Spring Break Ideas

Looking for spring break ideas. Grassroots budget, two people, within a 350 mile radius of Bloomington Illinois. Any idea's? We're (my girlfriend and I) are the kind of people who don't really go in for the beach, we'd much rather go to a museum or historical place. To give you an example of what I like, I passed on a chance to see the ocean (never seen it) in order to go to Gettysburg and see the battlegrounds. She is much the same; probably the only college student who had ever been miserable while in Cancun. We have about a month before, and we're looking for ideas. I would like car-stuff; she would hate it.

So far the top one was going to Nacogdoches, TX where we both have friends, but that was shot down by her mother--too far to drive.

Next is going to Minnesota to see my brother, but Minnesota in early March isn't exactly the best weather-wise.

So come on GRM, what are your ideas?

350 miles is not going far.

Museum's? Chicago or St. Louis is about it. Chicago has a ton of museums.
Museum of Science & Industry http://www.msichicago.org/ Art Institute http://www.artic.edu/aic/

I would just hustle over to Nashville and go to The Lane Auto Museum. http://lanemotormuseum.org/ The map states 422 miles from Illinois State University, Red Bird Fans....

Toronto....It's a foreign country, great science museum(you could spend 2-3days easily) great restaurants, excellent night life, favorable exchange rate and they sort of speak English.

minimac wrote: Toronto....It's a foreign country, great science museum(you could spend 2-3days easily) great restaurants, excellent night life, favorable exchange rate and they sort of speak English.

I did this for one spring break, and it was hands down better than the time I went to Daytona Beach. You can even easily hit up Niagara Falls for gambling.

Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum, though I just checked--the Village is closed for the season, reopens April 15. Still the Museum is like a Smithsonian for car guys/gals; one of my all-time faves.

Margie

pete240z wrote: 350 miles is not going far. Museum's? Chicago or St. Louis is about it. Chicago has a ton of museums. Museum of Science & Industry http://www.msichicago.org/ Art Institute http://www.artic.edu/aic/ I would just hustle over to Nashville and go to The Lane Auto Museum. http://lanemotormuseum.org/ The map states 422 miles from Illinois State University, Red Bird Fans....

Nope, 350 miles is not far. But her parents (her mom) don't want us going far. I'm not going to argue.
We have both seen every museum in Chicago at least three times.
Nashville could be cool... And we could probably get away with it mileage-wise

The idea of staying with friends or family will greatly reduce the costs. Hotels are not cheap. At your age (or her age) how are her parents with the idea of you and her spending an evening together (unsupervised) in a hotel?

What car will you be driving?

My first thought is the National Park System but they may not be close to you.
http://www.nps.gov/

I was thinking Ottawa Ontario, lots of neat stuff. Niagra falls is cool, there is wine country just of the river, head into buffalo for some chicken wings. Neat place, but the weather will be a crap shoot that time of year. St. Louis is nice too. My nephew is in school there, they have really cool museum there, along with the Arch and a Zoo.

jrw1621 wrote: The idea of staying with friends or family will greatly reduce the costs. Hotels are not cheap. At your age (or her age) how are her parents with the idea of you and her spending an evening together (unsupervised) in a hotel? What car will you be driving? My first thought is the National Park System but they may not be close to you. http://www.nps.gov/

We would be driving an 02' or 03' Corolla (yawn). Her parents wouldn't encourage it, but wouldn't really care about us in a hotel room. Probably trying to stay away from them though

mtn said: Her parents wouldn't encourage it, but wouldn't really care about us in a hotel room. Probably trying to stay away from them though

um...are you 12? if you are in college, you are an adult...adults make decisions...Do they want you to take a day trip for spring break? why the mileage requirements, why the hotel embargo? I hate overbearing parents.

So, where do you have friends or family that you can stay with. You listed TX and MN. Are there any others?

Now the question becomes, "what is there to do and see around those areas where friends/family are located?"

Corolla. Yes, it is a yawn but should prove to be highly effective and provide little reason to believe that it will not travel far.
Is the 350 mile thing just a security thing for her mother?
Is the car in good good shape and reliable enough to make it farther?

As a side note '03 Corollas are the new and current, tall body style. The '02 version was the last year of the body style that started in the '90's.

I hate overbearing parents.

If thier personal finances are still supported by the parents than this typically involves and affords the parents some say in the desicion making situations.
True, it is not a perfect system but requires a delicate balance of give and take from both sides.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum, though I just checked--the Village is closed for the season, reopens April 15. Still the Museum is like a Smithsonian for car guys/gals; one of my all-time faves. Margie

• eleventy brazillian

We went a few years ago on a whim when we realized Niagra Falls wasn't going to be worth a week stay. We spent two days at the museum and could have easily done a third. Besides the car Smithsonian Greenfield Village has a number of historical sites in one place. As a bonus since noone was staying there we got a suite in the Hyatt near Ford's headquarters for $85 a night thanks to Priceline.

the Rouge River Factory tour is pretty cool too.

go see it while it is still open.

jrw1621 wrote:

I hate overbearing parents.

If thier personal finances are still supported by the parents than this typically involves and affords the parents some say in the desicion making situations. True, it is not a perfect system but requires a delicate balance of give and take from both sides.

What he said.

My parents wouldn't care as long as I don't spend money. Her parents do, I'm not gonna fight with them.

I guess I just don't understand the reasoning?

1. why limit the distance?
2. why is a hotel a no no, but staying with family is okay?

sorry, but my parents wouldn't care where I went, as long as they knew where I was. Hell, I spent 4 months in Spain during High School, and I went to the Daytona 24 in 2007 and I didn't call until I was down there. However, I have had a job since I was 15, and I pay my own expenses.

For $400 each you can buy a pair of 15-day passes on Amtrak. Train rolls all day and all night, and you can sleep OK in the seats or pay for the upgrade to a cabin for a couple of segments if you want real beds. During spring break you could probably make it to Seattle, down to Sacramento, then back through Denver and see some of the most beautiful spots in the world without having to drive any at all.

I'd do it right now if I had the time off....

maroon92 wrote: I guess I just don't understand the reasoning? 1. why limit the distance? 2. why is a hotel a no no, but staying with family is okay?

Once again, her parents, not mine.

1. I don't know. Whatever.
2. Hotels are money. Like I said, they wouldn't encourage it, but wouldn't prohibit it.

That Amtrak idea is a good one, I'll have to look into that.

Your GF and my GF sound very similar.

They (her parents) don't mind us camping together, but are wierded out by us getting a hotel together, and even more so wierded out by me sleeping in her bed at home, yet cool with us moving in together.

I'd be planning spring break with her if we had it on the same week.

Find yourself an indoor go-cart track. Slip the attendant an extra $10 and never lift the whole day.

Go to the City Museum in St. Louis. That place is berkeleying awesome. I haven't been in years, and really need to go again. http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp

Since your travel mileage is limited, I'd recommend these places:

Starved Rock State Park--- Camping/ hiking, outdoorsy stuff

Chattanooga TN--- Cool city with tons to do. Great outdoors stuff, and fun downtown area. Nice drive through the mountains too.

Chicago/ St. Louis--- Tons to do, lots to see. Unfortunately expensive, and or semi-dangerous.

Lake of the Ozarks MO---- beautiful, fairly inexpensive, lots of Native American history, fishing, camping etc.

Memphis TN---- GRACELAND!

have fun

Thanks for all the ideas. We're skipping Chicago and St. Louis because we've both seen most of what there is to see in Chicago and both experienced St. Louis.

We think we have a tentative plan: go to Fairmount Indiana to see the James Dean museum (she's a big JD fan, and he had cool cars), stay with my cousins, then go to Dearborn and do the Henry Ford museum. It will be good enough to kill two or three days, and leave room for other plans.

Have you been to City museum in Saint Louis? Its so crazy I can't believe it exists. Tons of crazy tunnels and slides, stuff to climb on. It is kind of like the most amazing mcdonalds play-place ever. They also have all sorts of cool architectural facades and a bar. City museum pics Look at picture 25. Those are slides.

City Museum is sweet. If you've never been up the arch, that's worth it, too.