of money, especially in this economy. Not only that, but it’s the end of summer and its getting harder to find one week summer camps to keep the kids busy.
Try starting with a Monday morning at the Alachua County Headquarters Library in downtown Gainesville. Why the headquarters library? Well because once you enter the library and go downstairs it turns into a child’s hideaway. The downstairs is where all of the children’s books are kept. Let your child explore this fascinating place and discover new things when they pick up a book. There are even some really comfy chairs here, so you can read together with your children. The Alachua County Library district allows you to check out as many books as you wish at any one time. Just remember to return them before they become over-due. I baby-sit a young girl named Sarah who loves the library. She will grab books with the pinkest and prettiest covers then bring them to me so I will read them to her. Her favorite books are the “Dora the Explorer” ones. I suggest checking out some books or even a book on CD then having a picnic lunch with them on the University of Florida campus.
Pack a healthy lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit salad and bottled water then keep it in a cooler in the car while you are at the library. When you leave with your books in tow, head to a grassy place on campus like: Lake Alice, Plaza of the Americas, The Reitz Union Amphitheater or the North Lawn at the Reitz Union. All of these spaces have plenty of room for children to run around and plenty of shade for you to relax in the beautiful summer weather.
Regal Cinemas in the Butler Plaza offers free movies on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. On day two of your Gator Magazine Summer Camp, go to the movies! Regal Cinemas plays two different movies every week. The movies range from G rated to PG rated and have included “Shrek the Third”, “Kung Fu Panda” and “Charlotte’s Web”. These mini-matinees start at 10A.M. so get there early! After the movie you have plenty of options for lunch because Archer Road is right across the street! Moe’s Southwest Grill is a great choice because they cater to kids and adults alike. Moe’s now makes the “Moo-Moo Mr. Cow” in three different sizes. No matter the size of the youngster, there is a burrito to match. I get mine with extra queso cheese inside it and with some on the side for my chips. Moe’s has the best queso in town!
Now it’s Wednesday. On day 3 you should pack a high energy lunch for you and your family. Today is going to be exciting. Your cooler should include things like: sliced apples and peanut butter, trail mix with soy nuts and dried berries, salad wraps and plenty of water. Then you are on your way too Devil’s Millhopper. If you enjoy long scenic bike rides, then consider bringing the families bikes with you to the park. This state park has miles of nature trails, some for bikes and some are just for walkers. If bike riding isn’t something that strikes your fancy, then enjoy the scenery by walking the trails. Or venture down the 120 foot sink hole full of stairs. This is one of Gainesville’s largest sinkholes Bring your camera because there are plenty of cascading waterfalls, trees with lush greenery and so many more beautiful aspects of nature to see. After all that exercise you will really be craving the picnic lunch you packed full of juicy apples and scrumptious salad wraps. Have a seat at one of their picnic tables and enjoy the outdoors while you eat a healthy lunch to help you regain your strength and energy.
Butterflies, Butterflies everywhere! Day four is here and on this amazing Thursday morning you are headed down State Road 26 to the Greathouse Butterfly Farm. Enjoy a relaxing walk through their butterfly garden and learn a little something about what goes on behind the scenes at a gorgeous butterfly farm. At the end of your tour you will enter the butterfly barn. This barn has hundreds butterflies of all sizes, colors and types fluttering from flower to flower right before your eyes. The experience will make any child’s face glow with delight. Tours start at 10A.M. and 2P.M. It’s just $10 per adult and $6 per child! You will definitely work up an apatite while visiting the Greathouse Butterfly Farm. So whether its lunch or dinner; David’s BBQ is there to help cure that hunger with fast and friendly service. On Thursdays David’s ½ chicken plate is only $5.99! That comes with two sides and bread! This one meal alone can feed two hungry children. You just fed half of your family for just under six bucks!
Friday, the last day of the week but definitely not the last day of summer camp! Head over to Westside Park off of 34th Street. Westside offers plenty of fun for all ages. They have a pool with a slide and a high dive, a skate park with ramps and rails, baseball fields, tennis courts, racquetball courts, and a phenomenal playground. Whenever I take the kids I baby-sit here, they run straight to the merry-go-round and I push them around and around. The ground around it is padded so even the little tykes can hop on and not get hurt!
After a few hours at the park have a late lunch at Satchel’s Pizza. Satchel’s has been around since 2003 and I’m sure you have seen the interesting bumper stickers on cars that say “We Salvage Lightning” and “Sorry I’m late, I was at Satchel’s”. This is the place they are referring to. They are located just a few miles from Westside Park, off 23rd Avenue. Satchel’s is very unique. They are a hipster little shop with an old 70’s van out front. The van doesn’t have any doors but the windows are cut out and there is a table and benches inside it. Yes, this is a place you can sit and eat your meal. They have amazing calzones. When you get one it is served completely stuffed with piping hot cheese and extra tangy marinara sauce on the side for dipping. The atmosphere is the most interesting thing about Satchel’s. The walls are covered with endless entertainment. While you are waiting for your pizza sit back and take a look around. All of the artwork is original and submitted by locals. Even the menu is entertaining. There are 18 different menus. Each one has a special story on the back about how Satchel’s became what it is today. Satchel himself wrote them. He was trained by Italian immigrants on how to make pizza. He has been tossing dough ever since.
Now go home and rest up because tomorrow is going to be a blast!
Mill Creek Farm is a place where horses of all kinds go to retire in pure luxury. Most of these horses are rescues from different organizations like SPCA, handicapped riding programs, circus horses, government services and plenty of others. Take Picasso for example. He is a Paint that was brought in to retire by the Claremont Riding Academy in Manhattan, New York City. Cody is a Quarterhorse. He worked as a police patrol horse in Broward County. This farm cares for amazing horses and on Saturdays, it’s your turn to make them happy! Visit the farm between 11A.M. and 3P.M. and bring two carrots. Two carrots will get you into the farm and then you can feed them to the beautiful horses. Spend the afternoon plating with horses while they enjoy there wonderful retirement at Mill Creek Farm.
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