While summertime still lurks in the distant future and the second semester continues to roll on with math tests and chemistry homework, there is one week that every student is looking forward to: Spring Break! Europe, Spain, South America, the beach, resorts, road trips, exotic locations, exciting stories, beautiful pictures, and new experiences—Spring Break is a time filled with hope and joy and a break from the monotony of school. But sometimes, the most exotic place a person could go is their backyard and their Instagram will only explode with photos of Starbucks, tanning on the back porch, and sleeping. So, how can a Spring Break at home be exciting? Well, there’s plenty more to do locally than many people know.
A Ke$ha concert in Las Vegas with flashing lights and glitter. Your heart is pounding with every bass note and you’re jumping and screaming at the top of your lungs having a night that you will never forget. Yes, that sounds awesome. But, you could still have close to that experience here in Fort Collins. The Aggie Theatre has live music every weekend, ranging from local to nationally known bands and the small, close atmosphere can give you an intimate concert experience. And who knows, there could always be some glitter involved. Also, the local record store, The Bizarre Bazaar features live music most weekends and has a ton of old and new records to check out. For someone looking to venture a little further, The Ogden Theatre in Denver features a wide range of musicians and bands. Rapper/singer Hoodie Allen will be there March 15 and plenty of other well-known artists will be there throughout the month of March and the week of Spring Break.
Winter skiing has come to a close, but spring skiing/snowboarding is still in full swing. Keystone, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Copper, and Steamboat all have snow that is ready to be shredded. Grab a couple of friends and go down for a day or two to your favorite resort and get in some final skiing and snowboarding and experience the majestic mountains to escape from everyday life in Fort Collins. It’ll feel just like a vacation without having to go too far away.
If you’d simply like to stay in Fort Collins, head downtown to Old Town for some good food. Try out a new restaurant that you’ve never thought of before, or head to a favorite spot. Take a night out and go somewhere fancy or simply hang out with some friends and grab some grub at your favorite little hole in the wall. Rodizio’s, Enzios, The Melting Pot, and HuHot are wonderful choices for a date night or fancier night out. But you could also check out Big City Burrito for some inexpensive Mexican food, D.P. Dough for some pizza, Big Al’s Burgers for some classic American food, Pueblo Viejo for a Mexican family dinner, or Lucille’s Restaurant for some Cajun food. And, if you just want to hang out and catch up, try The Alley Cat for delicious chai tea or The Bean Cycle (be sure to check out the old books upstairs). Whatever your choice or mood, try something new and exciting!
If you’re downtown on a Friday or Saturday night, you could always test your rhythm and moves at Old Town Yoga or The Grange for some swing or blues dancing. There is dancing downtown for all ages every Friday and Saturday night at 8:30 p.m., and they are always teaching new dances for anyone to learn.
And, if you just need a break from everything and want to relax, try out a good movie or television show. If you’re looking for a little adventure but yet still want some down-time, head to the movie theatre and checkout a new release. Admission is about acceptance to college and a coming-of-age story for a young boy and his “mom.” The new Die Hard movie will of course contain many action-packed scenes of Bruce Willis kicking butt. If you’re looking for a horror flick, The Last Exorcism 2 will be hitting theatres, and for all of the sappy romantics out there, the newest Nicolas Sparks book-turned-love-movie (Safe Haven) will be out. But, if you’d rather just purchase some popcorn from Cinemark and hang out in your baggy sweatpants on the couch, Argo, Skyfall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Sinister will all be coming out on DVD. And, if you’d still rather not even have to leave your couch for a moment, Netflix contains hundreds of shows that are more than ready to be marathoned from a living room near you.
Spring Break is just around the corner and whether you are headed to a faraway place or simply watching a character travel on a journey on the screen in front of you, it can be filled with adventure and memories. It’s also a great time to catch up and refresh for the final quarter of the 2012-2013 school year.
