Spring Break

Spring Break is either happening now or right around the corner for most of us.  My family still has not decided what do, where to go, or should we stay home for a "Staycation?"

Well, either way we have lots of choices: stay in San Diego and enjoy all the things we have to do here in this beautiful fine city or pack up the car and drive to a destination we have never been to.  The great thing is that with the Internet we can easily create a vacation designed for our family and on the small budget we have available.  With gas being so expensive "Staycations" are becoming more popular but with the deals you can find on hotels, plane tickets, theme park tickets, meals etc., you can still "Get Away" on a modest budget. 

So if you are in the same boat as we are and are still looking for a Spring Break destination or even a place to go for a long weekend utilize the Internet and create a "Dream Trip for You and Your Family” I use websites like expedia.com, orbitz.com, priceline.com, and hotwire.com or kayak.com.  They have all been around for years and helped many people save lots of money on hotels, plane flights and rental cars.

So now where do you go?

Well, according to www.usnews.com here are the Top Destinations for this

Spring Break 2012

South Padre Island is a fabulous Spring Break destination with beautiful resorts and beaches, trails to hike, museums, water parks and a great nature center.  It is ranked #1 in Best Cheap Spring Break Destinations

Miami Beach.  We all know that when it is Spring Break Miami Beach seems to be place you want to be seen.  It is filled with exotic resorts, expensive boutiques and upscale restaurants and nightclubs.  But you can also visit Miami Beach on a budget and have just as much fun.  During the day hang out on the beach at either South Beach or Ocean Beach and remember to pack a cooler for the day. There are museums to visit including the Holocaust Memorial and a place called Jungle Island, which is fun for the kids.  By night live it up and eat a fancy restaurant but plan ahead and get a coupon from restaurant.com.

Cancun has been a favorite for Americans for many years.  Why?  Well, is has managed to keep it's reputation as a place that has cheap accommodations but nice, stretches of gorgeous beaches, and lots to do at night.  The laid-back attitude will help everyone relax on vacation.

Puerto Vallarta is also known for their beautiful beaches and fun places to hike in the mountains and coves and just explore.  There are wonderful Happy Hour deals at almost every restaurant.  So once you have a full belly check out one of the many Nightlife Clubs and dance the night away.

Puerto Rico It has all the features you would expect from an Island like fancy hotels, yummy restaurants, nightlife and the best part is you are in the Caribbean but still on US Soil.

Bahamas is the place to go especially if you live on the East Coast.  The water is crystal clear blue and you can enjoy the gorgeous beaches, hike Lucayan National Park and shop at Port Lucaya Marketplace.  Don't forget to visit the famous Atlantis Resort while you are there or better yet make that

your home during Spring Break.

Cabo San Lucas although it is known for expensive luxury hotels, you can normally find a deal on the airfare and then I suggest you find a nightly Happy Hour.  CSL is the Party Capital of Southern Baja so if you are looking to get away in style, relax party and enjoy the clubs this is the place to go. 

Jamaica if you have always wanted to escape to the Caribbean, Jamaica is the place to go.  You can hang out on the beach all day, enjoy the water sports, eat lunch by the pool and at nighttime visit a club or a restaurant and be sure to check out and enjoy the local steel drum musicians.

Daytona has been a college favorite forever.  They even did a movie about it called Spring Break.  It is the NASCAR capital.  You can drive on the beach and it is filled with clean economical hotels to fit any budget.

These last 2 are not from usnews.com but they are destinations that our family has chosen after reviewing all our options.  We are going to stay here in San Diego for 3 days and enjoy our local beaches, Sea World, Legoland and our famous San Diego Zoo.

Then we are going to head to Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona to take in a few Spring Training Games.  The Padres as well as the Cubs and many others train in Arizona and it is a great place to try to meet your favorite baseball player and to see a game and the players up close.  Phoenix/Scottsdale offers tons of resorts and hotels at every price range and while we are there we will eat a few of the many tasty restaurants.  Again, I will visit www.restaurant.com and find one that sounds good and suits our budget.

I encourage you all to also utilize these websites when planning your Spring Break Trip and save money where you can as if you do your trip will be 5 Star on a 3 Star budget.

Pack some snacks, have fun and don't forget your sunscreen.

Jillien