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Originally Posted by DalTXColtsFan
Any thoughts on things to do while near winstar, like nearby state parks, scenic drives or overlooks or other points of interest or even just unique and tasty places to eat, or perhaps not-so-well-known things to do inside the casino itself?
On the off chance there's actually anyone else like me who likes to take a break from the tables and go out and get some fresh air I'm going to give a couple quick reviews:
First of all, Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville (only about 12 minutes to the south) is a BEAUTIFUL zoo. It's SMALL (I saw the whole thing in about 45 minutes), but it's beautiful - very well landscaped, maintained and decorated with a nice variety of animals. If you have kids, right across the street from the zoo is a HUGE playground. During the summer months there's also a swimming pool right there. Not much else to do in Gainesville though honestly.
I did go up to Lake Murray State Park. It's fine - adequate but not spectacular. Views are mostly just forest and lake, plenty of shade, trails could be better maintained and labelled but aren't horrible. I went and hiked for about 2 hours and enjoyed the break from the tables. I wouldn't go out of my way to hike there specifically, but if in the area again I would go there again.