FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale Beach is the place to be this spring break.
At least, that's according to the college students who flocked there Monday as the annual retreat from the snow and frigid temperatures at campuses across the country begins in earnest.
Local 10 News reporter Saira Anwer spoke to students from Boston College and Central Michigan University, to name a few.
"It started mainly Friday, Saturday, Sunday of this weekend," Lori McMahon, of The Drunken Taco, told Local 10 News. "A lot of people from Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado is what I got."
Bolstering Fort Lauderdale's spring break scene is a recent TripAdvisor report ranking it among the top 10 beaches for travelers this year.
CheapOair.com also ranked Fort Lauderdale as the second-hottest spring break destination, behind Orlando.
| Ranking | Destination | Average Airfare |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Orlando | $291 |
| No. 2 | Fort Lauderdale | $304 |
| No. 3 | Los Angeles | $268 |
| No. 4 | Miami | $354 |
| No. 5 | Las Vegas | $281 |
| No. 6 | Denver | $283 |
| No. 7 | Tampa | $291 |
| No. 8 | San Juan | $369 |
| No. 9 | Fort Myers | $317 |
| No. 10 | Phoenix | $328 |
Based on average roundtrip airfare for tickets booked before Jan. 23 for travel in March, according to CheapOair.com. Average airfare rounded up to the nearest dollar.
With a new season comes a new kind of spring breaker, at least according to those who have witnessed the evolution.
"There's a new generation of spring breakers," Fort Lauderdale Beach developer AJ Yaari said. "They're classier. They're here to have fun, but they're not rowdy. Last year, we didn't have any problems, any violence."
That may be thanks to some planning and forethought.
New temporary barricades along State Road A1A ensure beachgoers don't walk into traffic.
Also, the electric scooters that took over the city are not allowed on the beach for spring break.
"Taking the scooters away was a very important thing, because it was a little out of control," McMahon said.
But the weather still seems to be everyone's favorite part.
"We've had negative temps for, like, 10 straight weeks," one spring breaker said.