Best Spring Break Travel Spots In 2021

With everything else going on, am I alone in believing that the idea of travel has been far from so many peoples’ minds this past year? As we start to see things open up and vaccines becoming more readily available, I have to ask, dare we start to dream about our next great trip?? I say, why not! With good things on the horizon, there is no better time to share with you a few of our favorite past spring break travel spots. Truthfully, you may not be ready for travel in 2021. The hope is these suggestions will put you ahead of the game for when we are back in the full swing of life when we can return to lots and lots of travel!

Warm Spring Break Travel Spots

• Hawaii– Every island is a little different. We have been fortunate enough to visit several of them. Here is the summary of the ones we have seen to give you a better idea of which is best for you.
  • Kona. If a resort experience is what you are seeking, this is the place for you. We were a little surprised to see the black volcanic rock that covers most of the island. The beaches are beautiful though and resorts sit on some of the best stretches of beach on this island. We always stay at the Royal Kona Resort. It has everything on site including kayaks, snorkel gear, a market, and restaurants. To explore outside of the resort, rent a car or book a tour like “The Big Island-One Day” tour.
  • Kaui. If you are looking for a beautiful landscape and family time together, grab an AirB&B and go to Kaui. This is a sleepy island that is less about dining out and shopping and more about enjoying island living. Renting a house with family, we lived like natives. Every morning we’d eat breakfast on the patio and after head to the best beaches for the day. When we returned home we dined on the patio again, watching the sea turtles swimming through the canals around the house.
  • Honolulu. While still an island this has a more of an urban feel. Our hotel was in Waikiki Beach where shopping and dining were close at hand. The beach was literally across the street. The tours we booked picked us up straight from our hotel. This made transportation relatively easy. We recommend renting a car for only one day to drive to the other side of the island to explore. Note though, this is an urban area and with that comes a grittier environment which means a fair share of homeless. We never had an issue but did hear and see them throughout our stay.

City Spring Break Travel Spots

• New York. NYC there is no place like it. The first time I experienced NYC was on spring break with my daughter. It must have been a hit because she now wants to go to college there when the time comes. We like to squeeze in as much as possible when we travel so we did it all. From a show on Broadway to the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty, we covered the most popular tourist things to do in about 4 days. If you plan well, you can do a lot in a short period.
• Chicago – The great thing about city trips is that you can mostly get around by foot or easily on public transportation. More than anything in Chicago, we walked. We did several tours learning about this city’s history and architecture. Don’t miss the deep dish! Discovering the Chicago deep dish pizza early allowed us to enjoy it on more than one occasion while visiting.

Ultimate Road Trip Travel Spots

• California Coast – Pack some snacks and plan some road trip games. Make your playlist on Spotify and sing the trip away. No question my preferred mode of travel is almost always a plane. The road trip though is an essential family experience you will want to share. It should be on everyone’s bucket list. If you are looking for the ultimate road trip the California coast is it. We traveled from Los Angeles, CA to Santa Cruz, CA. With so many places to stop along this strip of California coast, you could spend an entire week or more exploring. As a relative local, we skipped several great places between Ventura and the central coast stopping only in Big Sur and Pismo on our way back. In Carmel, CA we stayed at a lovely inn, Monte Verde Inn, that served breakfast to our door and offered a wine hour in the evening. We ventured around in the Carmel area where there are shops and restaurants galore. In a few days we were able to hit so much! We started at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and wandered around Cannery Row. We ventured up to Santa Cruz and spent some time on the boardwalk. Closer to where we stayed in Carmel, CA, we explored Pebble Beach. If you have the time, plan to go from San Diego all the way up to San Francisco. There are dozen’s of stops to make, none of which will disappoint.

It has been a long year! With spring fast approaching, the itch to travel is growing. In hindsight, I would have thought the lack of travel in 2020 would have been devastating for a @girljustwants2travel. Instead what I found was an appreciation for my past experiences. It also provided great inspiration for a time when we will be able to travel again. I hope I inspired you as well to start planning for your next Spring Break trip.