Thanksgiving Trip 2017 was just taking off when we arrived at the Jagers’ place in Gainesville, Florida. After greetings and petting the Chihuahua, Nina, we headed out for a bite to eat at a little Greek place downtown called Gyro Plus near the University of Florida campus. This has to be the best, authentic gyro that I have ever had. The campus was quiet with students away for Thanksgiving so we took a stroll to the football stadium and posed with the team mascot, Bull Gator.

The Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as “The Swamp,” is open to the public daily from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

While the field is off-limits, runners and walkers enjoy lapping the outer concourse hallways for exercise, 3 laps is approximately 1.1 miles. The real fan favorite is running the stadium stairs. We saw a few students hitting the pavement with high knees. It was pretty cool to climb to the top of the stadium and look out over the swamp.

The Florida Gators played Florida State that Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend so the field lines had been freshly painted with “Keep Out” signs posted along its exterior. Tailgaters were already camping out for the big game. Visiting another collegiate stadium was checked off our lists for a sweet ending to a long day of travel.