For those who love sports

By Kyle Maistri

If you’re anything like me (didn’t mean to insult you right off the bat), you love sports.

If you’re nothing like me, go ahead and skip this guest blog.

I’ve spent four and a half years in Gainesville, the better part of that doing sports reporting for the Alligator, the Florida Times-Union, the Palm Beach Post and Gatorbait.net.

When I wasn’t reporting on or writing about sports, there’s a very good chance I was watching them on TV or playing them IRL (that one’s for you, Katie )

I spent little to no time concerning myself with things as trivial as class.

And for what?

So I could compile this list of sports related things you MUST do before you leave our little orange and blue town.

1. Camp out for a basketball game

I know, this is a football town, but here’s the first of a few things to do that even Steve Addazio can’t ruin for you. Grab a sleeping bag, a football, some chairs, something to make a tent with (tarp and the metal gates outside the student gate work well), and some friends. There’s nothing more comfortable than the concrete outside the O’Dome (trust me). Spend the night before a big SEC game camping out with some friends and be rewarded with a front row seat come game time. Looking for more excitement? Paint up. (Kyle would be the O)

2. Take a roadtrip

Your Gators travel all over the Southeastern United States to hot, exotic locations like Starkville, Miss. and Lexington, Ky. Pack some of your friends into a car, and go to an away football game. If you’re a little bit country, I recommend Nashville or Tuscaloosa (stay in Birmingham, eat at Dreamland BBQ). If you’re a little bit hip-hop, hit up Atlanta (eat at Gladys Knight and Ron Wynan’s Chicken and Waffles or the Vortex). If you’re a little bit Rock N’ Roll, you went to the wrong school and are living in the wrong part of the country. Sorry dudes.

3. Take advantage of intramural sports and Southwest Rec

The Burninators

I’m RecSports biggest critic, hands down. And if I ruled the world, intramural sports would be way more fun and well run, but you’d be a fool not to use UF’s incredible facilities and play sports with your fellow collegians. SW Rec is the nicest gym I’ve ever “belonged to,” as it comes complete with plenty of basketball and racquetball courts, and a great cardio room and weight room. You will never work out in a nicer place in your life, and it’s all free (if we don’t count that tuition thing). Intramurals is a great way to compete with your friends and the leagues vary from flag football to kickball. Basically (I would reach through the computer screen and grab your cheeks if I could), CHERISH IT.

4. Capture the glowstick

This game was introduced to me as a young and impressionable freshman, and I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t played it in Gainesville since. It’s played the same as capture the flag, but at night time and with two glowsticks for flags. Where to play this extremely fun game? In the Reitz Union north lawn (the big open space between the Reitz and Weimer, extending as far down as the Hub) , of course. There’s plenty of room and hiding places.

5. Know your options.

Get familiar with what parks are available to you because UF’s facilities sometimes don’t have the friendliest hours. Kanapaha Park (off Tower road) and That Park Off of 8^th Avenue and 34^th Street are solid alternatives for a pickup baseball/softball game or whatever else you may be planning. Hit the Gainesville Rock Gym at least once while you’re here, and make sure to spend a few hot summer days at Lake Wauburg.

These five things constitute, by far, the most important knowledge I could possibly pass down to the next generation of Gainesville sports nuts.

Ed note: Thanks, Kyle! Seriously, kids, take the advice. Sports are fun. I’ve been meaning to write about the rock gym and Lake Wauburg, but it’s been a long time since I experienced either…any takers?

Gainesville Round Two

By Lyndsey Lewis

It was about half an hour after she ate the fried pickles that Christie began feeling ill.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” my friend announced, ducking out of our booth and leaving me to ask for the check. I gulped down the last of my plum-colored cocktail and wondered what I was doing in downtown Gainesville, slogging through another evening at The Top.

This restaurant, of course, is a favorite among graduating college students seeking an Authentic Gainesville Experience. Its quirky décor and hipper-than-thou clientele make it the perfect spot to reminisce about bygone years (“Remember that time we got SO drunk? And it was like, SO funny?”) and wax poetic on local charm. Better fill up on that vegan chocolate cake while you still can, because soon you’ll be graduating from the University of Florida and moving back to West Palm Beach.

Only, what if you don’t?

After five years as a UF student, I graduated in summer 2009, proud and relieved to be leaving Gainesville. Nine months later, an incredible job offer brought me back – this time, for good.

Now my student life bleeds into my adult life in manners both unseemly and hilarious. The Top is no longer some college-town novelty; it’s one of my few viable options for after-work libations. It’s also the sort of place I might find myself contemplating a forlorn array of potted plants as my friend, sickened from an apparently lethal dose of alcohol and fried pickles, hightails it to the restroom.

What happens when you realize that funky little indie joint is just another college hangout? Are your experiences – or, more precisely, your memory of them – as valuable as you once thought? Or, to place the question in a broader context: What about Gainesville is truly worthwhile?

As a UF student, I tried to savor as much local flavor as I could. Early in our college careers, a roommate and I trekked to Lake Alice one warm evening, where we were treated to the spectacle of thousands of bats taking flight. During various springs and summers, I found myself eating hot dogs at Ocala Jai-Alai and gambling paychecks on a game I barely understood. I ate pizza in the Satchel’s van, I saw monkeys at the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, I bought books at the Friends of the Library sale. I even tried a few things current students can’t do anymore: drinking beer at Tim and Terry’s (recently shut down) and wading in UF’s 13th Street fountain (torn out some time ago).

These days, I rarely bother with the sort of activities that would make a college senior’s must-do list. After all, as a working adult in Gainesville, I have more than just the luxury of time – I have the burden of it. The days here stretch out before me toward some unknowable end, like a horizon reaching as far as the eye can see. And therein lies the secret: the temporary nature of a student’s time in Gainesville versus the permanent nature of mine.

A couple months ago, I found myself stalled in Archer Road traffic after a football game. Annoyance crept up on me – I have to get downtown! Don’t you people know that? – until, for lack of anything better to do at that moment, I glanced toward RVs in surrounding parking lots, most of them adorned with Gator gear. The view was almost entrancing: the stickers, the blinking lights, the flags so large they invited the urge to salute. I’m interested in the alumni who captain these moving shrines – they return to Gainesville for football, yes, but they also come back to celebrate a part of life that was all too fleeting.

I’m not one of those people who yearn to be in school again, but I see with ever more clarity the chasm that separates college years from the rest of one’s life. My own run-ins with Gainesville’s student world, at The Top and elsewhere, feel foreign to me because that life is so distant. Ultimately, the things students do during their stint in Gainesville – the places they visit, the games they attend, the restaurants where they eat – are not what matter. The short time one spends in college is precious in and of itself.

Pickle problems aside, there’s a lot to like about living here, and I’m tempted to recommend a few student-oriented activities I haven’t already listed in the paragraphs above. To be honest, though, my suggestions will only seem redundant. If you can’t fit in any more Gainesville adventures before graduation, know that your experiences here are already complete.

Thanks for the great essay, Lyndsey.

Plan a date with Devil’s Millhopper

By Deborah Swerdlow

As an avid reader of this blog and a keeper of my own Gainesville bucket list (largely completed just in time for graduation six months ago), I’d like to contribute one of the items from my list: a visit to Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park.

About a 15-minute drive northwest of campus, Devil’s Millhopper is, quite simply, a sinkhole. What makes this geological depression worth a visit is that you can descend into the 120-foot-deep, 500-foot-wide sinkhole and admire the limestone-covered rocks and babbling brooks while you learn about the ecosystem and environmental processes that created this natural landmark. There is also a half-mile nature trail around the top of the sinkhole.

All photos courtesy of Deborah

I went in January with my boyfriend and another couple. It made for a great double-date, and this way each couple had someone else to take pictures of them! We had planned to munch on vegetables, crackers and hummus in the park, but then discovered a “No food past this point” sign at the trailhead.  Fortunately, there were picnic tables right at the entrance, so we still had a lovely snack that fueled us up for our walk.

After eating, we headed straight for the 220-step boardwalk staircase that winds down to the bottom of the sinkhole. Enjoy it on your way down because it’ll be quite the climb on the way up! As you walk, you can read about where the water comes from and what animals you might catch a glimpse of in the park.

The trees were pretty barren, probably because it was January. If you want to see more lush vegetation, I recommend going in the spring or summer. Still, it was impressive to walk so deep into the earth.

After snapping a few pictures and climbing back up the staircase, we opted to skip the nature trail. I blame our thin Florida blood, which made us all too ready to go back to the warm indoors!

Devil’s Millhopper was one of the outdoor highlights of my bucket list, which also included Ginnie Springs (to which I didn’t make it) and Ichetucknee Springs (to which I did make it). I’d say it belongs on any decent bucket list because it’s 1) slightly off the beaten path, 2) a state park and 3) an enjoyable day trip for any season, no matter how much I bashed the January weather. Believe me, now I live in Washington, D.C., and I’d give almost anything to wander around Devil’s Millhopper during a Gainesville winter!

Ed note: A visit to Devil’s Millhopper has been sitting on my list for years.  Anyone else wishing they could go right now? And that it wasn’t 37 degrees outside?! Thanks again for the post and pics, Deborah!

And keep the guest posts coming.

Guest List No. 3: Steam pipes, bison, parkour, etc.

Note: People, we have a guest post! This comes from Andrew Pantazi, a UF journalism student who has crafted quite the ambitious compilation of Gainesville activities to complete by his super-senior year. We have a few in common.

And yes, he gets extra GBL points for being totally serious about No. 6.

I found this blog before I moved to Gainesville. I dreamed about coming to UF for a while.

I was rejected four times, so I had plenty of time to look forward to the one day I’d finally make it here. I’ve been working on my Gainesville bucket list for a while, so it’s pretty expansive. Some of it is wishful thinking. I figure wishes only come true if you make wishes, even unreasonable ones.

1. Join the UF hockey team. But also play in at least one game, score at least one goal, and get at least one assist. I’ve played hockey since I was 6, and this has been a goal of mine for a while.

2. Play rugby with the UF rugby team, not necessarily on the team, but at least play some pickup rugby with them.

I have had an obsession with rugby ever since I covered a rugby story in Jacksonville. I later found out both the hockey team and the rugby team meet for practices at the same time as the campus ministry I’m involved in, so for now I have not been able to cross these off, even though they are my earliest entries on the list. However, I know I will manage to finish them before graduating.

3. Get a Gainesville Rock Gym membership and go to the gym at least twice a week for a semester. Basically, become a rock master.

4. Join the Gainesville Parkour and Freerunning group. Jump from a building to another building on campus.

I’ve met with people who freerun and practice parkour, and I’ve tried some basic moves. I still haven’t gotten good at it though, nor have I practiced weekly like most of them do.

5. Get on staff at the Alligator.

Coming from a community college, I read the Alligator almost daily before I came here. So I thought this was an almost unattainable task. When I came to UF, the paper had a front-page editorial asking people to apply. I figured, what the heck, why not? I turned in a cover letter, a resume, and some clips. The editor, Chelsea, asked me to take a style test, and I became a copy editor. Since then, I’ve become a staff writer, and I hope to now get a weekly column.

6. Write a blog for Gainesville Bucket List. When I first found the blog, I didn’t see guest posts. When I started seeing them, I thought that it’d be really cool to post something on here one day.

7. Go to Satchel’s Pizza (in van)

Accomplished, but not in van.

8. Draw graffiti on the Norman tunnel and the 34^th Street wall

Accomplished. I drew graffiti on the Norman Hall tunnel before I even moved to Gainesville, and I’ve done some more urban art since then. On the 34^th Street wall, I just helped a high school group that was visiting to get their own panel, which was painted over in 24 hours.

9. Bike to Lake Wauberg

10. See bison in Paynes Prairie

11. Find my own escape place separate from everyone else

Back in Jacksonville, there was a tree in a park near my house. I would bike to the park and climb the tree. There, perched on those limbs, I would think deep thoughts and spend time reading my bible. I took my girlfriend to my home to meet the family once, and I wanted her to see my tree. It was gone, torn up. Now, with a hole in my heart, I want to find my own escape in Gainesville.

12. Find out something that no one else — I use that in the dramatic sense — knows about.. Then tell everyone.

I want to find some secret place in Gainesville or on campus. The kind of place that makes you gasp — or laugh. Then I want to tell everyone about it in a Jeff Klinkenberg-style narrative.

13. Take four capstones in journalism

I was homeschooled, so I was rushed through high school. I’m finishing up my 11th semester of college, and I’m only 19. A lot of people think that’s a big deal, but I really don’t want to graduate. In a way, college is my crutch. In another, I realize that I’ve missed out on experiencing life by trying to forge through school so quickly. I want to continue learning and continue living life, so I want to take four capstones in journalism: advanced reporting, advanced magazine and feature writing, investigative reporting (if the school offers it while I’m still here), and advanced editing.

14. Swim in Lake Alice or some other pond

Long story, but basically it goes like this: I was stupid at community college, and young. Class let out early one beautiful spring day. Sun shining down. Friends and I threw Frisbee near a pond. I took off shirt and jumped in pond. Security showed up. Took my mugshot. I was supposed to be expelled. Paperwork was never filled out, so the offense never went through on my record. Now, in a more legal way, I want to swim in a pond in Gainesville as kind of a symbol for the change in my college experience.

15. Go into the steam pipes underneath the university

Yeah, there are steam pipes underneath the university, and people can fit down there. I recommend not going down there as it’s very dangerous and you need to be careful of the steam not burning your flesh. But a friend of mine discovered the pipes, so I want to go in there with him.

16. Go into the basement of Sledd Hall (there are murals down there).

17. Reach the top of Century Tower.

I hear it’s pretty neat up there. I really want to do a 24-hour time-lapse video of what Turlington looks like from Century Tower.

18. Play guitar on campus and sing a song about guys looking for girls by playing music on campus.

19. Find the highest point in Gainesville, sit on top of it, watch the city below.

20. Survive No-Shave November, which as of today, I have completed (with minimal trimming).

Thanks again, Andrew! Now it’s your turn, readers. Leave your suggestions and/or support for him below.

Also, it’s been a while since we’ve done guest posts. You might recall guest posts from John or Kevin from last fall. Be next!

18.

That’s how many days we have until winter graduation, folks.

Ack!

Several end-of-semester papers and exams have set my bucket-listing and blogging plans back a bit, readers. Apologies. I didn’t mean for it to be this way. Don’t profs know my days here are numbered?!

*Calming down* I actually anticipated this would happen. So I recruited a few alumni and current seniors to share their adventures over the next few days.

Excited?

You should be!

As always, if you’ve found a can’t-miss activity in Gainesville, or simply recalled one from your college years, please share below.

[And good luck on finals, everyone!]

Trivial pursuits

Like me, you may have been a brainy child growing up.

You know, first to punch the buzzer in Brain Bowl competitions. Hands always fastest to fly in the air — and we don’t mean dancing. We mean showing your superior that you REALLY know something.

Who doesn’t love a Gauntlet for Geeks?

So when you came to Gainesville, Trivia Night probably sounded like a great idea. And you were right! It’s such fun — when done correctly. And lately, my brain’s been crippled and unchallenged by shoddy trivia nights.

I need some help, bucket-listers. Tell me where to go. Graduation is nigh, and I can’t go out like this.

First, I need a good emcee. Someone who really knows what she or he is doing. For weeks my group enjoyed trivia at Applebee’s on 13th Street (shocking, right?!). The drink and food specials were pretty good (1/2-off spin-art-dip for life), but more importantly, it was run by a local radio personality who was awesome at time-management. But when Ballen B (cq) left, the trivia just wasn’t the same. In fairness, I haven’t been back in several weeks, so it may be different. Just know that personality and punctuality are key traits of a great emcee.

Next: This place better come with diverse categories. Everyone needs a chance to show off obscure knowledge about presidents, bodies of water, cricket and (my specialty) girl music. At Gator City last night, I felt pretty useless with topics like “Happy Gilmore,” “South Park” and Sports. Now I’m not hating on sports — it’s a staple, and, hello, I love sports. But where was the equal opportunity, trivia-guy-at-Gator-City-who-slightly-resembles-Pacey-from-Dawson’s-Creek-in-a-certain-light? I almost fell asleep from irrelevancy. Now I’m not crying for Make-up Brands and Housewifery for 1,000.  Just a chance to open my worldly and wordly mouth! So, please, Perfect Trivia Nite, come with good categories on lock.

Other musts: Drink specials. Duh. Also, good in-between answers music. Is it so hard to embrace Top 40? And prizes! One thing Applebee’s did well was reward its top finishers with coupons. Others give cash. Some give pitchers of dumb beer.

Finally, how about some good music and drink deals?

I’ve been meaning to try other Tuesday night versions at The Laboratory (alcohol-filled beakers? Is it real?) and Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub downtown, but they start earlier than I like (around 8:30 pm, methinks). I checked CitiSync (took my own advice from last year!) and discovered Hooter’s has trivia on Wednesdays too.

Can a brainy bucket-lister get some recommendations? Also accepting warnings.

Prepping for the world’s largest … something.

Your semi-faithful Bucket List blogger is taking a trip to Jax this weekend.

You guessed it — must be time for the epic Florida-Georgia showdown, an annual match-up of the Southeastern Conference’s most elite athletes, talent unmatched even by the gods.

Oh, right. Maybe not this year. These teams are painfully eh.

I digress! You see, Fla-Ga weekend is about so much more than football. There’s tail-gating before, during and after the game. And there’s … so much more (fanfest? cornhole contests? is that even what that game is called?).

My crew is departing Hoggetowne at 7 a.m. to snag a good spot around Alltell-Everbank-Jaguars-Whatsitsname Stadium. We’ll be joined by legions of koozie-toting, jorts-wearing co-eds and alumni. (My younger brother has warned he may be attending. The horror. Then again, there’s really no shame left after my 21st birthday night…)

I digress! Back to the weekend. This will be my fifth time (because I’m very dedicated/very much a super-senior), so I’m basically an expert. It’s not too late to grab your friends and just GO. From what I’ve seen, your weekend will turn out one of these ways (or, you know, none of them):

Freshman year (06): Arrive in Jacksonville hotel, located way too far from the football scene because they are last-minute reservations. Get really dressed up and go to the Landing with your BFF and a bunch of random people you’ve met just to share said room. Cue surprise rainstorm! Dance in rain; instantly realize this is not as much fun as people say and go home in drenched and packed four-door Honda with eight of your new BFFs. Place digital camera, not tennis shoes, on hotel air vent overnight. Much less smelly. Go to game and presto! Gators win. Your crush on Chris Leak is still going strong.

Sophomore year (07): Watch game from Landing because you were too slow to get a real ticket. Watch Gators lose from shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. Avoid aggressive and intoxicated Georgia fans. Don’t overreact; it’s their way to be completely uncivilized. Meet up with older cousin and her friends in Hooters and commiserate. Mourn going through this sober.

Junior year: Drive up for game. Yeah, you say, I can totally do this alone! I’ll totally just go into that stadium and watch this game myself! But you won’t. You sell your ticket to a scalper for $80 and race back to the Landing somehow because everyone is being terrible. You rock your corduroy blazer at the Landing (again), meet up with other friends there, and watch as the Gators lay the smackdown. No one likes endzone-stompers. 

Senior year, part one: Have best weekend of life with actual BFFs. It’s Halloween –and you’re 21, at last! — so go to the Landing in your flapper/Nancy Botwin/Arrested Development costume and have some fun! Then, watch the game outside the stadium with said BFFs and rejoice: Tebow and the Gators have done it again! Also, helps that you stayed at friend’s mansion-like home with pool, hot tub, awesome accommodations.

Senior year, part two: Bringing my game ticket, $20 for a hotel room, $10 or so for transportation, a sleeping bag and a Publix sub. Maybe some other stuff too — KAWINK! I’ll let you know about the rest. Let’s go, Gators!

UPDATE: Waking up early has its costs. I was much too tired to go out/party on once we finally reached the cozy hotel room. Also, don’t forget your cell phone charger. Doing so severely impairs your ability to communicate with said strangers/bffs/actual brother throughout the day. The OT game was amazing.

Another tip: Avoid the Interstate as much as possible.

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Lost in the Shands Bubble: Leo’s, a must-eat.

My roommate and I ran a few errands this afternoon. Groceries, an ATM stop, diesel fuel — the ushe.

Then she uttered a grave confession, just as I prepared to turn right onto University Avenue from 13th Street.

“I’ve never been to Leo’s.”

STOP THE JETTA.

K, not really. She didn’t realize this was a “grave confession” to my ears.

Leonardo’s Pizza By The Slice fed me several nights a week when I worked at the Alligator down the street. Portobello, plain cheese, spin-tom. All so good.

Actually, forget pizza. What about those rolls, with that tasty garlic butter sauce? And who doesn’t love warm, cheesy baked ziti when the weather turns chilly?  This is exactly what I told Roomie (once I could talk again).

I got over the shock and analyzed how she missed the Leo’s boat. It’s been a go-to since freshman year, you know?

The answer didn’t take long to diagnose: Roomie lives in the Shands Bubble. She’s so busy with dental school that she rarely makes it up the hill (to Museum Road) and beyond. My dad, a UF pharmacy alumnus from, uh, awhile ago, went through the same thing.

So, to those who dwell in the Shands Bubble, I beg of you: Go to Leo’s — and other too-obvious-for-bucket-list-blog places like Leo’s [1245 W University Ave].

They won’t smile at you. It won’t be super clean. And it might be really crowded.

But — and I’m settling down now — it’s part of the experience.

Question: Did I overreact? Is Leo’s a hipster-wannabe locale or a true local delight?

Everyone likes fall semester best, right?

Hokay, Gators. This is my last semester in Gainesville — FOR REAL THIS TIME.

I know I’ll be making it count. And, duh, telling you all about it so you can go out and do the same.

Just hang tight.

When I get through some Shakespeare histories, you’ll hear all about this cool movie I saw at the Hippodrome, and my quick trip to Blue Springs, and, well … that’s it so far. It’s only been a week, y’all!

Meanwhile, send your suggestions. Better yet: Write up your suggestions and experiences. I’ll post them.

Read about SAA’s campus bucket list tour

It’s a little tame compared to suggestions we’ve had here.

Still, this Student Alumni Association tour of three campus no-visit zones seems like a cool use of a few hours in between cramming for exams.

Well,  seemed. It happened Wednesday afternoon, according to the organization’s twitter feed. Not really sure if you had to be a member to go or what. If an SAA-er sees this, feel free to spill the deets in a comment. Having more in the future? Was it really worth it? Etc.

According to this Gainesville Sun story, 60 seniors watched a private carillon performance at Century Tower,  toured the glam Heavener Football Complex and the football team’s locker room, and chilled out at the president’s house (Bernie doesn’t really live there, btw).

OK, duh: the locker room tour would be awesome. But I’d really like to see the view from the tip of Century Tower, where usually only students who play the carillon are allowed.

Just thought I’d throw it out there. Any bucket list stories to share, anyone?