It is 17 degrees outside as I type this. The majority of my day has been spent under a blanket sipping hot tea. It's been snowing for days and there's ice all over my road. I hate winter. It's only been here in full force for maybe two weeks, and I am over it. I'm sure plenty of people are feeling the same, and counting down the days until spring break. I know I am.
Now, unless someone else out there (other than me) is totally psyched to road trip to Arkansas to visit their cousins for a week, you could probably use a list of low-budget spring break destinations. I am here for y'all.
1. Daytona Beach, Florida
About half of my senior class headed to Florida approximately 20 minutes after our high school graduation. To protect the innocent, I won't retell the stories they came back with, but let's suffice to say... they had a good time. And it was fairly cheap if you don't mind sharing a bed with a friend. There's an entire website devoted to spring breaking in Daytona. Obviously, it's a pretty popular spot, but probably not for the faint of heart (me).
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The other half of my senior class (myself included) headed to Dirty Myrtle Myrtle Beach. And I know my friends and I were dead broke and could afford it, so you probably can too. Myrtle Beach is pretty cool because no matter what kind of trip you're looking for, you can probably make it happen here. If you're feeling wild, you can stay close to the boardwalk. Just want to be on the beach and don't care about anything else? You can do that too. And there's an amusement park, a water park, and plenty of -- water sports? Whatever category "banana boating" falls under, there's plenty of that. (If you go anywhere and they have pamphlets for banana boating -- do it! Twice!) Myrtle also has a spring break website.
3. Washington, DC
Not feeling the beach this year? I don't blame you, honestly. My senior trip was the most stressful week of my life and I have no desire to repeat it. However, visiting Washington, D.C. again sounds like a dream. So if you're a history or politics buff, why not visit D.C? There's so much to do here and so much of it is free! All of the Smithsonian museums -- free. The zoo -- free. Here's a list of some other completely free activities. Check out this website to start planning your trip.
4. Minden, West Virginia
I know, a tiny town in West Virginia doesn't sound like prime spring break list realty. But it is. Last summer, my husband, Braden, and I took a three day trip with ACE Adventure Resort to white water raft and zip line, and it was awesome. Even Braden, who was definitely not excited about rafting, is totally pumped for our next trip. And if you like camping, you could get a really great deal. Two days of rafting and camping will run you about $140 in April. For a little more, you can raft, use the lake and waterpark, eat, and zip line. Lodging on site can definitely get pricey (unless you have a huge group to split costs with), but there are plenty of reasonably priced hotels nearby. If you're adventurous at all, check out ACE or the other rafting companies nearby.
5. A cruise
A cruise doesn't necessarily scream "I'm a college student and I can afford this!" True, it's most likely going to be a bit more expensive than other things on this list. But right now, I'm looking at a Carnival cruise leaving Ft. Lauderdale on April 9 and 23 for as low as $79 a night on Cheap Cruises. Just enter your travel dates, where you want to leave from, and search. The prices might surprise you.
