Whether you’re a freshman or a graduating senior, your time at Quinnipiac has most likely allowed you to make friends from states all over the Eastern coast. From Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, you’ve probably made connections from each state. As summer approaches, the thought of vacationing with these friends has probably fluttered through your mind. The question is: Where is a place you can travel with friends that is both friendly to your budget and fun? Luckily, the New England states offer some of the best vacations spots that any college student and their friends can afford.
Long Island has had the long running reputation of being an expensive yet desired locale for travelers, accessible to only those with a little more cash than the rest of us. However, Montauk is Long Island’s geographical gem stone and it offers camping sites for amazing prices. Montauk’s Hither Hills State Park is one of Long Island’s most beautiful beach sites with an equally beautiful campsite. While camping at this park, you’ll be offered opportunities to go swimming, saltwater fishing and attend movie events, according to OnMontauk.com. Perhaps most appealing is the fee you’ll be paying: for New York state residents, it’s only $168 per week and $336 per week for nonresidents. The price is appealing for getting to spend a week right on the beach with your closest friends, a cooler full of snacks and a tent for sleeping.
New Jersey may not necessarily scream vacation to you, but tucked away in the Garden State is the charming Long Beach Island. Nicknamed “LBI,” it is located on the ocean coast of New Jersey. The popular vacation spot offers plenty to do aside from lounging around a beach. According to the Long Beach Summers Web site, surf rentals and surf lessons are available at the famous Ron John Surf Shop. Visitors can also take a trip to the Barnegat Light’s famous Lighthouse, go miniature golfing, experiment with surf fishing or indulge in a spa treatment. LBI also boasts plenty of restaurants such as Buckalews for sandwiches or Panzones in Beach Haven for pizza.
All of these attractions reflect a college student’s budget for their summer vacation, as well as the affordable yet comfortable motels located around the area. After researching Long Beach Island’s exclusive Web site, you’ll see that the options are numerous. Hurley’s at Holgate Inn offers a room with two double beds priced at $175 a night during prime summer season, July 1 to Sept. 8. Lorry’s Island End Motel is another smart choice for students. Between late June and August, weekday prices for a room with two single beds and one single bed vary between $59 and $129 per night. For a room that accommodates up to eight people, prices range from $79 to $249 per night. Once you split the tab with your friends, you’ll be able to use the extra change for surf lessons.
Cape Cod, Mass., offers the rustic beach scene of New England you might be craving. Characterized by its panoramic bike paths, quaint towns and historic lighthouses, Cape Cod is a popular destination for many in the summertime. While vacationing in Cape Cod, visitors take the opportunity to go whale watching, kayaking, deep sea fishing and golfing. Nature trails, walks and bike paths are also worth a vacationer’s time, according to the Cape Cod Chamber and Cape Cod Travel. Each town of Cape Cod, from Brewster to the eclectic Provincetown, offers their own array of beaches and activities to partake in. Provincetown is the place to go at night for the best shopping, entertainment and variety in restaurants.
Traveling to Cape Cod may be the most expensive on this list of trips to take, but there are ways around the expected heavy pricing. In Hyannis, the Hyannis Holiday Motel runs guests $128 a night during the prime months of July and August. In Chatham, the Surfside Motor Inn charges between $120 and $150 per night. Cape Cod towns are chock full of inexpensive motels to stay in after a long day of beach activities.
Lauren Truskowski, a freshman communications major, has been to all of these locations before.
“They are the perfect places to go with friends because they are close and you do not have to travel far to get to a beach,” she said.
Montauk, Long Beach Island and Cape Cod may be the places to go this summer, but don’t overlook an old classic. Taking a road trip with friends across New England, down past Washington, D.C., or through New York to Canada may be more exciting than any beach vacation you have experienced. Packing a car full of food, the loudest music, blankets, drinks and of course your friends will provide adding memories to those you’ve already made the past year in school.
“I would take a road trip, said freshman Julena Frazer, a psychology major. “I would go to Canada with my boyfriend. It seems like fun; take your mind off things and enjoy the scenery. Canada’s a country I’ve never been to.”
This summer, don’t be intimidated by the uprising expenses of tropical vacations and European escapades – a memorable summer with your friends may just be lurking over the state lines.
