December launched upon us like a cast net over unsuspecting wild shiners, and now we face Christmas in only a few short weeks. The Florida highways have filled with snowbirds escaping the blustery north (flurries in Michigan already), making it a challenging time to navigate the Florida traffic. For a quick escape during those hectic Christmas shopping trips- a short hop from the Oaks Mall in Gainesville is the Florida Museum of Natural History. From Wicked Plants to a Butterfly Rainforest and even a limestone cave, there’s loads of family fun hidden in this North Central Florida gem.