A smarter spring break
Make that vacation a time of learning something fun from experts
Spring break usually is the time for getting away from the classroom, kicking back and relaxing. But just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your brain has to be too.
Why not take advantage of your time off to learn something — more specifically, something fun?
We’ve sleuthed out a wide range of getaways that give you the chance to explore new skills, from playing the bagpipes and sailing to becoming a whitewater rafting guide or driving a snowcat.
Some are multiday programs; others take a few hours. There are options for young kids and college students as well as adults without children. After all, they need a break too.
Bahama Buddies: This inexpensive program at Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour Marina in the Bahamas pairs kids visiting the resort with local children to learn about their lives. Joint activities might include catching, cleaning and cooking fish. New friends are encouraged to keep up a relationship by email after the vacation’s over. tinyurl.com/hbyg67r Cat crawl: If you’ve been to a ski resort and watched the slopes being groomed, you might have thought it would be fun to charge up and down the mountain at the controls of the snowcat. Time to stop thinking and start doing. In Aspen, Colo., they offer Snowcat Academy, and in Crested Butte, Colo., there’s Snowcat Driving XP. Both include instruction, followed by an opportunity to drive the cat for 60 to 90 minutes while accompanied by an instructor. You have to be at least 18. Aspen: tinyurl.com/hvssapa; Crested
Butte: tinyurl.com/zy5mbn5 Your first rodeo: Wannabe cowhands can learn the ropes at the Cowboy for a Day program at Forever Florida’s Crescent J Ranch in St. Cloud. The day starts with instruction on riding, followed by the chance to help move cattle, round up strays and help with other ranch chores. Minimum age is 10 with a parent or guardian. tinyurl.com/ntajdsr Pipe up: A bagpiper salutes the sunset each day at Sea Island, a resort on the Georgia coast. Guests can arrange a one-hour class with a piper, which includes a practice chanter to keep your lungs busy after you go home. tinyurl.com/nzv65nb Sail away: At Washington’s newest state park, Cama Beach, the Center for Wooden Boats offers sailing lessons that range from a half-day session to a threeday intensive course. Classes are customized to students’ skill levels and are designed for two people. Students must be at least 16, though younger kids can participate if accompanied by an adult. tinyurl.com/hefuvzo Up close with dolphins: Interacting with marine animals is the appeal of trainer-for-a-day programs for nearly all ages. At Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas, ages 10 and older get to experience the dolphins by learning to do a double-dorsal tow and signature “foot push.” They also get to feed nurse sharks and stingrays and snorkel with hundreds of animals. At Gulf World in Panama City Beach, those 12 and older help prepare food, assist in dolphin training sessions and appear onstage during the dolphin show. Atlantis:
tinyurl.com/j9xqq32; Gulf
World: tinyurl.com/jhozx7x Be a guide: The Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bry- son City, N.C., is the place to go if you’d like to become a professional rafting guide. The center’s Raft Guide School runs six days and includes some classroom time, though most of the instruction takes place on the river. Minimum age is 18. tinyurl.com/hso59yy
Take off: It’s not a traditional classroom experience, but all ages can thrill to the sight of a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. The Kennedy Space Center has a public viewing area, or there are many viewing sites outside the center’s grounds. Dates for upcoming launches can be found at www. kennedy spacecenter.com. Afterward, visit the center for a tour or have lunch with an astronaut. www.wearegofl.com Hit the ice: The Ice Park in Ouray, Colo., is well known to fans of ice climbing. If you’re a newbie, San Juan Mountain Guides offers an Introduction to Ice Climbing course. The first day covers the basics, while the second day focuses on more advanced climbs. Classes are offered until mid-March. Minimum age is 7. tinyurl.com/zx4wcvk Give back: Rustic Pathways aims to teach teens from 14 to 18 about other countries and cultures through programs that combine travel and com- munity service. It offers four spring break options: two in the Dominican Republic, one in New Orleans and one in Costa Rica.
tinyurl.com/zyxs7wv Back in time: Coggeshall Farm Museum, a living history museum in Bristol, R.I., has a program that gives a taste of tenant farmer life in the 1700s. Field, Forge and Hearth: Living History Immersion on an 18th-century farm has participants pitching in to care for heritage breed livestock, mend fences and stone walls, learn how to cook over an open hearth and more. The four-day/ three-night program has rustic sleeping accommodations and is for ages 14 and older, though kids under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. tinyurl.com/hzpz9uw Get fit: Serious athletes can head to Boulder, Colo., for Up Your Game, a one- to three-day package that focuses on aspiring triathletes and cyclists. This offers custom-tailored training and education along with lodging. Also provided: nutrition counseling, fitness testing, gait analysis and strength training. tinyurl.com/jsxf8gv