This weekend marks the first away game of the football season. While some fans will be staying behind to cheer on the Gators from The Swamp, others will be packing up their best orange-and-blue outfits and taking their school spirit to Kentucky for the game.
Even if you're not going to travel to Lexington this weekend, this advice holds for any of the away games, including the legendary Florida-Georgia matchup in Jacksonville.
Here are a few tips to ensure that your traveling experience goes smoothly.
If you are driving, make sure your car is ready for the long trek. Fill your gas tank, check your oil, and put air in your tires.
You don't want to miss the game because of a car problem that could have been avoided or, worse, be a Gator stuck in enemy territory.
Carpooling with friends is a great way to save cash by splitting the cost of gas.
There's also the benefit of divvying up the driving duties. With the exception of Jacksonville, many away-game drives can be more than five hours long, so having friends available to relieve your sleepy eyes can help make the whole experience more pleasurable.
Remember the one kid in your graduating high school class that went out-of-state somewhere, but you don't remember if it was the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University or Auburn University?
Find him or her on Facebook, and if luck has that it was Kentucky, see if you can stay for the weekend. Staying with friends instead of at a hotel is another great way to save money.
If you decide to stay in a hotel, definitely call in advance. Check the availability and prices of the closest hotels in the area first because they are bound to fill up quickly.
If you get a hotel far away from the stadium, scope out parking around the area or look into the bus schedule for gamedays.
Even if you are just traveling down the street, it's always important to have money on you. You never know when you will need it.
If you are planning on getting a ticket the day of the game, cash is a definite must.
For those not going to the game, find out the best place in town to watch it and be sure to get there early. Think Gainesville, just in a different location — everywhere fills up fast for gamedays.
Have fun this weekend whether you are traveling to the game or not, and, as always: Go Gators!
