Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the Caribbean

Even after a warm winter, there's nothing like early–onset spring to get the mind in beach vacation mode. And from sea to shining sea, America's not short on beaches to brag about. But which of them ranks supreme among public opinion? Surprise: it's not in Hawaii or California. It's in Florida, but—surprise, again!—it's not Miami or the Keys. As part of its 2012 Travelers' Choice Awards, TripAdvisor recently compiled millions of user ratings, and St. Pete Beach, Florida, was crowned Top Beach Destination in the U.S. With seven miles of white sand to its name, St. Pete Beach edged out fellow Florida contender Miami Beach (second place) as well as Myrtle Beach, S.C. (third place) to claim the number one spot. Rounding out the list: Virginia Beach; Honolulu; Daytona Beach; Fort Lauderdale; Lahaina, HI; San Diego; and Key West, coming in at tenth place. St. Pete Beach was so popular that it even took fifth place (out of 181) in rankings for beaches worldwide, coming in just below Providenciales in Turks and Caicos; Palm Beach—a.k.a. Eagle Beach—in Aruba; Tulum, in Mexico; and Negril, in Jamaica. Luckily for us BT–ers, TripAdvisor's most in–demand beach is also a wallet–friendly one, especially when compared to its flashier neighbors. Take Miami, for instance—the average hotel rate was about $159 per night in 2011. Honolulu is even pricier, with hotel rates running about $175 on average last year. Even in Myrtle Beach, where you can find a relative bargain, the average room was still $122 per night in 2011. And for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Try $84. The secret might be out on St. Pete Beach, but we still want to know what your favorite beaches are. Don't forget to nominate your Favorite Secret Beach for our Readers' Choice poll! More from Budget Travel: Where Are the Anti-Spring Breakers Going? Secret Beaches of North America 20 Girlfriend Getaways Within Reach

There's spring break and then there's spring break. The one-week recess is not always a call to all high school and college students to get in their swimsuits and head to Miami or Vegas to party. So, where are the anti-spring breakers heading? According to recent data analysis conducted by the travel booking site Kayak, the top non-traditional spring break destinations for this year weren’t necessarily what you’d expect. The top searches overall on the site for the first three weeks of March, the window during which the majority of the nation’s schools have off, were the usual suspects — Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, Miami Beach, and Las Vegas. But the top spring break destinations by hotel searches were Austin, Savannah, San Antonio and Phoenix. And the top spring break destinations by flight searches were Austin, Phoenix, Denver and Seattle. Clearly, the anti-spring breakers are still looking for some warmth, heading south rather than north. But they're opting for more urban destinations rather than sandy beaches. So, has the "Girls Gone Wild" take on spring break just finally gotten tired? Or maybe spring breakers are looking for better values, or (gasp!) more culture. Why do you think students are opting for these non-traditional locales? More from Budget Travel: U.S. Lists Non-Advisory Mexico Cities In Time For Spring Break Summer Trips You Need to Start Planning for Now 5 Ways to Cut Down on Rental Car Gas Prices

The 3,000 cherry blossom tress in Washington, D.C. will bloom for the 100th time this year, and hotels around the capital are offering travel deals. Head over to our Real Deals section for details on a hotel deal at the Liaison Capitol Hill, with rates starting at $199 a night during the festival (the deal includes a picnic lunch and metro passes). The 10 Kimpton hotels in the D.C. area also have a hotel–only deal that includes a $30 hotel credit and sake tasting, from $229 a night. If you are looking for a full vacation package to the cherry blossom festival, United Vacations is offering a deal that includes airfare from Chicago (other gateways are available for an additional fee) and three nights hotel for $578 per person, including taxes. The hotel is the Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston, so you won't be staying in the heart of the capital, but a metro station is just three blocks away. Looking to really splurge? Some of D.C.'s swankiest hotels are also offering "deals," including the Ritz-Carlton, where the cherry blossom package starts at $929 per night, including dinner and a bike tour of the blossom along the Georgetown Waterfront. Of course, D.C. isn't the only city where the sakura will bloom. Check out our guide to 10 great cherry blossom festivals around the world, and get in the mood by flipping through our readers' best cherry blossom photos. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Stop and Smell the Cherry Blossoms D.C.'s Cherry Blossoms Without the Crowds Washington, D.C. Hotels: Reviews of the best affordable hotels in Washington, D.C.

No travel disaster has been romanticized like the sinking of the Titanic. A slew of celebrations are scheduled for April 14, 2012 (the 100th anniversary of the sinking), but is it all in bad taste? The 12-night Titanic Memorial Cruise that departs from Southampton, England on April 8th has already sold out, but there's still space available on a cruise departing New York on April 10th that arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia in time for the 100th anniversary memorial service (many victims of the disaster are buried there). It then sails to the exact coordinates of the sinking. Inside staterooms start at $999. If you don't want to commit to a cruise, but want to experience what it was like to be sailing in first class, it was just announced that an elaborate Titanic-themed dinner is planned for April 14 in New York. Only 80 seats will be available, with prices starting at $300. Of course, if you are really just looking for the romance, Titanic the movie was recently re–released in 3—D. What do you think? Are these celebrations tacky, or a fitting way to remember the disaster? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Is Disaster Tourism An Unavoidable Reality? Secrets to the 10 Most Popular Cruise Ports Cruise Industry Changes Safety Drills