I think this might be the worst time of year to be a Minnesotan on Facebook. It’s March, which sounds like warm weather should be on its way . . . but it’s not. So instead, I hunker down at home with the fireplace going and avoid looking at Facebook, where my News Feed is overrun with photos of friends, colleagues and family on their respective spring break trips. I, myself, am in spring break purgatory – long out of school but with a child too young to have a spring break of his own.
But I know that those days are just a few short years away and I look forward to planning warm-weather getaways to beat the March monotony. Thankfully for me, recent research from Orbitz suggests that spring break truly is turning into a family-focused and -friendly affair.
Orbitz surveyed spring travelers to learn what attractions were the biggest draw when on a family vacation if budget was not a factor. The No. 1 choice was an aquatic activity (i.e., swimming with dolphins) at 36 percent, followed by a cultural activity to learn about an area’s history at 30 percent, an education activity (i.e., tour of NASA) at 22 percent and learning a new sport at 8 percent.
Still, families are looking to get this quality time away from the cold weather. Orbitz compiled a list of the top-10 destinations jet-setting families are traveling to and an overwhelming 90 percent of top destinations are in warm climates, including Las Vegas; Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Orlando, Fla.; Riviera Maya, Mexico; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Honolulu; New York; New Orleans; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I know that a few Quirk’s employees will be vacationing with their families to some of the places on this list and are hoping to return to spring in Minnesota! Are you doing anything for spring break? Do your plans include your family? Have you noticed this spring break shift toward family?