Things I Love About Gainesville: Ron Fleming
10. Home. I spent the first 36 years of my life in Orlando, but we’ve been here 12 years now. The community, the people and the friends we’ve made here have made this town feel like home. I travel a lot, and I can honestly say now that when someone asks me where I’m from, it feels good and I’m proud to say, “Gainesville.”
9. Great weather (most of the time). There are so many beautiful, blue sky days here. Fall and spring are great when it comes to golf, Harley rides, bike rides and other outdoor activities. Riding through the neighborhoods, you see people outside jogging, riding, walking the dogs or playing with the kids, and on the bad days, there’s always bowling.
8. Local Bands That Make it Big. I’ve always been a huge Sister Hazel fan, and Ken Block makes me want to “celebrate life,” as the commercial goes with my friends Mike and Cynthia at the Village Jeweler! Of course Tom Petty is a legend, and there are top notch bands playing locally. My personal favorite is Area Code, the guitar player Rick and the rest of the band are great folks.
7. Giving and the Charitable Community. Gainesville is a very compassionate, caring community. The Children’s Home Society’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, Urban Meyer’s Scramble for Kids, Danny Wuerffel’s Gators for Kids golf tournament, Stop Children’s Cancer, American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald house and more. There are so many worthy causes and opportunities to make a difference in somebody’s life. We were a gold sponsor this year for Bikers on Parade, which is a great cause supporting and honoring our veterans.
6. Football Game Days. It’s hard to beat the pre-game rituals at the Swamp. Since I’m in the RV Business, I’m especially fond of the RV lots, and the hundreds of RVs that crowd the stadium for home games. Although I don’t know all those folks personally, they are all my friends.
5. Gators. It’s definitely fun to be a Gator right now. But I’ve been a gator fan all my life, through the ups and downs, and that makes it especially fun to be playing for Championships year in and year out in so many different sports.
4. Restaurants. It’s great to have so many choices all a short drive away. Whether it is downtown, near the mall or Butler Plaza, the choices are endless. I like Marks US Prime, Bonefish, O!O Tapas and Tinis and several others, but if you ever wonder where I’m at, Napolitano’s is probably your best bet to find me.
3. Girls Volleyball. Yes, believe it or not, I’m a big fan. My daughter Ronnee plays at Oak Hall and has been to the State Final Four the past three years. She also played Gainesville Juniors for five years, and I’ve really enjoyed the competitiveness of the volleyball programs in town. As my only child, she’s had to bear the burden of the parental expectations when it comes to sports, but I can’t begin to describe the thrill and pride I’ve enjoyed watching her play all these years. She graduates this year and is off to the University of South Carolina, but I will always remember and cherish her volleyball days in Gainesville.
2. Diverse Scenery. We may dread the traffic in front of the Oaks Mall or Butler Plaza, but it’s nice to have such a wide variety of dining, “beveraging” and shopping that they offer and to still be able to find the nice, quiet, beautiful treelined roads like Millhopper Road to cruise on the Harley.
1. Location. I’m an Orlando native and began my RV career there on Aug. 30, 1980. My parents still live there, along with many lifelong friends. My business is in Lake City and is a 35 minute drive north, so Gainesville is close enough to the business and still within striking distance of my family and friends back home. Being within an hour or so of Jacksonville, Cedar Key and Crescent Beach is nice as well.