Spring Break!
 

ok....classes haven't even started yet, but my mind is way ahead of the game....Spring Break! I'm trying to plan a trip that is economical yet warm (Which is especially important coming from the icy tundra of Michigan's Upper Peninsula!!) I've been thinking about Puerta Vallarta, although one of my girls isn't sure about leaving the country since she's an international student. Has anyone had any especially fun spring break trips they care to share? What's a good place to go on a college student budget?

South Padre Island in Texas. Had a blast! Cheap and fun and full of beautiful people. It was my best spring break ever.

Florida!
 

Even though I think it's trashy as hell--Panama City Beach is very inexpensive good fun for the "average" college student. Word to the wise--March in North Florida isn't guaranteed to be warm. I know a few years back, it was REALLY cold (during the "Storm in the Century") during Spring Break. If you want a place that's definitely going to be warm, South Beach isn't that expensive.

Florida and Padre
 

In 1999, I went to St. Petersburg for Habitat for Humanity spring break. It was an awesome experience being able to work alongside a family that would occupy the house. Most of our time was spent building a house. But we did get to go out to Johns Pass and Treasure Island and too Madiera Beach (sp). And we went to the Salvidor Dali Museum. There's always plenty to do in Florida.

Onto a more typical college break:

South Padre was an absolute blast.

(Warning: long story ahead that really has no point other than to recap my Spring Break experiences)

I went in 2000 with two friends. We took a car from Southern Illinois Friday morning early. That night we made it to Houston to visit my friends aunt one night. Saturday, we spent the day in Galveston. Then the next day after church with my friends aunt we headed to San Antonio (3 hour trip) to see other friends then to Padre for the remaining 5 days (a 5 hour drive from San Antonio.

If you decide to drive somewhere, bring tons of cds. The entire road trip, we listened to great music (tons of Jimmy Buffett, some Snoop, Dixie Chicks, Garth and George, DMB). So, certain songs bring me back Spring Break memories.

We had no hotel when we got down there (I don't recommend doing that), and at gas stations people were saying we'd have to get a hotel room 3 hours away. Well, we lucked out and found a room at the Budget Host Inn 2 miles from the Island. There were tons of people staying at the hotel (greeks included) and it had a hot tub and pool. We ended up paying $199 a night, but between three people for four nights it was not too bad for not having any place to stay. If you are really adventurous, you can camp on the beach. The weather was alright. I think we had one day of not so nice weather, the rest were 80 and 90 degrees. There were tons of people there and many different clubs to go out to at night. I also went horseback riding on the beach for $20 one morning. Our days were usually spent at the beach. There are venues set up for spring breakers and a stage, games etc. That area is usually packed, and then there are miles of beach up and down both sides of the island.

We would usually wake up around 10 or 11 and head to the beach, lay out, etc. About 4 or 5 we would make it back to the hotel and lounge in the hot tub and pool with other people at the hotel. Then we'd head out to the clubs at night. The Tuesday we were first there we went to Charlie's, a large indoor/outdoor club. Young MC ( who's famous for Bust A Move) performed, and I met the most gorgeous guy I have ever met in my life. For the life of me and the alcohol I consumed that night, I don't remember his name. Blond hair, nice body and a PIKE tattoo on his right bicep. He was from Wash State U but wore a backwards Morehead State white hat. He rescued me from a way too friendly slimy guy. We danced and kissed, but I wasn't about to follow him back to the HoJo he stayed at. I know better than that.;) The next night we also went to a club called Tequilla Frogs ( I think) and too Louie's, which were also fun. The best had to be our trip to Mexico. Texas has a law where people can drink in a car as long as you are not driving and its a 30 minute drive to the border. Mexico is an entirely new experience. When you cross the border in Brownsville you are bombarded with people trying to sell everything from cigarettes to jewelry. We went with people from out hotel and went to a club callled Tabu at the end of the road in Metamoras(sp). It looked like an abandoned buildig that just opened each Spring for all the break crowds. The floor of this place was covered in sawdust and the only served three drinks - mexican beer, a fruity mixed drink called a Kamikaze(not the shot) and tequila shots. And then there's the chair - a dentist type chair that you pay $$ for they sit you down, pour alcohol down your throat, spin you around and throw you back up. I did not try it, but friends did.

By the end of the week, we were sunburned and tanned, exhausted and broke. But the last day we all decided to get tattoos (me I got a flower on my ankle). All in all, it was an awesome week. We got to see neat things - went to the Strand in Galveston (by Houston) and shopped, saw a Jimmy Buffet band in an outdoor courtyard. In San Antonio, we went on the river walk, and in the Tower of the Americas and went to El Mercado. And then we also had your college spring break experiences in Padre. If you plan ahead, Padre is a great Spring break destination. You could also swing by New Orleans or LSU if you drive.

If I had to do it over again. I wouldn't do anything different - well, maybe I would've gone with the PIKE hottie from Charlies.;)

My South Padre Island story is just as good--if not better. It would take me too long to write but if I did you guys would laugh so hard.

That vacation gave me more stories and more memories than all of my other experiences COMBINED. It really was a blast.

I too met the most gorgeous (or one of them) guys there. He had an usually nickname (from his middle name) so I won't tell it here (in case he is out there or someone knows him). His real name is John and he was at Texas Tech and had transfered there from VMI. This was in 1993 I believe. Also during the "Storm of the Century."

Does anyone know this guy? He was so hot.

FYI: New Texas Drinking Law
 

To alphachiomy & everyone coming to Texas for Spring Break:

Texas drinking laws have changed!!! Open containers of alcohol are now illegal in Texas vehicles and should you get pulled over you will be ticketed and possibly taken to jail. The law just changed in September (2001) and has been strictly enforced over the holidays, so I imagine it will be the same during Spring Break.

Texas was very lenient in the past in regards to open containers, but with the push from MADD and the Department of Transportation during the past legislative session (Spring 2001) it is now a serious no-no. Some legislators were pushing for banning booze even in boats, but this is not the case. You can have alcohol in the car, but it cannot be open. It doesn't matter if you haven't even had a sip of the beverage - YOU WILL GET TICKETED! Should you have an open container and can't bear to pour it out it must be placed in the trunk.

In regards to the Island, South Padre is fantastic. I've been myself and must say it's a great time because there are enough people there to have a blast, but not so many that you feel claustrophobic everywhere you go like some other places I've traveled to. And if you do get a chance to come to Texas, swing through Austin. It is honestly the greatest city in Texas (and only an hour and a half away from San Antonio - the biggest city in proximity to the Island).

Have a great Spring semester and super Spring Break!

SARA

Re: FYI: New Texas Drinking Law
 

Thanks for the update!

although i did not get to go i will warn u about a little problems my friends had while in Panama. lmao!!! :p
**dont get caught on the strip with a open bottle (common sense right) well my friend/exco-worker did this (it was funny as hell) , he had to go to " Spring Break court " & had to do 6 hrs of com. ser.(picking up trash) before he could leave, some people were not to happy about this since they could not leave when they had planned. Plus another friend of ours thought it would be funny to take the "spring break court" sign as a souvnier & got caught so he had to pick up trash ( in the little orange vests) too :p :) :p

I went to the Bahamas for Spring Break with two of my sorority sisters. I had a great time. We didn't stay in the most luxurious hotel, but we didn't care because it was clean, safe, and affordable. I went back to the Bahamas Labor Day weekend. It is still beautiful, and I would strongly recommend it.

SB 2002
 

What's up.... You should definitely check out www.springbreakkit.com for all the latest hot spots for SB2002. I won free tickets to Cancun last year from this site -- it was crazy....

I went to San Felipe last spring and let me tell you it was sooooooo fun!!! My best part of the trips...FOAM!!!! oh and the guys!!! I also went dirt biking (I think it's called RTV or something)! AWESOME TRIP!!! Mexico is fun, especially if your under 21. I recommend it.

South Padre is a great time and cheap. Panama City is also very very cheap and quite out of control. I plan on going back to get even more out of control this year :) Beside that, what is wrong with being the "average" college student? I'll be damned to pay three times as much to go somewhere else when i can save much more money and have much more fun.


d

I would like to go back to Mazatlan!! Tha place was a blast! I went when I was a HS senior. Total for the whole trip was less than $900 I think. And that included being drunk from sun up to sun up quite a few times!! Only bad part was the end of our break coincided with the beginning of the Mexican spring break. It was STRONGLY recommended that we go to only group sponsered parties... well after being drunk all day and leaving the group party we went to another club... paid to get in, walked in 10 feet, noticed about 50 people around us staring at us like they've never seen group of white boys in their lives!! So after about 5 seconds of that we left... Then there was the part where we had to pay off a cop to not arrest one of our friends....:eek:

Re: Florida and Padre
 

Unfortunately, as of Jan. 1, 2002, you can no longer have any open containers in your car in Texas. It does not matter if you are the driver or the passenger.

I love Padre Island and have been there many times. It is fun and cheap-easy on the budget. Lots of greeks there also so you will feel rt. at home. Caution though if you do go to Mexico-go in a group and DO NOT LEAVE THIS GROUP. If you get a bit wasted in Mexico make sure someone is sober to look out for you and stay with this person. While Mexico is fun it is also a dangerous place and I guarantee there are people just waiting for tourists to cross that border so they can either rob you or sometimes worse. BE CAREFUL!!!!

Re: FYI: New Texas Drinking Law
 

OPPS, I see that Sara has already commented on the new drinking law. BTW, the comment on Austin is rt. on the mark -very beautiful 365 days a year.