Spring Break Sites: Rank(ed)

I never went on a wild and crazy spring break. Of course, back then, most of today's favorite spring break locations were just swamps, weed-filled fields, or too hot to occupy since the earth was still cooling after its formation. Yeah, that was a while ago. Anyway, it's that time of year again, when thousands and thousands of underworked and oversexed college kids head for America's (and other countries') beaches and bars.

If you've ever watched MTV's Spring Break, you can get a feel for the tone (sometimes known as "mob mentality") that these young collegiate people can generate. One fun exercise is to search the Web for "spring break." The "images for spring break" speak for themselves. (Note to parents: You may be better off not digging too deeply into the Web's massive archive of information about spring break. Perhaps the better attitude might be: "I don't wanna know.")

So, where do these spring breakers head to when classes cease? Jayne Clark writing in USA Today found an interesting list of "The 10 trashiest spring break destinations." Is your (or your son's or daughter's) city on the"trash" list? Check it out.

The 10 trashiest spring break destinations

By Jayne Clark

You don't have to tune into MTV Spring Break to know that for many college students the annual rite revolves around booze, beaches and babes.

Coedmagazine.com has ranked the most popular U.S. spring break destinations by their degree of trashiness (that's a positive in this context), factoring in the prevalence of strip clubs, liquor stores, tattoo parlors and Hooters franchises, among other elements that underpin the Girls Gone Wild ethos.

Here's their list.

1. Las Vegas -- "…home of gambling, strip clubs, and anything else you can buy with money."

2. Key West -- "During the high spring break season, open container laws are not enforced…" Don't miss the clothing-optional Garden of Eden bar.

3. South Padre Island, Texas – "How can it get any trashier than South Padre, a beach that essentially exists for the sole purpose of having wild parties?"

4. Daytona Beach, Fla. – "According to the Orlando Sentinel, Daytona Beach has become the 'undisputed party capital for underage drinkers'. "

5. Myrtle Beach, S.C. – "South Myrtle (the trashier side) is run by three defining places: the beach, Broadway on the Beach, and the strip clubs."

6. Miami Beach -- "The Jersey Shore went here. Plus, it's probably one of two places where you can wear a shiny button-down shirt, rent a Lambo, and wear white pants ... "

7. Panama City Beach, Fla. – "Take a trip down to the beach in your pickup and make sure to have lawn chairs and coolers in the back – only poor people walk in Panama City."

8. Fort Myers, Fla. – Head for Lana Kai, "an older, run-down area of the beach that is perfect for hosting the daily 'booty contests' that happen during high season."

9. Lake Havasu City, Ariz. —"… chicks with humongous fake implants wearing tassels on a couple dinghies in a lake …"

10. San Diego -- "…most of the people who live in the San Diego area head to other destinations for spring break, but that just means the people left partying here are extra trashy."

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For college students, this list is required reading. For parents, it may be required to be hidden. For most college students, however, spring break is no time to be broke!

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