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Spring Break College Vacation

SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGamingRegistered User regular
edited February 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
The girlfriend and I are searching for a vacation we can take over Spring Break. We're trying to find something cheap, and hopefully drivetoable. We're in East Tennessee and were considering Chicago, St. Louis, or somewhere with a beach. Any suggestions on fun, yet cheap places to go for spring break? Anything specific I should be looking for as to travel plans? Neither of us have ever gone on a trip like this by ourselves, so it's exciting and a bit scary.

SniperGuy on

Posts

  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    If you haven't been Chicago would probably be best, though you may need to budget it carefully.

    Pensacola is a nice touristy beach area with beautiful water and sand if you'd rather just laze by the ocean for a few days.

    Quid on
  • TK-42-1TK-42-1 Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    san juan pr is pretty cheap and you dont need a passport

    TK-42-1 on
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  • Lord MaloryLord Malory Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Go to Santa Rosa Island, which is like 10 miles from Pensacola. Its not Pensacola Beach, its BETTER (although right nearby). Its great for vacations, I go every other year. My uncle used to have a beach house before it got eaten by the hurricane. But i recommend it. Tiny island, not too expensive, lots of houses for rent and a few high-occupancy hotels. but the big draw is that the beach is beautiful.

    Also, the island has a medium sized boardwalk with little restuarants a few decent "club/bars -but they're beach clubs, so its not lame-" Its one of the most laid-back, visitor friendly beaches ive been to in the Gulf. Its less crowded than places like Biloxi or whatever, except for one or two high-volume areas. Also, its not too insane like many "spring break hot spots" I think you'll enjoy it.

    Lord Malory on
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  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I should again point out that i've got a limit of like 10 hours of driving time. So california is a bit out. heh.

    SniperGuy on
  • mugginnsmugginns Jawsome Fresh CoastRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Myrtle Beach is pretty great and has lots of stuff to do, not too far from you. Plus from there you can hit Charleston for a day. Charleston has a ton of cool stuff. Take her to dinner in Calabash for a night as well.

    I can't recommend Chicago too much. There is a lot of nice stuff to do but walking around at night is horrible. Tons of panhandlers and people yelling at you to give them money.

    mugginns on
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  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Like most of the year, Chicago is a frozen hellhole during Spring Break. I'm not saying you shouldn't visit there, but if you're thinking "I'd like to spend spring break wearing something other than a parka," Chicago is not a destination you should be considering.

    Thanatos on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Before you think about Myrtle Beach go to Savannah, GA. You can stay like 10 miles out of downtown and save a bunch of money and drive to Tybee Island for the day as well. I'm not sure how long of a drive it will be for you, it looks like from TN it ranges from 7.5 to 10.5 hours.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • Lord MaloryLord Malory Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I didnt like Myrtle Beach's sand. It was brown and gross.
    Santa Rosa Island/Pensacola are both white sand beaches.
    As opposed to a dirt shore.

    Lord Malory on
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  • SammyFSammyF Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    VisionOfClarity wrote: »
    go to Savannah, GA.

    Savannah is the best thing about the South.

    SammyF on
  • MoSiAcMoSiAc Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    It is sort of the cheap spring breaker hang out, but I always enjoyed going to Clearwater beach in Florida. it is a bit of a drive, but the hotels are fairly cheap if you reserve in time, and the clubs are pretty friendly. Of course there will be a bunch of drunk frat guys around, but if you play that situation right it means free booze for you (if you are into that).

    MoSiAc on
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  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Lord Malory wrote: »
    Its less crowded than places like Biloxi
    DO NOT, UNDER ANY CONDITION, GO HERE FOR A VACATION.

    Oh Jesus Christ, just in case someone might even suggest it, do not. The fucking sewers empty out into muddy brown water that stays three feet deep for a couple hundred yards. Meanwhile the only sights are casinos and their awful food.

    Quid on
  • radroadkillradroadkill MDRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Lord Malory wrote: »
    I didnt like Myrtle Beach's sand. It was brown and gross.
    Santa Rosa Island/Pensacola are both white sand beaches.
    As opposed to a dirt shore.

    Fine, fine sugar sand beaches. It's a nie area if you want to go somewhere not supercrowded but still nice. Just know if you want a LOT of touristy things to do this isn't the place to go. I lived there for 12 years and it drove me nuts a little; there's not a lot of museums or such but it's especially nice if you just want to hang out somewhere really pretty, go grab something to eat, laze around on the beach, and the like. Oh! And there's not a lot of public transport but some cabs; there's like... a few bues in P-cola itself, but if you plan on ging somewhere think about transport costs. (Renting a car, paying for a cab.) I know some fun things to do around the whole P-cola to Destin area if you want to know more.

    As Quid says do NOT ever go near Biloxi; that place is nasty as fuck.


    I went to Chicago for my Spring Break in 2006 and as others have said, it's not going to be warm or even tempurate around the time; Spring Break for me fell over my birthday (March 25) and it snowed a bit that day. It's a gorgeous, fun city, however, with a shitton to do. I stayed at the Lincoln Park area and it was very reasonably priced for a nice (but not fancy) hotel; I was walking distance from the zoo there and the public transport all ran right by so getting to museums and such was super easy. I can't wait to go back if you want someplace warm that's not going to help. :P

    radroadkill on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    SammyF wrote: »
    VisionOfClarity wrote: »
    go to Savannah, GA.

    Savannah is the best thing about the South.

    I visited last summer while my bf was at SCAD and it was incredible. I was only there for 4 days and it wasn't nearly enough time to fully enjoy it. I want to go back this summer for a week.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    We looked into it and are definitely looking heavily at Savannah. What's there to do there?

    SniperGuy on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I went full on tourist. I did a trolley tour ($10 when I booked it on expedia where I booked our hotel, $60 a night only btw), I walked around City Market and shopped, we walked around down River Street together and went to the bars one night in City Market, went out to Tybee for an afternoon and enjoyed the beach, visited a bunch of the famous squares, etc.

    It was hot as balls at the end of July, but in shorts and a tank top it wasn't unbearable, the weather is supposed to be much nicer in spring (fall is apparently monsoon season). Wanted to do the Haunted Savannah walking tour but we just didn't have the time. Growing up in a tourist town I should be sick of that kind of stuff but I can't get enough of it.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • SammyFSammyF Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I only ever get to go to Savannah when I'm passing through up or down I-95 for work. I took my girlfriend with me a couple of times for weekend trips, though. She and I had just finished reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, so we did the Haunted Savannah tour together. Strongly recommended. VoC you must go back. :)

    SammyF on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I fell so in love with Savannah I contemplated moving down there after grad school. As there isn't exactly a surplus of jobs in my field there I'm now just hoping to retire there.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • ElrosstElrosst Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    MoSiAc wrote: »
    It is sort of the cheap spring breaker hang out, but I always enjoyed going to Clearwater beach in Florida. it is a bit of a drive, but the hotels are fairly cheap if you reserve in time, and the clubs are pretty friendly. Of course there will be a bunch of drunk frat guys around, but if you play that situation right it means free booze for you (if you are into that).

    I'm going to second this, because my family used to go to Clearwater beach every winter for my dad's board meetings. Freakin awesome area.

    Also, Disneyworld? I know it may sound lame, but it's a blast with friends rather than family. Also, going to Epcot is crazy if you're of drinking age. I made the drive with some friends a year ago from Nashville, TN, and it wasnt' that awful of a drive.

    Elrosst on
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