Time for a Weekend Getaway

Midterms are over, frat parties and bars have gotten boring and redundant and, if you are from the north, the weather is starting to suck. If you’re like me, you may want a break from the college grind and are looking for a place to escape. Sure there are the classics, a weekend in NYC, a long, meandering busride to Montreal, or a car packed full of bro’s heading down to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun, but to be honest, there is going to be plenty of time for this when you are stuck in the 40 hour a week grind (or more than likely unemployed, slumdogging it up on your buddies couch.) It’s time to get away to some of the lesser known locations around the country and the best part is… you can do it on the cheap.

So seriously, get on your laptop, get out of class, and check out some of these awesome unknowns for a fun weekend of drunken debauchery without the major city pricetag.

Portland, Maine

“Why the fudge would I go to Maine?” you say. Well sir, I’ll tell you. Portland is like a cheaper Noho, with less pretentious people and about the same amount of craft beers. There is a rocking bar scene complete with dollar drafts and sick live music (I saw Catch 22 at a small music hall for like 8 bucks) and a bunch of really, really cold girls looking for a way to warm up. Did I mention that Shipyard Brewing company is located in Portland. Have you ever had the Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale… seriously, the first time I tried it I actually teared up. For the guys, there are like fifty dive bars each with their own amazing atmosphere, Portland’s own Rogues Gallery clothing to keep you fresh on a night out, and more cheap raw bars than Boston. Have you ever had a vodka-oyster shot? You’re missing out bro. For the girls, check out the Red Light Clothing Exchange, Avalon Antiques, and Hattie’s Vintage Clothing, while your boyfriend drowns down oysters on the half shell like an 18th century revolutionary. If you get bored of the mainland (you won’t) you can just take a ferry out of Casco Bay to Peak’s Island, a quaint little community with more golf carts than actual cars, a 4 star restaurant, and a bunch of beaches that are cold and beautiful.

Nashville, Tennesee

If you haven’t been to Nashville yet, you are missing out on the only reason to tolerate country music. I’m serious, this is like the only place I’ve actually seen a good country band. You can get plane tickets for dirt cheap, and be sucking down BBQ and booze in minutes. All you need to do to appreciate Nashville is walk down Broadway and realize that on any given night there are more than 75 bands playing at 75 different bars, each packed full of southern belles with denim-laced bras (Only happened once, but still). If you are a musician, this place is Mecca, and if you want to get hit on by a musician, this place is doubly so. The club scene is equally as amazing, with craft DJs coming through nashville almost as often as John Mayer, and not quite as often as Taylor Swift, who is currently a resident. The dance floors are filled with guys who probably have better taste in music than you and girls that are struggling country singers trying to be the next Taylor Swift, and sometimes they’re actually filled with… Taylor Swift. That’s right, if you want to bag T-Swift, you are gonna have to treck out to Nashville. Oh, and if you get bored of adult life and want to regress back to college for a night, check out Vanderbilt. You can party like a rockstar in southern mansions that have been annexed by northern fratboys who finally are starting to let black people in. (Change is hard)

Chicago, Illinois

Not only is this the place where Al Capone ran booze during prohibition era, it is also the place where booze has been pouring freely since, with a healthy dose of awesome Blues and cheap, gourmet eats to boot. Chicago bars are known for many things, including cheap, cold drafts and cougar tail. If you are looking for a night out with someone a bit beyond your years, check out one of the best local hotspots, The Green Mill. Through the roaring 20’s this place was alive with the glory of love, jazz, swing, and whiskey, all thanks to its amazing location and the 25 percent ownership by one of Al Capone’s top dogs. For a more  age-appropriate night out, check out Easy Bar. With a different band/DJ every night and a bar tab that usually won’t exceed 20 or 30 bucks, this place’s amazing aesthetic touch will both surprise you and pursuade you to grab a 3 dollar well drink and sit back to enjoy the candle-lit, red and black leather common area. Cheap accommodations can be found at Chicago’s Marriott O’hare, which is conveniently located walking distance from cornocopia of night-life, including the aptly named “Buddy Guy Legends” bar. Buddy Guy is one of the most influential blues artists… like ever. His nightclub is home to some of the best unknowns in the Chicago area, as well as a trickling of some of the best established names in pop, rock, and blues always stopping in for a random jam. Go there on a weekend and you are likely to see Buddy himself standing proud in his trademark black and white polka-dot suit, and he’s no stranger to the stage. I kid you not, the last time I was here I got to see Eric Clapton stop in for a drink and stay to play a few songs. Shit like this just doesn’t happen in your average college bar.