[Matthew Duck]

I recently got back from a trip to Chicago and it included a sailboat ride on Lake Michigan. Last Spring Break, me and my girlfriend went to Myrtle Beach which we loved so much but we were not able to spend the whole week there. I'm in charge of the destinations and would like to go in a different direction this year. I hadn't even thought about Lake Michigan before my Chicago trip. So can anyone tell me are there any good Spring Break destinations in Michigan? And on any of the five great lakes - and if there are some good Great Lakes Spring Break destinations in other states, let me know! I was also curious about how the weather is up there in the middle of March. Will it have started to warm up by then?

[michmoldman]

Mid March is VERY iffy. There are a ton of great things to do, but if any of them included being outside it's a crapshoot. In mid March much of Michigan will probably have snow on the ground, or a very good chance it may snow.

[Nedibes]

A ski trip to northern Michigan is more likely to work in mid-March than a beach vacation (I've done this).

Mid-June through early September is probably the best time to visit the Great Lakes if you want to get into the water; as early as mid-May if you're just going to be on the water; and really anytime if you want to walk along the beach and enjoy the scenery, so long as you don't mind bundling up a lot (and possibly walking through snow).

[jaynarie]

The lakes are usually still frozen in March. Definitely more of a summer destination than a spring destination.

There are plenty of things to do in March, but hang out on the beach is not one of them.

[Matthew Duck]

Thanks for your advice. Are there any other popular Spring Break destinations for the local college students that are in bordering states maybe?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Matthew Duck

Thanks for your advice. Are there any other popular Spring Break destinations for the local college students that are in bordering states maybe?

The entire Great Lakes area is still in the throes of winter in March. I've even been in Tennessee in March for Spring Break and it snowed.

Washington DC is a great place to go in March, before the summer heat and humidity sets in. All of the museums are free, great for poor college students.

[Matthew Duck]

Originally Posted by magellan

The entire Great Lakes area is still in the throes of winter in March. I've even been in Tennessee in March for Spring Break and it snowed.

Washington DC is a great place to go in March, before the summer heat and humidity sets in. All of the museums are free, great for poor college students.

Thanks!

[Nedibes]

If you like skiing, I was actually serious about that as a Spring Break option in Michigan, and probably also some neighboring states (I have no firsthand knowledge there, though).

Even if the skiing isn't great, depending on where you go the après-ski stuff can be pretty fun--outdoor pool as hot as a jacuzzi with snow all around you, ziplines, dogsled rides, etc. At least one resort I know has a very large indoor water park attached to the hotel, too.

[Matthew Duck]

Originally Posted by Nedibes

If you like skiing, I was actually serious about that as a Spring Break option in Michigan, and probably also some neighboring states (I have no firsthand knowledge there, though).

Even if the skiing isn't great, depending on where you go the après-ski stuff can be pretty fun--outdoor pool as hot as a jacuzzi with snow all around you, ziplines, dogsled rides, etc. At least one resort I know has a very large indoor water park attached to the hotel, too.

I tried skiing for the first time last December with my girlfriend in New Mexico and I really enjoyed it. They have a cabin there and go there often, and I'll start going every Winter Break, so in the springtime I'd enjoy a beach.

[Nedibes]

Originally Posted by Matthew Duck

I tried skiing for the first time last December with my girlfriend in New Mexico and I really enjoyed it. They have a cabin there and go there often, and I'll start going every Winter Break, so in the springtime I'd enjoy a beach.

In that case, I think you're going to be pretty limited to the south or west of the continental US in mid-March. I can highly recommend Hawaii --we spent every Spring Break there for five years when we lived in southern California, and it was fantastic.