While there’s nothing wrong with a sun and sand spring break, some people opt for a different way to spend the time off and de-stress. Here are a few ideas to consider as an alternative to the typical spring break ideas.
Museum Tour: A week in Washington DC is a fair amount of time to explore the multitude of museums which include the National Portrait Gallery (home to 1600 presidential portraits, including the most recently installed of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama), the International Spy Museum (dedicated to all things espionage), the National Museum of African American History and Culture (opened in 2016), and the little known, but very interesting, Postal Museum, which has a letter mailed from the Titanic.
Williamsburg is about 2 hours from DC and if your spring break falls after April 7, check out Harbor View, which is just 65 miles from Washington D.C.
Drive the Coast: While it takes 13 hours to drive from northern California down to San Diego, that achievement can only be reached if you drive straight through. Why would you do that when there is so much to explore? Take the week to enjoy the coast and make stops along the way including San Francisco (Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, iconic Chinatown, and a cable car ride), Monterey (Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Aquarium, all things Big Little Lies related, and the scenic 17-Mile Drive), Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Zoo, architectural tours and the fabulous sunrises and sunsets over the Pacific), Los Angeles (the Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Bowl, and Santa Monica Pier) and San Diego (Balboa Park, Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo, and Coronado Island). Lesser known, but just as scenic stops can include Half Moon Bay, San Luis Obispo, Huntington Beach, and La Jolla, where you’ll spot a ton of seals who are doing spring break right.
Options to stay along the way include San Francisco RV Campground, Soledad Canyon RV Campground, Rancho Oso Campground and Pio Pico RV Campground.
Historic Trail Time: Take a scenic road trip on parts of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, which stretches for 440 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Part of the Natchez Trace can be accessed from Nashville and can include a drive to see the Double Arch Bridge, noted for its innovative design. Also, the portion from Nashville to Franklin is one beautiful drive. If you time it right, you can enjoy the fabulous biscuits at the Loveless Café, which is located conveniently at the northern terminus of the Parkway in Nashville. Also, about 59 miles from Nashville on the Parkway, you’ll find Leiper’s Fork – small town charm at its best. There’s a distillery, shops and eateries, and the possibility of a brush with fame as celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, and Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari have homes here.
Natchez Trace RV Campground is a perfect spot for this spring break getaway.