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Spring Break
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by: Mark Stone
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"Spring break!" The
mere mention of the phrase would conjure
distinct visions of fun for any
particular age group in American
history. For well-heeled college
students at least as far back as the
19th Century, the spring holiday was a
casual time to recuperate from academic
stresses. For those who came of age in
the late 1950s and early 60s, Frankie
Avalon and Annette Funicello defined and
inspired a more established spring break
ritual. Young adults today, who have
never known life without MTV, experience
spring break as an aggressively produced
and marketed event that has all the
flash of a rock concert, major sporting
event, and fashion show, all rolled into
one annual beach blast.
Over the years, spring break revelers
have made a home for themselves at many
different beach locales. The Frankie and
Annette crowd could be found primarily
at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Daytona
Beach and Panama City Beach, also in
Florida, began solidifying their own
respective popularity not long after.
Palm Beach, California, along with
international stars Cancun, Acapulco,
and the Bahamas, have all established
themselves as crowd favorites today.
There's another major spring break
hotspot right in Texas' backyard. South
Padre Island, 25 miles north of Mexico
on the Texas gulf coast, has gained
steadily in popularity since the tents
and bonfires of the 60s. South Padre
Island offers an expansive five mile
stretch of beach, and there is ample
lodging to accomodate any budget. A trip
into Mexico is only a thirty minute
drive, for those spring breakers who
want an international experience. For
spring break with a Texas flair, come on
down to South Padre Island.
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