Spring break plans cancelled - now seeking alternatives
March 8, 2014 7:43 PM
My spring break runs effectively from March 14th to the 23rd. Originally I had plans to head to NYC for a couple of days and then to Delaware, spending the whole week with a good friend of mine. He will now be out of the country, so I'm flying solo and looking for something different. I should work two days in between, but I can make up the hours if needed. Details inside include what I [think I] am looking for ideally.
- I am capable of dropping a bit of money on this vacation, but at the core I'm a poor college student, so I need to travel as cheaply as I possibly can. This probably means avoiding planes.
- I like to party, but am not great at trying to meet people in public when I'm out alone. So, while I have absolutely no issue with "spring breakers" and would love to join them, at the same time I'm thinking maybe I should stick to places where I can have fun on my own, given the lack of likelihood that I'll change all my old habits and start spontaneously approaching strangers at bars.
- I've never gone anywhere by myself before. I'm excited about doing so even for a short trip, but want to mention this to make it clear that I'm not an experienced traveler in general. This means I don't necessarily know the cheapest way to travel/board either.
- I like beaches, I like clubs, I like museums, I like hiking... I have many interests, basically. One thing I don't do is winter sports; skiing, etc. Otherwise, feel free to suggest just about anything.
- LGBT-friendly areas would be absolutely phenomenal. In fact, if there is such a thing as a specifically trans-friendly vacation spot or something I'd love to hear about it. I'm aware of Provincetown already.
- I'm a couple hours north of NYC, and am willing to drive up to about six hours, but I'd rather take a train or bus or plane. I hate driving. Still, if there's some great mountain retreat in Vermont or something that I don't know about, I'm willing to consider it.
Any other questions, stuff I should have mentioned but didn't, etc, feel free to ask. Thanks in advance for all suggestions. :)
- I am capable of dropping a bit of money on this vacation, but at the core I'm a poor college student, so I need to travel as cheaply as I possibly can. This probably means avoiding planes.
- I like to party, but am not great at trying to meet people in public when I'm out alone. So, while I have absolutely no issue with "spring breakers" and would love to join them, at the same time I'm thinking maybe I should stick to places where I can have fun on my own, given the lack of likelihood that I'll change all my old habits and start spontaneously approaching strangers at bars.
- I've never gone anywhere by myself before. I'm excited about doing so even for a short trip, but want to mention this to make it clear that I'm not an experienced traveler in general. This means I don't necessarily know the cheapest way to travel/board either.
- I like beaches, I like clubs, I like museums, I like hiking... I have many interests, basically. One thing I don't do is winter sports; skiing, etc. Otherwise, feel free to suggest just about anything.
- LGBT-friendly areas would be absolutely phenomenal. In fact, if there is such a thing as a specifically trans-friendly vacation spot or something I'd love to hear about it. I'm aware of Provincetown already.
- I'm a couple hours north of NYC, and am willing to drive up to about six hours, but I'd rather take a train or bus or plane. I hate driving. Still, if there's some great mountain retreat in Vermont or something that I don't know about, I'm willing to consider it.
Any other questions, stuff I should have mentioned but didn't, etc, feel free to ask. Thanks in advance for all suggestions. :)
Have you ever been to Philadelphia? I can't speak to the trans issues specifically, but there's quite a large (college-aged included) community of LGBT folks in Philly and a lot of vacation resources out there. There are some nice hostels in Old City/Center City, though you might also get an AirBnB option for someone off home on spring break. It's easy to get to here from NYC and NY by bus and train (I'd recommend the train, given the time) and it's cheaper than staying in NYC for the entire time. We have clubs and loads of museums and you could pop over to Atlantic City if you really wanted to see a beach and do the rounds there; it will hopefully have stopped snowing by then.
DC also has a lot of similar amenities, but it's another two hours south and more expensive on average. Free museums though, loads and loads of college-student friendly activities, very liberal. Baltimore has great museums, fantastic Italian food, other quirky neighborhoods. (Paging sonascope for advice on that?) You could do a day or two in DC, a day or two in Baltimore, and a day or two in Philly easily (or any combination of that) moving up between them on Amtrak or Megabus/Bolt Bus, if you didn't want to spend the whole time in one place.
posted by jetlagaddict at 8:12 PM on March 8, 2014
DC also has a lot of similar amenities, but it's another two hours south and more expensive on average. Free museums though, loads and loads of college-student friendly activities, very liberal. Baltimore has great museums, fantastic Italian food, other quirky neighborhoods. (Paging sonascope for advice on that?) You could do a day or two in DC, a day or two in Baltimore, and a day or two in Philly easily (or any combination of that) moving up between them on Amtrak or Megabus/Bolt Bus, if you didn't want to spend the whole time in one place.
posted by jetlagaddict at 8:12 PM on March 8, 2014
Seconding Washington DC.
I went there for Obama's Second Inaguration, and I stayed at this hostel: Hostelling International Washington DC. It was inexpensive, safe, by a grocery store or two, and also has your own kitchen to cook in. The other thing is that it's right by all the attractions; the White House, The Smithsonian museums, all the memorials, etc. were in walking distance. The train station is only a couple of miles away, but I walked from there to the hostel with my backpack, and there was no problem. It's also by major bus routes and their subway system if you want to explore further out.
I pretty much stayed in the core of Washington DC, though I did go to Dupont Circle, the LGBT neighborhood, a couple of times. It's easily accessible by the subway, which lets you off in the heart of the neighborhood.
If you somehow get bored with Wash DC, Philly is only a couple of hours away by train. However, I have no idea as to its amenities or lodgings; last time I was there overnight, I crashed at an anarchist flophouse 12 years ago.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:22 AM on March 9, 2014
I went there for Obama's Second Inaguration, and I stayed at this hostel: Hostelling International Washington DC. It was inexpensive, safe, by a grocery store or two, and also has your own kitchen to cook in. The other thing is that it's right by all the attractions; the White House, The Smithsonian museums, all the memorials, etc. were in walking distance. The train station is only a couple of miles away, but I walked from there to the hostel with my backpack, and there was no problem. It's also by major bus routes and their subway system if you want to explore further out.
I pretty much stayed in the core of Washington DC, though I did go to Dupont Circle, the LGBT neighborhood, a couple of times. It's easily accessible by the subway, which lets you off in the heart of the neighborhood.
If you somehow get bored with Wash DC, Philly is only a couple of hours away by train. However, I have no idea as to its amenities or lodgings; last time I was there overnight, I crashed at an anarchist flophouse 12 years ago.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:22 AM on March 9, 2014
do you have a passport? you're not that far from montreal. it feels like a more exotic vacation because of the french history - the old town is REALLY old. it has a pretty good queer and trans scene, though it's slightly underground, as these scenes tend to be. you could probably take the bus from where you are so you wouldn't have to drive.
i wouldn't stay at a hostel if i was you - unless they specifically say so (and even sometimes still then), hostels are not typically your most trans-friendly locations. but airbnb will have rooms of people's houses that you can rent out for not much more than a stay at a hostel. i would search specifically for the gay or trans friendly ones. i could probably help you with this for montreal - i know of a few places to stay where the hosts are genderqueer.
there are lots of things to do here - museums, art galleries (for instance The Clock is playing at the Musee d'Arts Contemporains and that is a total must-see) and there are lots of good cheap eats in the city.
the local events mag is Cult Montreal which could help get you started.
if you decide to come, memail me and i can help you plan your trip!
posted by andreapandrea at 5:56 AM on March 9, 2014
i wouldn't stay at a hostel if i was you - unless they specifically say so (and even sometimes still then), hostels are not typically your most trans-friendly locations. but airbnb will have rooms of people's houses that you can rent out for not much more than a stay at a hostel. i would search specifically for the gay or trans friendly ones. i could probably help you with this for montreal - i know of a few places to stay where the hosts are genderqueer.
there are lots of things to do here - museums, art galleries (for instance The Clock is playing at the Musee d'Arts Contemporains and that is a total must-see) and there are lots of good cheap eats in the city.
the local events mag is Cult Montreal which could help get you started.
if you decide to come, memail me and i can help you plan your trip!
posted by andreapandrea at 5:56 AM on March 9, 2014
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posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:49 PM on March 8, 2014