By Shane Reilly

Although you or your student may have a very busy schedule, making time to visit them can be crucial in enabling them to battle homesickness and focus on their academics and extracurriculars. And even though scheduled programming for families is great during Family Weekend, there are a ton of other great opportunities in Tallahassee to take advantage of if you choose to visit your student for a weekend.

If you’re looking to have some outdoor fun, you can get “off campus” and head to the FSU Reservation, a great spot right on Lake Bradford where you can go kayaking, paddle boarding, fresh water swimming, or some sand volleyball for a relatively low price for your family and free admission for your student.

While you’re in the area, check out the Tallahassee Museum, which is also right on Lake Bradford, and offers wildlife, a nature trail, zip-line tours, and a lot more. If the outdoors is really your thing, you can head to the other side of town and check out the many greenways that Tallahassee has to offer, such J.R. Alford Greenway or Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway.

Some more family friendly locations include the Tallahassee Automobile Museum, Cascades Park, or the Historic Capitol Museum. The Tallahassee Automobile Museum houses over 160 rare vehicles, while Cascades Park is a great spot to enjoy some nice weather and a weekend picnic. The Historic Capitol Museum is the spot to check out Florida memorabilia and special exhibits about the state’s Old and New Capitol. You can also head to the top floor of the New Capitol building to see a bird’s eye view of Tallahassee.