Spring break on a budget? Try these 5 nearby destinations

Spring break may be forever associated with college students hitting the beaches for some sun and fun after a long winter. But nowadays, couples and families with schoolchildren have claimed March and April as prime time for a getaway holiday.

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Holiday Inn

The original Terminal Station at Holiday Inn Chattanooga Choo-Choo turns 100 in December. It is on the National Register of HIstoric Places.

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Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau

Elvis Presley’s Graceland is popular. But Memphis also offers family-friendly spots as well as bars, clubs and historic landmarks.

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Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau

A ride on a banana boat is a fun way to experience the emerald-green waters of Panama City Beach.

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Georgia Mountains Fairgrounds

The Pioneer House is at the heart of the Pioneer Village at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, home to the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival.

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Whether it’s a romantic trip for two or a vacation with Mom, Dad and the kids, here are five Southeastern destinations that are less than a day’s drive from Atlanta, and offer plenty of options for budget-minded travel.

An easy drive from Atlanta, Chattanooga combines nature and nurture in an appealing small-city setting. Hugging the banks of the Tennessee River, with lovely mountain vistas and family-friendly attractions, it’s also a surprisingly sophisticated destination for art lovers to take in museums and galleries.

Of course, the kitsch factor rises up on Lookout Mountain, six miles from downtown, where you can see Rock City and views of seven states, tour Ruby Falls cave and underground waterfall, and ride the Incline Railway, billed as the world’s steepest passenger train ride (www.lookoutmountain.com).

Back in Chattanooga, explore the riverfront area, including the Tennessee Aquarium and Hunter Museum of American Art (www.huntermuseum.org). And stay in the heart of it all at the Bluff View Inn bed and breakfast www.bluffviewartdistrict.com).

Drive time: 2 hours

Accommodations: Experience the 100th Anniversary of the Chattanooga Choo Choo with two-night Holiday Inn Children’s Fantasy packages for two children and two adults. $399-$499, including tickets to the Tennessee Aquarium, Imax Theatre and several more family attractions. www.choochoo.com

What’s happening: The Tennessee Aquarium and Hunter Museum have teamed up for a special exhibition, “Jellies: Living Art,” showcasing jellyfish, alongside glass sculptures inspired by nature. www.tnaqua.org

Free fun: Stroll through the Bluff View Art District and Sculpture Garden, overlooking the Tennessee River, where the glass bridge leads to a collection of galleries, shops and restaurants. 

Information: www.chattanoogafun.com

HIAWASSEE and YOUNG HARRIS

The laid-back North Georgia towns of Hiawassee and Young Harris might seem an unlikely spring break destination, but there’s a surprising number of things to do and see here, starting with just enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountain scenery.

Staying in a simple cabin, hiking, fishing or renting a boat to explore Lake Chatuge can make for a great budget getaway. But the area also offers golf and horseback riding at the Brasstown Valley Resort (www.brasstownvalley.com). And its luxury Equani Spa (www.equanispa.com) features traditional massage, as well as holistic Native American healing and relaxation techniques, and a thermal plunge pool, with waterfalls and views of the mountains.

The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawasssee (www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com) hosts a variety of concerts and performances, including Merle Haggard on March 7 and The Lewis & Clark Circus on March 21.

Drive time: 2 hours

Accommodations: Hiawassee’s Serenity Cove, situated on the shore of Lake Chatuge and surrounded by the mountains, offers two-bedroom lakefront cabins with full kitchens and fireplaces, starting at $99 a night, and through March, the spring break special is three nights $259. www.serenity-cove.com

What’s happening: March 21-22 celebrate Georgia Wine Highway Weekend at Crane Creek Vineyards, Young Harris, with special culinary treats in the tasting room and a special Georgia Wine Highway wine glass with paid tasting. www.cranecreekvineyards.com

Free fun: Take a hike on the paved trail that leads from the parking lot on Brasstown Bald to the information center at the summit, where there’s a 360-view of the surrounding mountains. www.fs.fed.us/conf/rec/btb_overview.shtml

MEMPHIS

The birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and home of the blues, Beale Street and Graceland, Memphis is a model city for Southern culture. But there’s also the Memphis Zoo (www.memphiszoo.org), rated the No. 1 zoo in the nation by TripAdvisor in 2008; the 4,500-acre Shelby Farms Park (www.shelbyfarmspark.org),with hiking trails, horseback riding and paddle boats; and, of course, the Mississippi River, with Mud Island River Park (www.mudisland.com). 

As a musical mecca, Memphis is rich in bars, clubs and historic landmarks, from B.B. King’s Blues Club (memphis.bbkingclubs.com), Sun Studios (www.sunstudio.com) and Soulsville: Stax Museum of American Soul Music (www.soulsvilleusa.com) to Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle (www.algreenmusic.com/fullgospeltabernacle.html) and the Gibson Guitar Factory.

Long-running arguments over the best barbecue won’t be settled in here, but the variety of Memphis styles and restaurants are sure to inspire more tasty debates. The Rendezvous (www.hogsfly.com), Corky’s Ribs & BBQ (www.corkysmemphis.com) and Interstate (www.interstatebarbecue.com) may be the most famous, but lesser known gems like The BBQ Shop (www.dancingpigs.com) and Central BBQ (www.cbqmemphis.com) are worth checking out.

Drive time: 6 hours

Accommodations: The retro-style Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, across the street from Graceland, offers several package deals that include lodging and admission to Memphis music attractions for as low as $169 per night (regular guest rooms start at $110). www.elvis.com/epheartbreakhotel/

What’s happening: For a late spring break, Memphis in May offers a monthlong celebration in downtown’s Tom Lee Park, kicking off with the Beale Street Music Festival and featuring the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. www.memphisinmay.org

Free fun: Like the song says, “Walking in Memphis,” is a good way to experience both the bustle of Beale Street and the natural beauty of Shelby Farms Park.

Information: www.memphistravel.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH

For party-hearty students, MTV U made Panama City Beach one of the top spring break destinations in the world. This year’s revelry runs March 8-21, with live performances, interactive games and lots of giveaways. After all that, there’s the lively late-night bar scene.

For most of the year, though, the northwest Florida beach community beckons simply because of its emerald-green waters and sugar-white shores, plus a growing array of places to eat, shop and sleep. And there’s a host of family attractions and adventures, such as Gulf World Marine Park the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise, and Shipwreck Island Waterpark.

Three miles east of Panama City Beach, off State Road 392 (Thomas Drive), St. Andrews State Park has over a mile-and-a-half of beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and Grand Lagoon, ideal for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and canoeing. Two fishing piers, a jetty, a boat ramp and two nature trails provide opportunities for fishing and bird-watching. For information see www.floridastateparks.org/StAndrews/default.cfm

Drive time: 6 hours

Accommodations: ResortQuest is offering one free night for every two paid nights on stays during the month of March. Guests also enjoy the Passport-to-Fun program that includes complimentary admissions/fares to attractions such as deep-sea fishing, dolphin cruises, and more. 1-888-777-9564, reference promotion code $MYM

What’s happening: New this year, the Seabreeze Jazz Festival moves to Panama City Beach, April 17-19, featuring top name smooth jazz artists, including Alex Bugnon, Boney James, and Wayman Tisdale. www.seabreezejazzfestival.com

Free fun: What could be better than a day of sunbathing and a picnic at the beach?

Information: www.visitpanamacitybeach.com

BILOXI/GULFPORT

In Biloxi, some college students still will be spending spring break volunteering to help rebuild homes damaged by Katrina in 2005. But tourists who have been flocking back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for casinos, concerts, fresh seafood and family fun at the beach will find that much of the recovery effort has been remarkably successful.

Beach Boulevard (U.S. 90), which runs along the Gulf, is now home to 11 casinos, including the MGM Mirage’s Beau Rivage — a 1,740-room AAA Four Diamond resort, with a spa and salon, 11 restaurants, four nightclubs and bars, a retail shopping promenade, a 1,550-seat theater and Fallen Oak, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Beau Rivage recently created a special Web site with getaway packages and information just for Atlantans at www.whereatlantaplays.com.

The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (www.lmdc.org), in nearby Gulfport, is one the nation’s top children’s museums, and though it was damaged by the storm surge, Katrina recovery exhibits have become part of the interactive nature and history galleries that encourage visitors to “touch, talk, have fun and learn.” 

Drive time: 6 hours 

Accommodations: Biloxi Beach Condo Vacations & Rental Resources offers fully furnished condominiums, beach houses, cottages and golf course properties with 15 percent off nightly and 20 percent off weekly rates at some studio units through April. www.biloxibeachcondovacations.com

What’s happening: Take a day trip to the Pascagoula, one of the country’s last free-flowing rivers, and visit a unique ecosystem, rich with wildlife. April 24-26, attend the Pascagoula River Nature Festival at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, near Interstate 10 in Moss Point, and in the communities of Gautier, Lucedale and Ocean Springs. www.pascagoulariver naturefestival.com

Free fun: Start at the visitor’s center, and take a self-guided Downtown Walking Tour of Biloxi for a glimpse of the history and distinctive architecture of the city, including several locations described in John Grisham’s novel “The Runaway Jury.”