| Issue #5 - posted 2/21/02
Greetings from beautiful South PARDE Island!
I am still getting requests from new subscribers for more info on
what is happening here the last week in March. What follows is an
excerpt from my most recent "ask sandy" column for the Port
Isabel/South Padre Island Parade:
I started signing up subscribers to my spring break e-mail
newsletter from SPIonline.com in last December. In exchange for
sending them all the spring break info and updates I could find,
I ask for some info and leave space for comments and questions.
Below is a sample of a much-voiced concern, written by a student
coming down the last week in March:
I'm coming down to SPI. I went last year and there was no live music or nothing really going on. There was quite a lot of people. The people made it happen. I just wish there was more going on. SPI would get a lot of more people if they had a lot of stuff going on
during that "dead week" as they say. There is a group
of 15 guys coming down and we just want SPI to show us what's up. If there was stuff going on I couldn't
hardly imagine the fun we would have. SPI is the best.
- J
While some might find it easy to dismiss J's plea based on his
use of double negatives alone, I think he makes a valid point:
the organized spring break activities are very heavily weighted
towards the second and third weeks of March.
I find it interesting to note that the percentages of "who
is coming when" on my subscription list have remained remarkably
consistent throughout the past three months: 1st week -10%; 2nd
week - 40%; 3rd week - 30% and 4th week - 20%. Now let's just
assume for a moment that my 700+ subscribers are indeed a
microcosm of the whole spring break crowd. And let's also assume
that the projected figure of something like 186,000 spring
breakers expected for the whole month of March is somewhere
close to accurate. In that case, we can expect that about
18,000 will be here the first week, and about 37,000 of them
will be here the last week in March -- the weeks when there are
no concerts; few beach activities; or hardly any other
organized activities planned. Of course the clubs will be open
and we know these kids are pretty good at finding each other
and ways to keep themselves entertained. Even so....
37,000 is a fairly impressive figure. Seems to me that
somebody is missing a major marketing opportunity here.
Whether or not anyone snaps to this opportunity remains to be
seen, but hey, at least I am trying ;-)
Some activities that do keep going all month long include dance
parties at all the clubs, live music at Schlitterbahn, Mexico
day trips and "party cruise" excursions from Leisure Tours
International and foam parties at the Bahia Mar's Club XS. Also,
Louie's just added two concert dates on March 24 & 25 (TBA).
Keep an eye on the SPIonline Calendar for more updates.
Looked at YOUR calendar lately? If you haven't booked lodging or
transportation yet, you can A. hit the panic button or B. Call
Leisure Tours International at 800-838-8390 and see what kind of
last minute deal they can arrange for you.
Dining on SPI
What are the best places to eat? The answer can't help but be
subjective, of course. All of the following are either personal
favorites or places that I think you might be interested in
experiencing -- most have been referenced on myspring break
map for your viewing convenience. (* means it is new this year.)
Breakfast: Ted's, Denny's, Hole in the Wall*, Grapevine Cafe
Fast food: McDonalds, Whataburger, Taco Bell (if it ever
re-opens!)
Burger/Sandwich Joints: SPI Brew Pub, Tom & Jerry's,
Blackbeards', Hole in the Wall*, Jake's, Wanna Wanna,
Boomerang Billy's
Fine Dining: Mango's* (used to be Blue Ray's), Scampi's,
Blackbeards', Sea Ranch
Mexican: Bigo's*, Palmetto Inn, Jesse's Cantina, Ted's,
Blackbeards', Brisa Latina*
Pizza: Dominos, D 'Pizza Joint, Pizza Express - all deliver.
- (but my favorite pizza resides at the Brew Pub ;-)
More winners! Susan Hardy from Missouri Western State College
and Ashley Cohoon from SIU-Carbondale are getting free
day/night passes to Schlitterbahn/Club Rio Beach for use this
March. Congratulations to you both.
Spring Break FAQ
Q. I see that Playboy and other organizations have special "VIP"
events scheduled at clubs like Louie's. How does someone get
invited to these?
A. Playboy (et al) will be doing daytime activities on the beach
at the Sheraton and Bahia Mar. You have to participate (and be
lucky!) to achieve VIP status.
Q.We are looking forward to clubbing every night -- but what is
there to do during the day on SPI?
A. Most spring breakers congregate on the beaches at the Rad,
Sheraton and Bahia Mar during the day. This year, Schlitterbahn
has added a lot of fun day-time activities to its spring break
calendar (<http://www.spionline.com/springbreak/nl02/schlitterbahn1.html>more info here.) Should the weather turn ugly, consider
a day trip to Mexico or an Island shopping excursion.
(advertisement)
Come Play at Schlitterbahn! We are spring break friendly,
featuring live music all day every day and live partying all
night every night -- all for one low entry fee. For more info,
visit our web-site or give us a call at 956-772-7873. See you
in March!
(/advertisement)
Lodging News - Hot Scoop!
This week I would like to introduce you to an island secret that
is not likely to stay secret much longer. The Island Inn has
been around a long time and was known for being a somewhat less
than friendly place. But the deal went down just last week and
the new owner/manager is a ball of fire getting the place ready
for spring break. I stopped in this afternoon and was blown away
by the changes just in the front office. Let me put it this way
-- if you need to score some beads when you get to Padre, the
Island Inn should be your first stop. But let's talk about the
rooms RIGHT ON THE BEACH - for about $35/night per person for
groups of 4-10 people. Some even have kitchens. There is a
friendly palapa bar - Wanna Wanna - on the premises that also
serves sandwiches and burgers in addition to your favorite cold
beverages -- but you are also a short walk away from other
restaurants and the Bahia Mar's beach activities and night club.
Better get over to the new web-site at islandinnpadre.com and
book today because I have a feeling this place is going to fill
up fast. (As of today, March 10-15 are the only dates fully
booked.)
Personal Note: I have received an invitation to fly
down to the Bahamas to build some sand sculpture on LIVE with
Regis and Kelly, broadcasting from the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise
Island. (Tune in 2/25-28 if you get a chance!) I know that some of
you will already be on your way here by then.... I hope you have
great weather and a wonderful break and I will resume my live
coverage of SPI Spring Break 2002 sometime around March 4.
Reminder: If you are new to this list, be sure to check out
the archived back-issues as many of the info there is still
pertinent and may answer some of the questions you have included
in your subscription form. To access the archives, click here.
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SPRING BREAK PAGES
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