Driving north and south of D.C. By Kaitlyn Lavender
Thinking about taking a road trip this spring break, but are short on ideas and large sums of cash needed to hit up some of the more posh vacation spots? Here are two plans that promise big fun without the big bucks. All you need is a car, a map and some quality friends to make this the best spring break ever. [Scroll to the end for a list of links to hostels and hotels in our featured destinations.]
Northbound
Day 1: BALTIMORE, MD 40.14 miles from AU
Leave Washington, D.C., and travel north on I-95. Drive for approximately one hour and you will arrive at your first destination: Baltimore. Spend the day at the Inner Harbor where you can take paddle boats or kayaks out on the harbor, or check out the Baltimore Aquarium, the Baltimore Zoo or the Babe Ruth Birthplace/Museum. After you're done checking out the Inner Harbor, travel into the city and explore for a while, have dinner, and go downtown and check out one of the many clubs and coffee houses. Call up the Charmed City Home Hostel beforehand at (410) 570-4480 to book beds for $18 each.
Day 2: PHILADELPHIA, PA 139.09 miles from AU
Approximately two hours after leaving Baltimore, you should arrive in the "City of Brotherly Love." Grab a famous Philadelphia cheese steak for lunch, and then spend the day checking out the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Take a stroll down Elfreth's Alley, America's oldest residential street, built in 1702. After a day of historic sights, check out South Street, a funky strip which boasts over 300 shops and restaurants.
Day 3: ATLANTIC CITY, NJ 183.06 miles from AU
In the words of Bruce Springsteen, "Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty, and meet me tonight in Atlantic City." Leave Philadelphia and, after about an hour to an hour and a half of driving, you'll see some pretty familiar street names. When you've finally reached Atlantic City, you'll be in the place where Monopoly got all of its street names from. You'll find most of your excitement on the boardwalk, where there's an array of casinos. Even if you legally can't gamble, there's plenty to do. Have lunch at one of the casinos, walk along the beach, buy some famous salt- water taffy and enjoy the beautiful Jersey shore.
Day 4: NEW YORK CITY, NY 227.68 miles from AU
Travel about an hour north of Atlantic City, and you'll find yourself in central New Jersey. Stop at a diner for breakfast, after all, it is the unofficial "diner capital of the world." Continue about another hour to hour and a half until you reach New York City. Check out a Broadway show, shop in Manhattan, have lunch at a caf in Greenwich Village, go to the top of the Empire State Building, take a carriage ride around Central Park, stand in front of the Plaza Hotel and reminisce about seeing "Home Alone 2" and check out Rockefeller Center. Stay up all night in the city that doesn't sleep, checking out all that the night scene has to offer, or check into the cheap, centrally located Big Apple Hostel (www.bigapplehostel.com) and spend the night, or maybe two.
Day 5: BOSTON, MA 442.43 miles from AU
Boston is an amazing place where you can do just about anything. It has a very young average population because of the abundance of colleges in the area. Check out some of the historic buildings, or hit up Newbury Street, where you'll find plenty of shopping, restaurants and fun things to do. Take a swan boat ride on the Back Bay or cruise some of the area's pubs for lunch or dinner. You'll find much of the same nightlife that you will find in any city, so go out and celebrate your final destination of Spring Break 2004.
Southbound
Days 1 and 2: WILLIAMSBURG, VA 155.51 miles from AU
Since there is so much to do in Williamsburg, allow yourself at least two days here. After a three-hour drive south, you'll find yourself in colonial Williamsburg. Walk around the historic town or take a tour. See a battle reenactment and have lunch at a restored tavern. Check out the historic and beautiful College of William and Mary, and have dinner at one of the many restaurants around the area. Don't miss Busch Gardens, where you'll find enough rides and attractions to keep you busy for an entire day.
Day 3: WILMINGTON, NC 383.14 miles from AU
Wilmington is approximately two to three hours south of Williamsburg, but worth the drive. This is another historic town, which features an abundance of bed and breakfasts. You'll want to spend your day here checking out the beautiful community. Take a trolley ride or carriage tour around the area, eat at one of the area restaurants and enjoy fresh seafood, ride a roller coaster at Jubilee Amusement Park, or just walk around and take in the scenery.
Day 4: CHARLESTON, SC 539.18 miles from AU
Charleston is another three to four hours south of Wilmington, N.C., but the "South of the Border" signs along the way should keep you and your friends occupied until you reach your first stop of the day - South of the Border! It's a cheesy Mexican fiesta! Stop and have lunch, buy a sombrero and engage in one of the biggest tourist traps in the country. Why not ... it is spring break after all. After, hop back into your car and return to Charleston, where you'll be able to walk around the area, check out "Rainbow Row," shop on King Street and enjoy the sites. Relax and walk around during the day, and then hit up the nightlife. If you're in the mood, Charleston is a great place to golf and should be pretty warm during March.
Things to hear in the District on break By Alex Kargher
So you're stuck here over spring break because you either didn't make plans, or your friends that are cruising around some exotic Third-World Caribbean nation really aren't your friends. Either way, The Eagle music section is here with some Spring Break survival tips for all.
Friday, March 5
Break has barely begun and you're already positive your life is over! First things first. Dry your crying eyes and flip over your Web browser to www.thecoopertempleclause.com. You'll find that Britain's latest sensation in musical exports is an amalgam of your favorite bands from Oasis to Radiohead, and it is playing the 9:30 club for the first time ever with the sensationally beautiful band Calla.
Cost: $15 for an awesome show, which is peanuts compared to the $50+ you'd shell out for one round of drinks on said cruise ship.
Saturday, March 6
Single and crushing on somebody special? Spend your money tonight on whatever gets you into the spirit and sit down to make the perfect mix. Scour your tapes and CDs for those perfect moments that put to music the words you can't speak. This should not be a short-term scroll of your most recently pirated files or legally purchased music; this should be a long-term work of perfection. Every song needs to flow into the next and every song needs to be chosen for a specific reason. Check out www.tinymixtape.com for ideas.
Cost: two balls of lint and a dust bunny.
Sunday, March 7
Do you wish you had witnessed The Velvet Underground play "Heroine" live? Metropolitan, a local D.C. band, is betting on just that. It is single-handedly reviving the noise-pop bliss that bands like VU and Sonic Youth have been churning out since before most of our time. Check it out at the Warehouse Theatre Next Door with The Rosebuds, a Pixies-esque band from North Carolina on Merge records. It's at 1021 7th St. NW.
Cost: $5
Monday, March 8 through Friday, March 12
Over the next five days a number of choice bands will be coming through town, including Del Cielo at the Black Cat on Monday, Richard Buckner at Iota on Tuesday, Floetry and Erykah Badu at DAR Constitution Hall on Wednesday, Denali and Murder By Death at the Black Cat on Thursday, and The Apes, GoGoGo Airheart and Kilowatthours at the Warehouse Next Door.
