As college students, there is nothing we hold more dear to our hearts than spring break vacation. I mean absolutely nothing. It is the one time of year that we can shamelessly down as much beer and booze as we possibly can, almost worry free. The downside is that the typical spring break spots are vastly overdone. This spring break, we should all definitely upgrade and do something a little classier. Here are 5 unusual spring break spots that will completely blow your college town’s favorite spots right out of the water:
1. Washington, D.C.
If you haven’t given this city a second thought since your 8th grade class trip, you should put this back on your map for spring break. During the day, you can check out all the free museums, try out all the food at an international festival, or spend a little cash and eat at the restaurants you’ve seen on TV. At night, you can check out the bars with seemingly unlimited board games such as the Board Room, try out all the international beer, and get the greasiest pizza on the walk home.
2. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is arguably your cheapest route for spring break. Splitting a château with some friends and spending a long weekend up in the mountains can cost less than $150 per person – which makes both me and my wallet happy campers. Nothing beats the sunset mountain view, while drinking Pinot Grigio in the hot tub and blasting Beyoncé with your friends. If you’re looking for things to do during the day, head into town for a Southern style brunch, moonshine tastings, and Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not Aquarium.
3. Cleveland, Ohio
Want to make all of your friends jealous? Get your picture taken in front of The Christmas Story house, where you can go on a tour throughout the museum and completely relive your favorite childhood holiday movie. You can also pretend you’re a rock star at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where you can see tributes to Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Sex Pistols, and hundreds of other artists. Afterwards, you can have dinner at the Playhouse Square, the largest entertainment district outside of New York City. Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy a concert and drinks at the House of Blues.
4. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
In my opinion, Hilton Head is the beach version of heaven. As a predominantly family oriented destination, this spring break location is bound to be the most relaxed and quiet beach you could go to. In this city, you can park your car and rent a bike for all of your stay, which means no gas expenses for the entirety of your trip! My suggestion is renting a condo on Coligny beach to be close to adorable dinner locations, like the Big Bamboo Cafe and even cuter morning coffee spots, like the French Kiss Bakery.
5. Chicago, Illinois
If you’re interested in film and the arts, Chicago is almost mandatory for you this spring break. In love with the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Anyone, anyone? This spring, Chicago is organizing a three-day long Ferris Fest to mark the anniversary of the film which includes a remake of Ferris’ room, meet and greets, and a visit to Cameron’s house. At night, you can choose from over 500 bar and club locations. Be sure to check out the beer tastings and brewery tours!
While there are tons of unusual destinations out there, these five are tried and true. Making a break from the typical destinations will only enhance your spring break and help you avoid the overdone, and now cliché, events from the past. Regardless of where you decide to go for this spring break, anywhere on this list will guarantee you a week of great sleep, fun, and endless beer.
Featured image via nappy on Pexels
Definitely want to go to DC. These all look very cool though. The best thing is that these places are underrated so flights there are cheap and road trips aren’t too long.