The race is on in Destin, Fla. More Photos »
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
Published: March 11, 2011
FORGOT to plan for a spring break? Haven’t gone skiing yet this year? It’s March, people!
Which means two things: You’re overdue for a break, and it’s not too late to plan one. Even if you just slip away for a weekend.
Want to be on the beach by midafternoon? There are new flights to Destin, Fla., and the Turks and Caicos that are ready to make that happen. Feeling the urge to hit the mountain before the snow melts? Heavy snowfall and spring rates as low as $99 a night are making resorts like Breckenridge, Colo., and Snowbird, Utah, good bargains. Or are poolside cocktails more your style? There are plenty of options in Palm Springs, Calif., where newly renovated hotels are showing off freshened digs.
So, here you go. Whether you want high desert landscapes, powdery slopes or pristine blue water, we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you. Here are 14 top-notch escapes that require fewer than four hours in either a car or a plane from more than a dozen major cities. Wherever you live, we’ve got you covered.
Breckenridge, Colo.
EASY GETAWAY FROM Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Austin, Tex.; Dallas; Houston; Chicago; St. Louis; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City.
WHAT YOU GET Sunny powder days, après-ski party scene, live music, beer and food festivals.
WHY GO NOW March and April are two of the snowiest months of the year at this four-peak Rocky Mountain resort, roughly 80 miles from Denver. By the end of February this year, 29 feet had fallen already, beating out the resort’s traditional 25-foot average. Breckenridge stays open until April 24 this year — a week longer than usual — and hosts dozens of special events from the annual Beer Festival (April 9), featuring live music and more than 20 breweries from around the country, to the Bite of Breck food fest with discounts on eateries during the month of April. Springtime also brings special promotions like 40 percent off many condominiums and $99 hotel rates.
WHERE TO STAY The Great Divide Lodge (www.breckresorts.com/greatdividelodge) has some of the best rates in April, with Spring Fever deals as low as $99 a night. (For all destinations, rates are for weekends in March and April.) The nearby Mountain Thunder Lodge offers rates from $171 a night. And ResortQuest’s River Mountain Lodge three blocks from the gondola has studios from $140 a night.
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