Even on a budget, students can hit the beach or the slopes
The last two weeks of March mark a time when college students from Boulder to New Haven trek to various tropical destinations around the world for a time honored tradition: Spring break.
The dark days of winter are upon us here at CU, and everyone seems to be looking for an escape from the cold weather and tedious class schedules. If you love sun, like the majority of cold Coloradans, your options are plentiful and range from Acapulco, Mexico to Miami Beach, Fl. to the Bahamas. If you want to stay cold and hit the slopes, then a great option is the magnificent Whistler, British Columbia.
First and foremost there are five laws that you should try to follow during your journey:
- Pace yourself.
- If you go to Mexico, do not, under any circumstances, drink the water. It will make you sick, and then you won’t be able to hook up with that cutie you met on the plane ride over.
- If strange men come up to you with shirts that read “Girls Gone Wild,” politely decline to appear in their “tasteful film” and walk away slowly. Your parents didn’t pay thousands of dollars so you could be seen naked in millions of homes across America.
- Abstinence during spring break is like snow in hell–so don’t be a fool, wrap your tool.
- Most importantly, enjoy yourself. This is the only break during spring semester and you should make the most of it.
Now that you know the rules of spring break, the next obstacle is picking the perfect place to party. Here are some you know and maybe some you don’t.
The place you know: Acapulco, Mexico
Acapulco has become one of the hottest spring break destinations due to its warm weather, MTV-sponsored events and 18-year-old drinking age. Going to Mexico for spring break has become so cliche that most resort towns are dominated by young, drunk college students who have nothing besides debauchery on their mind. Be careful with the police in Mexico and don’t act like a stupid American, because that will put a target on your head for various problems.
If Mexico sounds like fun, then get online and check out www.studentcity.com. The site gives great group discounts and offers all-inclusive packages with an exclusive wristband, which entitles you to hours of free drinks and admission with line skipping privileges to most clubs and parties.
“Last year I went to Acapulco with all my friends,” said Rachel Konigsberg, a junior speech, language and hearing sciences major. “It reminded me of the Hill during Halloween, except everyone was wearing bathing suits and we didn’t have class in the morning. It was a blast.”
The place you don’t know: Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is located just north of Vancouver and is one of the most stunning locations on earth. The skiing is world class and the locals are friendly and eager to talk about American politics. The club scene is nuts, and each spot has a different day of the week to reign supreme. Mondays are ’80s night at Tommy Africa’s, which gives you the only chance to hear Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” mixed with Nelly’s “Country Grammar”. The cops in Whistler are almost non-existent, and people can be seen smoking marijuana in public. One thing to remember–if you go to Whistler, don’t litter, because unlike Americans, they have handy little boxes all over the place for cigarette butts.
“Whistler is like heaven on earth, man,” said Joe Reiter, a sophomore environmental studies major. “Make sure you go to Zogs. They’re open until like 3 in the morning and they have this stuff called poutine. It’s French fries with gravy, cheese and sausage–it’s like an orgasm in your mouth.”
The new craze: Bahamas party cruise
In recent years, many spring breakers have decided to go old school and take a cruise. This isn’t a cruise you’d find your grandparents taking–it’s a “party cruise” with hundreds of other college kids that leaves from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. and goes to the beautiful Bahamas. For around $516 per person, you can get four nights in the Port Lucaya Resort in Freeport, Bahamas and round-trip travel on the cruise ship. One cool thing about the Bahamas is that gambling is legal and they have casinos everywhere, even on the ship itself.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Quincy Moore at quincy.moore@thecampuspress.com.
