After midterms — or in between them — many students crave a change of scenery. In the past few years, those who wanted to escape the constant buzz of Miami went east for fall break to the melodies of Tennessee and the dry deserts of Nevada.
Here is what made each city so appealing.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, also called the “Music City,” welcomed wayward students wearing cowboy hats and rodeo boots.
Unlike Miami, live music floods the streets, and it’s not just country, either. Blues, jazz and rock all mix into a uniquely Nashville sound.
“We went to Nashville because most of our friend group had never been, and we wanted a different going-out scene from Miami,” said senior Ben Girken.
Like any other popular tourist spot, Nashville has its crown jewel: Broadway Street. Honky Town, in Lower Broadway, is the center of nightlife. Girken warned that its flashing lights and celebrity bars are a “tourist trap.”
Even knowing that, Girken, who stayed 20 minutes away at an Airbnb, said walking into the trap was worth it. Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse bar were the trip’s highlights.
Still, nothing beat the Nashville Tractor, a wagon turned tour-and-party shuttle.
“The best thing was this drinking tractor we did with a bunch of other college kids,” Girken said. “You basically get driven around by a tractor and you drink and dance and play drinking games.”
While most activities are 21+, Nashville has something for every student — even those who aren’t fans of country music.
12 South, another notable street in Nashville, has shops and restaurants with lovely scenery worth visiting. More importantly, it would be a crime to leave without trying the famous Nashville hot chicken.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, known as “Sin City,” needs no introduction. The blinding show lights and sound of slot machines can be heard all over the country. Here, the appeal isn’t to flee the noise, but to be completely immersed in it.
“There’s so much to do. You could never get bored [in] there,” said senior Haden Helojoki. “You could spend hours just walking around the hotel or going to one of the shows.”
Hotel-hopping is half the fun. They are designed for tourists to spend hours inside, filled with restaurants, high-end stores and Blackjack tables.
Staying in one place when there is “so much to see,” though, would be a mistake, in Helojoki’s opinion.
Las Vegas has a unique nightlife with its high-tech production shows and indoor-outdoor clubs that blend indoor dance floors with open terraces.
On top of that, a different celebrity takes on one of Las Vegas’ stages every few weeks. Metallica is performing until March 2027, but Helojoki would recommend the Magic Mike Live show. It was the highlight of her trip.
“My favorite memory of the trip is that we went to a Magic Mike show. That was really funny,” Helojoki said.
For those under the age of 21, Las Vegas can be a difficult destination. Between the casinos and nightclubs, there is little to do that doesn’t require an ID.
The UM crowd in Las Vegas is different from that in Nashville — most of them are Greek Life. Helojoki would call it a tradition, especially for seniors.
Part of the reason Greek Life trades one nightlife for another is tourist packages, bundles of travel services (like hotel rooms and show tickets) sold for an inclusive price. They can range from $200 to $500 per person — flights not included — and companies target college students specifically.
It turns Las Vegas into a bigger “tourist trap.”
“We just flew across the country to do the same thing we do here,” Helojoki said.
The clubs she was taken to day and night were carbon copies of those in Miami. It left her feeling like she had missed out on everything Las Vegas has to offer.
Still, Helojoki would go again, just without the tourist package. After all, she didn’t get to take a picture with the Las Vegas sign.