Students prepare for exotic and local breaks

Laying on the beach, catching heat rays from the sun, being waited on hand and foot and sipping pina coladas with little tiki umbrella straws is how some students dream of spending spring break.

Looking at a calendar, one might notice that spring break is less than a month away. While many students seek a more tropical climate or an island excursion, some just want time away from college.

"I plan to go to Texas to visit my sister and one of my best friends," Carrie McDowell, junior, English, said.

This year's spring recess begins on March 19, and classes will resume on March 28. With this week away from thinking about classes, some might resort to the beach or hit the mountains for a hiking adventure.

Florida offers a variety of spring break destinations, including Miami, South Beach, Panama City, Florida Keys and Daytona Beach.

Students may have seen live television shows with MTV Spring Break, where courageous and wild students compete in crazy contests that they hope nobody back home will see. MTV has visited these popular places during spring break for the last 20 years.

Sarah Gabel, junior, undecided, said, "Although I have to stay and work in St. Louis this year, I would love to go were there is a nice, sunny beach."

South Padre Island, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Mexico are other hot spots where students like to kick back and relax or party until classes start again.

At popular break spot, Cancun, Mexico, visitors can live it up in the daytime on the beach and party the night away at famous clubs like Senor Frogs, Coco Bongo, Carlos and Charles, La Boom and The City.

Some famous clubs in Jamaica include Rick's Cafe in Negril, where people can drink and listen to live music on top of the cliffs that overlook the sunset and the ocean, or can show off their dance skills at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

Both Mexico and Jamaica also offer other things for spring breakers to do like parasailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, booze cruises and scenic tours.

When it comes to having enough money, these trips usually offer package deals. A group of students can save money by checking around at local travel agencies or online vacation sites. Out-of-country destinations usually offer all-inclusive packages, which include free food, drinks, airfare, hotel and transportation services.

Hunting for the perfect spring break vacation might seem like a hassle, but people can book trips, find information, hotel pictures and more at online websites such as expedia.com, funjet.com, applevacations.com, travelocity.com and priceline.com.

Students often choose a place that they know other college students will visit.

Some UM-St. Louis students might not have enough money or anyone to go with on spring break or have inescapable job commitments. These individuals can look for other ways to relax close to home or just enjoy spending time with their families.

Jennifer Steffens, junior, accounting, said, "I will probably stay in St. Louis this spring break because I have to work, but I will be getting together with a few of my friends."

For those who do not plan to pack their bags and head off to an exotic beach or a paradise resort, a variety of St. Louis tourist spots can provide an entertaining break. The Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are a few places that students can visit.

For those who plan to spend their break away from classes in St. Louis, here are some events scheduled to take place during the last week of March.

For those over 21, the 26th Annual Wurstfest will be held March 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event will take place at the Stone Hill Winery Pavilion, Hermannhof Festhalle and Hermann City Park and will include a citywide celebration of the traditional art of German sausage making and wine tasting. There will be contests, demonstrations and samples. The cost of sampling is $5. Visit www.stonehillwinery.com for more information.

Perhaps people are looking for a little more mystery in their lives. How about going on a murder mystery dinner theater event? The Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre: All Shook Up will be going on until May 1. It is located at the Bissell Mansion Restaurant and Dinner Theatre. Shows take place at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. The cost is $39.95 for Friday and Saturday performances, $34.95 for Sunday performances. For more information call (314) 533-9830.

Looking to exercise during the break? Early Morning Walking is taking place all year at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The group walking sessions are held at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The cost of fitness walking is included with regular Garden admission.

Live music at the Schlafly Taproom also takes place all year. Schlafly Tap Room is located on 2100 Locust. People can drink and enjoy music on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight; and on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The music is everything from blues, jazz, R&B, acoustic folk and Latin to swing, rockabilly, country and traditional Irish music.