Sunny destinations look to put spring breakers back on the beach

By JD Rinne
October 3, 2012
blog_panamacity_original.jpg
Courtesy <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pravin8/35648367/" target="_blank">pravin8</a>

Lots of warm-weather hotspots that were once descended upon by wild spring breakers were glad to discourage their visits. For instance, Panama City Beach has an anti-noise ordinance, and back in 1991 then-mayor Sonny Bono's anti-thong legislation put a damper on many a beach-goer's trip to Palm Springs. But with the rough economy, lots of sunny destinations are looking to kiss and make up. As the New York Times recently reported, the Sheraton on Grand Bahama Island, which once shunned student groups, is now working with the studentcity.com travel agency to bring in lots more warm bodies.

And Palm Springs' tourism bureau just started the site palmspringbreak.com, with pix of kids clubbin' like it's 1999. Daytona Beach, a destination keen to market itself as family-friendly in better days, has also had a change of heart, if a somewhat begrudging one: "We're going to try and hold out," said Tangela Boyd, a spokeswoman for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the NYT. "Of course," she added, "if students came we're not going to turn them away."

As hotels and destinations are less and less likely to be filled, prices are dropping. An Orbitz survey of 3-star hotel bookings made for March/April showed that Barbados was down in price by 72 percent, as compared to 2008 figures for the same period. Puerto Rico's 3-star hotels are down 52 percent from 2008. In Nassau, in the Bahamas, the price of 4-star hotels is down 55 percent; Bermuda is down 54 percent. We're thinking many of those recession-minded college kids will be staying away from 3- or 4-star hotels, since they're likely to be facing a tough job market in a couple months. You'll still be able to get a great deal and avoid the partying.

Plan Your Next Getaway
Keep reading
Inspiration

This weekend: Orchids make their spring debut in Coral Gables

Exotic and unique orchids will be on display this weekend at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's International Orchid Festival in Coral Gables, about 8 miles outside of Miami. Starting Friday, 10,000 orchid plants from more than 50 vendors will be displayed on the garden's grounds. You'll have plenty to choose from: Orchids represent a large segment of the flower kingdom, with more than 22,000 species, and thousands of hybrids. Kids are welcome; there's an area for crafts, cupcake decorating, and for learning about the orchid that produces vanilla. Take a walking tour to orient yourself about the garden, or attend the daily introductory lecture. There's lots more to see on the 83-acre site, open since 1938. There's also a rotating sculpture garden that currently features huge works by Mark di Suvero and Dale Chihuly. Permanent exhibits include the cool-sounding spiny forest of Madagascar, an outdoor butterfly garden, and a tropical fruit pavilion (the garden is named after Dr. David Fairchild, a fruit pioneer who was one of the first to bring mangoes and avocados to Florida in the late 19th century.) Friday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m.&ndash;4:30 p.m. Admission to both the festival and gardens is $20 for adults. 10901 Old Cutler Road. 305/667-1651. Not near Miami? There are orchid shows going on at the New York Botanical Garden, the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, at the Atlanta Orchid Society, and in Cincinnati. Find out more at the American Orchid Society.

Inspiration

Paris: A Grand Palais in the wee hours

You shouldn't visit Paris and rely on guidebooks alone. You also need to consult a local arts and entertainment guide, such as Time Out Paris, to find out about affordable activities that give you a true slice of local life. Take, for instance, a stunt recently pulled by the Grand Palais, the national art gallery. During the last four days of its hit exhibition "Picasso and the Masters," it opened its doors around the clock. Art lovers, scenesters, and insomniacs could stare at gloriously painted canvas no matter the hour. There was a run on tickets, and the only open slot I could nab was pre-dawn on a Monday morning. The subway being closed, I took a taxi across the silent city to arrive at 3:45 a.m. Snow was falling lightly as I joined the line with hundreds of well-groomed Parisians. Despite the hour, the majority had silver hair and whispered as if they were in church. I, on the other hand, was grinning like a child, just barely containing my excitement over this crack-of-dawn spectacle. The works themselves were impressive&mdash;Picasso surrounded by influences like Goya, Valasquez, and Delacroix&mdash;but it was the possibility of traipsing through the Grand Palais at 4 a.m. that really sold me on the show. This beautiful Beaux-Arts building was constructed for the Paris Exhibition of 1900, and boasts a stunning ceiling made of glass and steel. Since reopening in 2005 after a twelve-year restoration, the Grand Palais has hosted one punchy event after another, including fashion shows and expos that mix art and street theater. I can't wait to see what kind of spectacle is organized for their next big exhibition on Andy Warhol (March 18&ndash;July 13). I'm hoping for kitschy cocktails, pop-art snacks, and another very, very late night. Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, avenue Winston Churchill, 8th arrondissement, 011-33/1-44-13-17-17 Series: Affordable Paris

Inspiration

A few good links: Penguin madness

Follow-up! HK "Airport Auntie" gets apology, ticket upgrade from Cathay. That lady who freaked out after missing her flight? She got an upgrade due to the "untold embarrassment" of having her tantrum appear on YouTube. [shanghaiist] Weirdest stuff stopped at customs. You'll never guess what one guy had in his pants. [nydailynews.com] Riding the Rails Taking Amtrak across the U.S. [New York Times] A wunderbar welcome in Austria and Germany Lots of renovations make it a good time to visit. [CNN] Penguin Places Where to see some of the world's most humorous birds. [Intelligent Travel] Two words for a frugal flier: Patience. Wednesday. [Yahoo] Chicago Has Your 'Heart Attack French Toast' The mascarpone-filled artery-clogger is at brunch spot Toast. [jaunted.com] Obamasnacks&mdash;banned in Indonesia We're thinking these would make great souvenirs&hellip; [BoingBoing] Where did Hillary Clinton stay in Israel? She and her staff took up 154 rooms in one of the country's most famous hotels. [Hotel Hotsheet]

Inspiration

NYC & DC: Pretend you're in Hungary

Get a taste of Hungarian culture by attending The Extremely Hungary festival, with events taking place all year long in New York City and Washington, D.C. Highlights include&mdash;improbably&mdash;a mustache competition at a Brooklyn beer garden. New York This weekend, break into a grin by watching often satirical and startling short art films by Hungarian and Hungarian-Americans at Manhattan's Janos Gat Gallery (March 6&ndash;7, 6&ndash;8 p.m., free). You can also enter to win a trip for two to the Hungarian capital of Budapest by participating in a culturally appropriate competition: a mustache-growing contest. Submit a photo of a freshly shaven face. Then on April 16, show up with an expertly coiffed 'stache at Radegast Hall &amp; Biergarten in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for judging. Notably, the contest is open to men and women. D.C. Between March 17 and April 19, American University Museum will exhibit paintings, drawings, and collages by Lajos Vajda, one of the most famous Hungarian artists of the twentieth century, alongside contemporary photos and videos inspired by his work (free). Visit extremelyhungary.org for the full schedule. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Why Budapest is one of the top ten budget travel destinations for '09