RITE: a formal or ceremonial act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious or other solemn use.
On the way back from Michigan we decided to go to the Florida panhandle to checkout campgrounds. We figured since we didn’t go to Disney World then we would spend some time on the ocean.
We did not anticipate the impact of the rite of Spring Break. I attended a medium sized state university in Michigan during the early ‘70s and I don’t remember anyone getting in a car and driving to Florida for spring break. I stayed in town and worked whatever jobs I could find to make money. What you see on TV today makes you think that going to a beach for a week of play is a right of the modern college student.
As we traveled down I-65 we saw car loads of young people heading south. Once in Pensacola the sheer presence of college-age adults was impressive. At one of the campgrounds we checked east of Destin we were told that we would not find a campground that could handle our rig anywhere near the coast for a few weeks because of the spring breakers.
We decided to head up the Atlantic coast near Charleston, SC – checking the area for a good campgrounds. We went to the beach for a day…and saw dozens of spring breakers. They were there but not as many as in Florida.
We made three observations.
- First of all they are very pale. Apparently the sun does not shine at the northern universities.
- The students assume their roles once they are on the beach. The girls find a nice place to lay out while the guys immediately strut around in front of the girls throwing the football and doing very cool acrobatic stunts to show how manly they are.
- Not everyone on the beach has a beautiful body like on TV. There were more muffin tops than in a Duncan Donuts shop.
