Located just off ‘hotel row’ here on the southwest corner of Gainesville, home to the mighty impressive University of Florida, you’ll find this spartan new Sam’s Club parking lot to be quite large and surrounded by just about anything you might need during your overnight pitstop. For starters, this location is conveniently situated just minutes once exiting Highway 75, which you are very likely on as you are shooting through Florida.
As for the Sam’s Club itself, while you don’t need a membership to park here, you will need one to enter the store, which has just above everything you might need from groceries, wine & spirits as well as even a gardening section. There’s even a gas station in the event that you need to fill up. Not a member? No big deal as there is a nearby Publix, Target, Michaels, Whole Foods, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Best Buy, etc. Let’s just say that this spot puts you in close proximity to stock up on anything you might be missing or didn’t even know you needed!
And if you have grown weary of diving into your onboard mini-fridge to figure out that next meal, no worries as there’s a plethora of dining options within a single mile radius including: McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A(2), Chipotle, Outback Steakhouse, Jimmy Johns, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Tijuana Flats and one of my favorites, Maple Street Biscuit Company. Should you want to upgrade your meal plan, there's tons of options if $'s are no issue, of which I highly recommend the burnt brisket ends sandwich at Ford's Garage, the short rib fried rice at P.F. Chang's or the spicy hot chicken wings at The Cheesecake Factory. But if you want something truly unique, memorable and slightly out of the way, then head yourself over to Satchell's pizza for some simply OUTSTANDING deep dish pie (and this coming from a native of Chicago) wherein this 40 year old university dive is both IG and Pinterest-ready for all your foodie-snapping pleasure.
If you are looking to grab a slice of nature beyond the flat pavement you’ve parked on for the night, check out the nearby Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, the Florida Museum of Natural History or go for a nice walk in the Botanical Gardens of Kanapaha.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 4
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 5
Peace & Quiet: 4
Amenities: 4
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
Overnight Parking
