Ideas for Spring Break that Won’t Break the Bank
Even if you spent most of your Jan Plan lying on the couch watching television, you may already be daydreaming about Spring Break. It may still seem like decades away (I mean, we did just get back to the hill), but as many of us travelers and planners would agree, your options for this notoriously tan-inducing, Señor Frogs-visiting holiday are virtually endless if you plan early. Unfortunately, not all of us struggling college students can scrounge up the cash to book a room in the Bahamas, so the Her Campus Colby team thought we’d come up with a list of exciting spring break ideas that won’t break the bank. Believe me, nobody will really notice if you return to campus even paler than when you left.
1. Ski the Northeast. Not only were we just blessed with a few feet of glorious powder to inspire a winter sports getaway, but also we’re perfectly situated to hit up one of New England or even Canada’s most popular ski resorts. One of our favorites is Jay Peak located up in Northern Vermont. Only a four-hour drive from Waterville, Jay is totally worth the trip. Grab a few friends to ski the east’s most reputable mountain for snowfall—they’ve already surpassed Vail Mountain in Colorado by nearly fifty inches! Also, you don’t want to miss Jay’s brand new indoor water park for another way to spend time après ski. To save a little dough, check out liftopia.com. Right now they even have a nice deal on a two-day lift ticket!
2. Explore a new city. Head just four hours North and visit the Historic Old Town Quebec. There are a number of incredible architectural structures to check out like the Citadel Fortress or the parliament building. There are also many cool museums and restaurants with traditional Quebecoise cuisine. Don’t miss the Poutine (French fries and gravy…yum!) If you want to check out someplace warm, think about making the trek down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. With a few friends splitting the drive, it’s not too painful (just about 13 hours away) and well worth it for a few days on the beach.
3. Go hiking. Drive on down to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and hike some of the Presidential Range. A personal favorite is the Lonesome Lake Trail. Lonesome Lake is a very moderate and beautiful day hike bringing you up to a crystal-clear lake at the top of the mountain. This trail even has its own Appalachian Mountain Club hut that’s open in the winter if you’d like to make your visit into an overnight! Check out the AMC website for more information (http://www.outdoors.org/). Or take advanatge of Colby’s Outing Club’s trips that are $350 including airfare!
Some other ideas…
1. Take an unplanned trip. Head to Jetblue.com and click on the “Deals” section. Pick the least expensive destination (they even have some hotel/flight specials) and head to the airport. Right now, for example, you can get tickets to Baltimore, MD for just $67. If you’re into art, this is the perfect trip since once you’re there you can visit almost all of the Baltimore art museums for free!
2. Go on a Staycation. This new phenomenon doesn’t require much planning. Book a room at a hotel in your home city and spend two days exploring. You’ll see that most of us take our hometowns for granted!
3. Visit a Colby friend that lives somewhere you’ve never been (or may never go!). If you can get cheap plane tickets, lodging is free!