Thursday, March 5, 2009
When she was a child and her family needed a break from dreary weather, Courtney Bregar’s mother brought Florida to Illinois. Bregar, Chicago junior, says she remembers boarding a pretend train—a row of chairs in their kitchen—with her sister. After awhile, their mother would announce they had arrived and would send the girls to put on their swimming suits.
While the girls were getting ready for a day at the beach, their mother would set up a picnic of summertime foods on a blanket.
Spring break fun: The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics’ lawn can be a fun place to lounge and picnic, and exhibits within the museum are free.
“We’d eat our food in ‘Florida’ in the sun,” Bregar says. “Instead of being in Chicago in the snow.”
Years ago, Bregar’s mom found ways to bring a vacation home to her daughters. This spring break, Bregar intends to return the favor when her mom comes to visit.
“I’m going to show her what Lawrence is really like,” Bregar says. “I’m going to show her the hot spots. I’m trying to make my home a mini-vacation for my mom, just like she used to do for us.”
If you’re staying in Lawrence for spring break, take a cue from Bregar and her family and find the vacation spots in your routine. Here are some places to start:
Learn about Lawrence history
If you grew up with parents who thought vacation was synonymous with education, make an effort to bone up on Lawrence history this break—you’ll get all of the perks of those childhood vacations without the long car rides with your siblings.
Saira Khan, Lawrence senior, suggests starting at the Watkins Community Museum.
“The museum downtown is neglected a lot. Kansas is a historically rich place. It was a hotbed of activity during the Civil War, with a lot going on,” she says.
After you’ve visited the museum, head to the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau to pick up a few brochures for self-guided tours around Lawrence. Alternately, download the tours onto your iPod from the visitors bureau website. Debbie White, manager at the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau, suggests a self-guided tour called “Quantrill’s Raid: The Lawrence Massacre.”
She says all KU students should learn a little about Lawrence history. “Then they’d understand the Border War,” she says. “Because it’s not just about sports.”
Rediscover campus
When you’ve had your fill of local history, use the week off classes to head back to campus.
The Natural History Museum in Dyche Hall and the Spencer Musuem of Art will maintain regular hours through spring break. The Natural History Museum is hosting a “Science of the Human Body” exhibit during the break. The exhibit is geared toward younger children, says Khan, who works as a visitor services associate at the museum, but everyone can find something interesting about the human body.
Even if you don’t know anything about art, museums offer calming places to take a break from your hectic life, says Bill Woodard, director of communications at the museum. Take your friends, he says, because it gives you something new to talk about.
“Plus, it’s a cheap date to come here,” Woodard says. “Admission is always free.”
If you’re looking for a more active, on-campus spring break activity, head to the Kansas Union for some bowling or to the lawn at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.
“Although the museum is interesting to some, it’s not everyone’s thing,” says Cori Ast, communications coordinator at the Dole Institute. The grassy area outside the building is a great place to picnic, play guitar or hang out, she says. And if you’re in the mood to learn something, too, admission to the museum is free.
Bregar says she and her mom will probably visit the Spencer Museum of Art during their tour of Lawrence, and that they plan to mix up her usual routine by getting massages and cooking together. If all goes well, her mom’s real-life airplane ride to Lawrence will be as memorable as the pretend-train trips from Bregar’s childhood.
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