3/11/2006 Houston-- Most years, Alvin High School senior Laura Zahn goes in the beach in Galveston for spring break. This year she is going to Paris, France. "All of my friends are saying I hate you, but bring me something back." Laura's French teacher's spring break trip for students and relatives was a once in a lifetime chance the family could not pass up.
While tens of thousands of other Houston high school and Texas college students will carry on the long tradition of hitting the beaches all along the Texas Gulf Coast beginning today, many students are taking exotic vacations like Zahn's. Some are taking cruises to Cozumel, others are going skiing in Lake Tahoe and Colorado.
Officials along the Texas coast don't know exactly what to expect from spring break this year. South Padre has always been the hottest destination spot for students in prior years. Because Galveston's weather can be cooler and more unpredictable and does not have the white sand like South Padre, it has lost much of its attraction for college crowds in recent years.
A 16-year-old alcohol ban on most Galveston Island beaches has made the island a popular destination for families with younger children. "If the sun comes up, we are crowded," says Galveston beach patrol Maj. Vic Maceo. "If the sun does not come out, we don't have any crowd." The National Weather Center calls for mostly to partly cloudy skies Sunday, with highs in the mid-70's. There is a 30% chance of rain on Monday. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for partly cloud skies, low overnight temps in the 50's and highs in the 60s and 70s.
Other popular destinations for spring breakers include Walt Disney World, Steamboat Springs Colorado, and various locations in Europe. It is a great time to go to Europe as rates are lower during this period.
Some Texas school districts took this week off. Most major Texas universities, such as UT Austin and Texas A&M started spring break Friday and will resume operations March 20. HISD started spring break today.
Contributed by Richard Lewis.
