College (and high school) students all over the country are preparing to spend their spring break in Florida.

If you haven’t made plans yet, it’s not too late.  No, really.  My freshman year of college, my best friend and I decided two days before spring break to cash in our student loan overages in exchange for airplane tickets.  To this day, it’s one of the best damn vacations of my life.

Of course, back then you could go to Mexico on 48 hours notice with nothing more than an ID and US birth certificate.  Now you need a passport – which takes planning – if you want to head south of the border.

In other words, Florida is the perfect Spring Break destination for last minute vacation planners!  (Vacation planners is an official term.  As of right now.)

6 Places To Go For Spring Break In Florida

Where should spring breakers head once they’ve hit the Florida border?

1. Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, Florida

A lot of people associate Spring Break with Daytona Beach.  MTV helped make the city notorious for party goers with their week long beach party broadcasts.  In recent years, MTV has moved on, but the beaches and bars of Daytona still fill up every year with barely legal tourists.  (In fact, last year saw Girls Gone Wild make an appearance.  Don’t ask me why I know this.)

Nightly spring break hot spots include Razzles and Ocean Deck.  When you’re looking for a hotel in Daytona Beach for spring break, try to book as close to A1A/Atlantic Avenue as possile.  That’s where the magic happens.

(Daytona Beach pictures by Britt Reints)

2. Orlando

Universal Studios in Orlando

Orlando isn’t just for families anymore!  (I actually don’t know if it ever was, but I thought that sounded catchy.  Like The Clap.)  More and more spring break traffic is heading inland to The House of Mouse and the surrounding entertainment.

City Walk in Orlando, Florida

(Photo by Ravin on FlickR)

Orlando offers Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, a host of waterparks, shopping, dining and a short drive to Coco Beach.  A party can be found any night of the week at Universal Studio’s City Walk as well as up and down Church Street in downtown Orlando.  (Local guide tip: your best chance of seeing a celebrity in town is at the downtown bar, Antigua.)

3. Ft. Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida

(Photo by Zach Klein on FlickR)

Made famous by the 1960 movie, “Where The Boys Are”, Fort Lauderdale continues to offer its own brand of Spring Break fun in the sun.  It’s not as well known for upscale clubbing as other South Florida beach towns, but it does offer endless chances for you to enjoy an umbrella drink with your shirt off.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Spring Break Night Life

(Photo by Dawn Ashley on FlickR)

You can enjoy your own pub crawl along 2nd street (or Himmarshee Village) until last call at 3 am.  But if you’re looking for an authentic beach party bar, you’ll want to step off the sand into the infamous Elbo Room.  The Elbo Room offers two stories of party – including a deck and a patio – and is legendary destination for Florida spring break.

4. Miami’s South Beach

Expensive Spring Break in South Beach, Florida

(Photo by Photog*Phillip on FlickR)

Just a short drive down 1-95 from Ft. Lauderdale, you’ll find another Spring Break safe haven in Miami’s South Beach.  Although, I have to believe that someone besides poor college students is fitting the bill for these mid-semester flings.

South Beach is not a cheap place to visit, whether you’re on Spring Break or not.  An average hotel room in South Beach is going to cost about $300 a night – or more.  Drink prices are notoriously high, especially in tourist hang outs.  So why in the heck are college students flocking to South Beach?

Night Life for Spring Breakers in South Beach, Florida

(Photo by wyntuition on Flickr)

The beautiful people. South Beach finds itself on lists like “Hottest Beaches in The World” over and over again and is a favorite winter destination for the fashion industry – including fashion models.  There is no better eye candy for hormonal spring breakers than South Beach.  Just bring your credit card.

5. Key West

Key West, Florida - Margaritaville for Spring Break

(Photo by Kiril Kolev on Flickr)

The farthest south and therefore hottest of the Florida spring break hot spots, Key West is an up and coming destination in the spring break market.  Key West is known for Ernest Hemingway and a party atmosphere year round, so it seems a natural place for college students looking for the hottest party to spend their vacations.

The place to let loose in Key West is Duval street.  Any time of year you’re likely to find yourself with a night full of stories to tell (or not), but the rowdiness factor does get kicked up a notch or two during Spring Break.

Duval Street in Key West - for Spring Break nightlife

(Photo by Joe Shlabotnik on FlickR)

Of course, there’s more to do on Spring Break than go to the bar.  Key West is surrounded by water and endless beaches.  The weather is practically guaranteed to be warmer than where you’re coming from.  Spring Break in Key West is the perfect time to try surfing or kayaking or any other water sport you’ve considered.

6. Panama City

St. Andrews Pier in Panama City, Florida

(photo by shutterchick on Flickr)

The farthest north of all of Florida’s Spring Break cities, Panama City is also one of the most popular spring break destinations in recent years.  Unlike other more traditional spring break communities (like Daytona), the locals of Panama City have embraced Spring Break tourists and the money they bring with them!

Do you want your picture taken in a bikini?  Have you dreamed of judging a wet t-shirt contest?  Would you love to end up in the background on TV?  Then Panama City Beach is the place to be for Spring Break.

Panama City has become the new home for MTV’s Spring Break shows and concerts and the official reigning King of Spring Break.  Panama City hotels and bars have embraced the Spring Break vibe with their own packages, parties and special events all season long.  You’re sure to feel welcome as part of the crowd anywhere in Panama City.

So, when’s the best time to visit these Florida Spring Break locations?  Ideally, when you’re college gives you a week off from school.  Check out this guide to college spring break dates to see when your school lets out and who you might be sharing your vacation with!

Ready to pack your bags? Here is a great resource for Fort Lauderdale flights.

With its upscale restaurants, landmark buildings, beautiful bridges and breathtaking views, San Francisco always tops the lists of favorite US cities and tourist destinations.  Many people come to visit during the summer months and get disappointed by the cold fog and damp weather. However you would be pleasantly surprised if you made a trip to the city during this time of year.  The winter months often bring cold temperatures but very blue skies during the day and nights full of stars.

San Francisco is almost more beautiful at night during the holidays than any other time of year – and that is saying something.

During the holidays living in the City is such a gift: the bright lights on the Embarcadero Center row of buildings, outlined to look like giant present boxes; the beautiful window displays in high-end stores like Gump’s and multi-colored lights adorning neighborhood parks and homes. Walk through any of these areas of the city and you can’t help but smile and get a little more into the holiday spirit.

If you are visiting the City or planning to in the future and want to experience a uniquely San Francisco evening, I have the perfect recipe for you. The itinerary will need a little planning but should only require one phone call for the dinner reservation.  This evening is a local favorite for a romantic date but it can be adjusted for just a great night out with friends or family.

First thing you want to do is plan on wearing some warm layers of clothing, especially a scarf and gloves.  San Francisco at night, during this time of year, can be very cold. Wear some nice holiday clothes and comfortable shoes and you will be set for the evening.

Begin the evening with a drink at the beautiful Big Four Restaurant on Nob Hill. Located inside the Huntington Hotel, this secret spot doesn’t have the view that you can get from the Top of the Mark, but this is the place locals go. Filled with beautiful dark wood, the bar area is rich and a historic reminder of the robber barons that built San Francisco.

After a glass of wine or cold cocktail, walk slowly across California Street, watching out for the cable cars and taxi drivers heading across town. Criss-cross the street and stroll through Huntington Park, a wonderful small city park situated between Grace Cathedral and The Fairmont Hotel.  It is one of my favorite parks to visit at night during the holidays because the neighborhood association installs beautiful old-fashion lights in the trees.

Walk through the park towards your dinner reservations, at Venticello Ristorante on Taylor Street. This wonderful Italian restaurant has a warm intimate setting that reminds you of San Francisco society pages from the 1920s. I have had dinners where I have watched patrons walk in that could have been related to Grace Kelly or Kim Novak, in their style of dress and manner. The food is classic Italian with homemade pastas, risotto and roasted meats. The fireplace and wood oven add warmth to your dinner setting along with a backdrop of cable cars going up and down California Street.

After your dinner walk down Taylor Street to Jackson Street and catch the Powell-Hyde Cable Car, with its maroon colored sign, to head towards the waterfront and Hyde Street Pier.  The cable car ride will be very chilly but you can cuddle up inside the center of the car or wrap your scarf tighter and hang onto the outer poles like a local.

Your ride will take you up past Nob Hill and across Russian Hill until you head down Hyde Street to the end of the line. Hop off and turning your back to the bay, walk into The Buena Vista Cafe – home of the perfect Irish Coffee!

Irish Coffee

The recipe of this famous drink was created in 1952 when the restaurant owner and a well known travel writer worked to re-create a highly touted “Irish Coffee” served at Shannon Airport in Ireland.

The Irish Coffee served here at the Buena Vista is the perfect night cap any night of the year, but especially in winter.  How and when you decide to end your evening is up to you, but after all the lights, rich foods, fresh air and drinks – I recommend taking a cab home. Enjoy!

If you’re planning a trip, check out flights to San Francisco.

Photo credits to bill lim, tinou, shayne kaye and rick

The French may not value Liberty as much as they used to do, but they sure do know how to celebrate it. Especially when they’re in New York. If you’re a night owl looking for things to do in New York, the Bastille Day celebrations in New York City extend into the wee hours of Monday, July 14th, with lots of hard partying, street festivities, games and getting collectively drunk enough that a lay visitor might be forgiven for assuming the Francophiles to be in the throes of a revolution trying to liberate NYC from Mayor Bloomberg’s iron grip.

From Saturday afternoon through Sunday night, there’s events lined up starting with the French Institute sponsored food street spectacle on 60th Street which stretches from 5th Ave to Lexington, the pétanque competitions at the Bar Tabac and the music shows, and then its time for the grand annual Bastille Day Ball at Spotlight Live on Monday evening, with dancing from 8 pm to 2 am.

Then there’s the Liberty Festival at Le Halles, which goes one step further. They started the party on July 4th, and are continuing it on upto July 14th, in an attempt to keep away the post Independence Day holiday blues, and keep the party alive for a whopping ten days from July 4-14.

But this is New York, and it inevitably gets progressively weirder. And if it involves the French, well.. even better. There’s a special Bastille Day party at the Lolita Bar in the Lower East Side from 6 to 9 pm July 14th, hosted by travel writer Tony Perrottet in honor of Napoleon’s Baguette, where he will unveil a replica of Napoleon’s disembodied penis. Any questions? Well, thing is, Perrottet just came out with a book titled Napoleon’s Privates: 2500 Years of History Unzipped, in which he addresses issues such as how Napolean’s organ ended up in New Jersey.

Photo credit – Le Comité des Associations Françaises (cafusa.org)