February 14 is a day in need of preparation.
Hallmark and Godiva prepares to cash in on the commercialization of love, local flower shops prepare for the onslaught of red rose orders, girlfriends prepare for a day of unrealistic expectations, boyfriends prepare for never living up to their girlfriend’s unrealistic expectations and single people prepare for a day of drinking (and hopefully self-love).
To ease the stress of Valentine’s Day planning, we’ve put together a Gainesville guide for the holiday of love. Just choose the type of couple you are (or think you are) or mix and match a few different types and volia! you have a date.
Nature Lovers
Check out our local nature guide and pick a place you’ve never been before.
Take a drive to Ocala National Forest and spend the day hiking in Florida’s natural beauty. You’ll most likely lose cell reception out there, so be sure to bring a paper map so you don’t get lost. An argument over who should ask for directions is not a good Valentine’s activity.
Roll up your jeans and hunt for shark teeth in the Hogtown Creek using this how-to guide.
String up your ENO hammock (double nest, of course) and lounge with the trees. Campus on the weekends is a serene place to be, so try to hang in the Plaza of the Americas, University Gardens or outside Ben Hill Griffin stadium.
Stop by Ward’s supermarket and cook up some wild game for dinner or do the opposite and grab an amazing vegan meal from Daily Green.
Attend the last day of Cinema Verde, an environmental film and arts festival at the Hippordrome that’ll be sure to satisfy your love of all things green.
Foodie Feelings
Start the day with “all you can eat” brunch at Cafe C. The colorful, fun atmosphere and amazing food will start the day off on an exciting (and full) note.
Tour all the local coffee shops in Gainesville. To avoid cardiac arrest, take turns ordering unusual coffee, tea and fresh pastries. Let this list get you started.
Chase down a local food truck and have a gourmet meal on wheels.
For a silly and inexpensive meal, Waffle House is now accepting reservations for candlelit Valentine’s Day dinners. Lake City is the closest participating location begging the age-old question, how far will you go for a mood-lit waffle?
Boozy Baes
Start your day with the build-your-own Bloody mary bar at Boca Fiesta.
Spend the afternoon trying local brews. Start at Swamp Head, then go to First Magnitude and then finish at Alligator Brewing (Tall Paul’s). You’ll be buzzed and ready to stroll around downtown.
Pre-game dinner with the self-serve wine tasting and cigars at Havana’s.
After dinner, have your own whiskey tasting at Whiskey House. The bartenders are super knowledgable and will help you pick out the perfect kind to try, whether you’re a beginner or a whiskey expert.
Have a nightcap at The Dime. The cocktails are artful, potent and the vibe is effortlessly romantic.
Grab a to-go bottle of wine or six pack from Pop-A-Top next door to The Dime if you want to continue the party at home.
Lazy Lovers
Go to Sweet Dreams’ ice cream shop in your sweatpants and grab a Redbox movie at the Publix across the street.
You remember how! Gather all blankets, sheets, towels and pillows you can find. Prop them up on chairs, couches and tables to make a big comfy fort Settle in like cozy kids with your laptop and candy. Bonus points: Watch only cartoons.
Order a Big Lou’s pizza to your love cave. You can’t go wrong with any of the flavors, but we recommend the veggie pizza, as it’s piled high with fried strips of eggplant and roasted broccoli.
Midnight Cookies makes heart-shaped cookies around Valentine’s Day, so order up a box and indulge your sweet tooth.
Traveling Twosome
Check out our Weekend Getaway Guides for cities near Gainesville. We give you everything you need to know for an amazing few days. It’s a stress free way to take advantage of how close Gainesville is to a bunch of cool places.
You don’t have to travel to get away- stay the night at the quaint, Victorian style Sweetwater Branch Inn. This romantic spot is equipped with wandering gardens, complimentary morning breakfast, and candle lit garden tubs on the porches. Don’t forget the sweetheart dinner at their neighboring Sweet Tea restaurant.
Cultural Couplet
Check out the new exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History. When you’re done, wander over to The Harn and spend some time admiring the world famous Monet painting.
Escape the mainstream media at the Civic Media Center. It carries over fifteen thousand books, journals, zines, videos and audio recordings, newspapers and magazines by independent, non-corporate media on a wide variety of subjects. The CMC is an independent non-profit organization, so be sure to donate or become a member if you find any must-read selections.
Go to the Hippodrome at 2:45 p.m. to see the Oscar nominated short films or at 6:30 p.m. to see The Vagina Monologues. What better day to end violence against women than on the day of love?
Head to Arrow’s Aim or Hear Again Music and browse the vinyl collections. You can learn a little bit more about each other’s taste in tunes and reminisce on that one time you puked at a Weezer concert.
Walk around downtown Gainesville admiring all the new 352Walls murals. Decode their meaning, pick out your favorites and take some artsy Instagrams while you’re at it.
Have an artful meal. Paramount Grill, Dragonfly (5-course dinner for $110 per couple), Crane Ramen (3-course dinner for $45 a person), Emiliano’s (4-course dinner for $45 a person) and Civilization are known around town for their pretty presentation of delicious food.
Venture to Ocala’s Reilly Arts Center for the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s “Star-Crossed Lovers” concert. With Brahms on the program, you can finally experience all the emotional turbulence of love without even needing a date.
While you’re in Ocala, stop by the Appleton Museum of Art. Their permanent exhibitions showcase art from around the world and they’re hosting multiple visiting exhibitions including “Journey into Imagimation: 100 Years of Animation from Around the World.”
Photos courtesy of: Unsplash
