There are numerous ways to spend an enjoyable couple of hours in the Gainesville area. Some such ideas are given below. The Alachua County Visitors and Convention Bureau would be happy to assist you in planning your day in Gainesville. Contact the Bureau at (352) 374-5231. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon stroll or picnic at Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus. Be sure to say 'Hi' to the UF trademark alligators who inhabit the lake! Visit one of Gainesville's four enchanting museums: the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the University Galleries and the Santa Fe Community Art Gallery. Tour the Matheson Historical Center--(352) 378-2280--or the Historic Thomas Center and Gardens--(352) 334-5064--in downtown Gainesville. Explore original Florida nature at the Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site, Paynes Prairie State Preserve, or the Morningside Nature Center. Wander through Main Street in High Springs, a redeveloped historic town with many antique shops, eateries, and crafters. For information call (352) 454-3120. Stroll along Cholokka Boulevard in historic Micanopy, browsing through the many antique stores and craft shops. For information call (352) 466-3121. Visit the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site in Cross Creek, historic home of the famous author of The Yearling and many other novels. For information call (352) 466-3672. The Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail is a 14-mile long limestone greenway which begins at Boulware Springs Park and connects Gainesville and Hawthorne. The abandoned railway bed passes through Paynes Prairie State Preserve and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area and is designed for use by hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders and other non-motorized users. The trail offers glimpses of the wildlife which occupies the area, including gopher tortoise burrows and osprey nests. Paynes Prairie, a 19,000-acre preserve, contains a mixture of upland hammocks, pine flatwoods, wetlands, and over 350 species of animals and 800 species of plants. Three overlooks, the Alachua Sink, Buffalo Pen and Sweetwater Branch, offer trail users a view of these different ecosystems along the length of the trail. For more information about the trail, contact the city's Nature Operations Division at (352) 334-2170 or Paynes Prairie State Preserve at (352) 466-3397. Visit the Gum Root Park & Swamp Conservation Area, the newest and largest nature park in the City of Gainesville's nature park system. The conservation area is located on the corner of N.E. 27th Avenue and SR 26, just north of Newnans Lake. Open from dawn to dusk, the park is free and open to all but is not equipped with restroom facilities. Call (352) 334-2170 for information. Stroll through Kanapaha Botanical Gardens featuring specialized gardens full of butterflies, wildflowers, hummingbirds, rocks, carnivorous plants, palm hammocks, water lily ponds, and a sunken garden. For information call (352) 372-4981. Visit Alfred A. Ring Park located at 2002 NW 16th Avenue. This 20-acre park runs along Glen Springs Run and Hogtown Creek and has a total trail length of nearly one mile. It is open Monday through Sunday, dawn to dusk, and admission is free. Guided and educational tours are available for a nominal fee. Contact the park for more information at (352) 334-2170. Typical activities at the park include: Birdwatching and wildlife observation at the bird blind dedicated to Florida Museum of Natural History ornithologist J. W. Hardy Exercising along the vita course Hiking along the trails and boardwalks, nearly one mile in length Historical/archeological interpretation Picnicking Playing at the small playground Nature studies in the Emily S. Ring Wildflower Garden and throughout the park