Leaving home to go to school in Miami, the first and most prominent thing I noticed was that most students who are from here chose to stay and live with their parents for college. With that being said, weekend getaways still seem to be pretty common here as well. This Labor Day weekend, whether it’s for the day or the whole weekend, why not pack a bag and go somewhere? Here are a few ideas for a sweet escape this Labor Day weekend.
If you think it’s too late to book a hotel, day trips are always a great option. Considering we’re all on the “broke college student” budget, it’s also a great way to save money. Here are a couple ideas!
Key Largo:
Key Largo is only about an hour away from FIU and there are a ton of fun things to do for the day there, including but not limited to:
-Feeding Tarpon at Robbies of Islamorada
-Swimming with Dolphins at Dolphins plus Bayside
-Snorkeling, Glass bottom boat tours, and kayaking at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
-Visit and observe different kinds of marine life at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
West Palm Beach:
West Palm Beach is also only one hour away from Miami and now the new Brightline train system drops off directly next to the downtown area near the beach. It’s a great day trip option to window shop, walk by the water, and try some great restaurants. Some ideas are:
-Window shop at Worth Avenue
-Enjoy basking in the sun on the beautiful Juno Beach
-Visit the history of one of Florida’s oldest successors at Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
-Go check out some cool decor and delicious food at Restoration Hardware
Now If you have more of a budget to spend and would like to get away for the whole weekend, look into Airbnbs in the area you’re interested in. Airbnbs are usually a money saver especially on holiday weekends. A lot of the time hotels will take advantage of these long weekends and raise prices. If you can splurge on a weekend away, even if it’s last minute here are a few options:
St. Augustine:
As most native Floridians know one of Florida’s oldest cities is St. Augustine where there is said to be lots of history and some even say it’s…haunted. Here are some ideas if you take the trip.
-Ghost tours around the old city with The Night of Lights
-visit and drink from Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
-Read and learn more about our states history at the Lightner Museum or the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
-Tour the 17th century fourtress of Castillo de San Marcos
The Springs:
Florida’s hidden gem is definitely its crystal clear fresh water pools. The springs are located all over northern Florida and are a great $5 dollars to spend the day snorkeling, swimming, and floating around these beautiful blue lagoons. Some of the most popular ones are included but not limited to:
-Ginnie Springs- located right near University of Florida, activities here include kayaking, tubing, and snorkeling.
-Devil’s Den- which is a more cave -looking spring located 20-30 minutes from University of Florida, includes diving, snorkeling, and swimming. According to their website, they are more of a divers destination so they’re a little more strict on how deep you’re allowed to snorkel.
-Alexandar Springs- Which is an hour south of University of Florida, includes hiking, swimming, snorkeling, diving, and tubing.
-Rainbow Springs- Includes swimming, tubing, and even a beautiful little waterfall.
So, this Labor Day weekend, whether all you want to do is relax and binge some Netflix, or pack a bag and go on an adventure, enjoyed it, especially since it’s a whole three days. College can be a lot of work, even if it’s only the second week of the semester. So have some fun and take a trip! Life is too short to wait around, so just go for it!