We went up to Paynes Prairie State Preserve this weekend with intention to stay at the campground there for two nights. They didn't have Saturday night available but we left for the area on Saturday anyway mainly because I was itching to go. They didn't have a site but would have allowed us to stay in the Overflow lot after 5 PM but we couldn't go in until then. Since we had time to kill, we left, drove up to Gainesville and sought out the Natural History Museum on UF's Campus. We found it easily, asked some nice officers where we could park without a problem and were directed to a nearby parking lot that was 1/2 empty and didn't require a decal on a Saturday. Tim mentioned maybe staying there overnight which I thought was a great idea, so I asked the officers and they said "no problem". Wow! Parked right across from the museum, walked around the museum at a now leisurely pace, went into the Butterfly Rainforest which June and I enjoyed very much. Tim won't pay money to see butterflies but he enjoyed the rest of the museum during that time.
June and I played with bubbles in the now empty parking lot that evening. It got very cold in Gainesville that night and the RV's heating system performed well. We were snug and comfortable. We watched movies, popped popcorn, slept well undisturbed. I was really surprised campus police didn't come by and ask us to leave.
We went to P. Prairie the next morning, attended to the business of clean-out - I am an expert by now - and got into our site #3. We biked to the Prairie as it starts at the end of the road by the Visitor Center and Observation Tower. Its muted Fall colors were pretty but unfortunately none of the bison or Cracker horses or cattle were visible. I was disappointed about not seeing them. We biked back and Tim and June napped while I biked again, Geocached, got Mike and Ann and Geocached some more. We had lovely Bruschetta on toasted bread for appetizers.
By 8 AM the next morning, heavy rains moved in and there went the morning. We decided to pack it in since we would have to leave the next morning anyway and since we were relatively close to home. It is hard to stay camping in the rain when your home is so comfortable and just down the highway (a bit).
I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the Prairie but I will borrow one from the internet. I had intended to go back today, bike and hike. Oh well, teaches me to take opportunities when they present themselves and not delay.
