As we reach the peak exam season, things seem pretty bleak as far as fun goes. However, the ever-present light at the end of our tunnel is right around the corner: Spring Break. While many people either go home or travel somewhere far, a lot end up staying near West Lafayette. If you still don’t have spring break plans consider these five places as a potential adventure for your spring break.
- Turkey Run State Park
Turkey Run State Park is about an hour away from West Lafayette. The trails are very beginner friendly while still providing fantastic scenery. If you have a car and a few friends, then I think this is an easy day trip near campus.
- Indiana Dunes National and State Parks
At closer to two hours away, Indiana Dunes is worth the drive. The tops of the massive dunes provide great views of Lake Michigan. Getting up the dunes can be a bit challenging but definitely worth the effort. If you really want to take time and explore, then I would recommend staying for more than one day to check out the many trails in both the State and National Parks.
- Sell It Here, Lafayette
Sell It Here in Lafayette can also be explored for days. However, they don’t provide hiking trails, but rather rooms and rooms filled with unique and antique items to search through. I recently found this place and quickly realized that a few hours would not be enough to sift through the many aisles. If you want to stay closer to West Lafayette and have time to spare, I recommend spending a day wandering through here over spring break.
- Indianapolis and Chicago
A bit of a more obvious choice, but a choice nonetheless: visiting Chicago or Indianapolis. If you want to explore different museums or restaurants beyond West Lafayette, then a day trip to one of these close cities may be in order. Many transportation services could allow even those without cars on campus to visit these nearby cities.
- Outing Club trips/ other club trips
Recently, I have been getting emails from the Purdue outdoors club or “Outing Club” about upcoming Spring Break trips. If you are still looking for something to do that would get you away from campus, this may be the thing for you. They plan trips in state, but also have some that go as far as out to Colorado. They will be hiking and exploring a variety of trails and parks, so if that is your thing I recommend reaching out!
If you didn’t have any Spring Break plans before, I hope you found something to look into from this list. Most importantly, make sure you take plenty of time over your break to relax and take a break from school with your friends.