Every year as spring break comes, it seems that the entire world flocks down South, escaping the cold, dark winter months for the promise of sand and sunshine. Georgia, the Carolinas, but primarily Florida fills up with license plates from all around the US. But why Florida?

We live in a nation full of amazing sights to be seen. From the Redwood Forests to Acadia National Park in Maine, our nation is filled to the brim with diverse natural wonders. So what is it that causes practically the entire state of Michigan to escape to Florida? Is it the familiarity of a place we have been going year after year? The warm weather? Because you can get that in many places of the United States. Maybe it’s because it’s the farthest place south from Michigan you can get. And while many people go to Florida every year for those reasons and many more, I myself am sick of the monotony.

Don’t get me wrong- I love Florida, and I think it’s a beautiful, and more importantly, a warm state. The sunshine state contains Disney World and beautiful places like Marco island. However, when places like Marco Island are filled to the brim with pasty Michiganders, it loses a bit of its appeal. It no longer has that authentic feel to it, but is instead a place of tourist attractions and a shoreline of hotels.

This year, as I began to go farther and farther away from Michigan, I found so many beautiful and unique places. I was enthralled by the things that I saw over the summer and now as I think about going back to Florida, it doesn’t hold the same charm as it used to. Instead of dreaming of palm trees, I find myself thinking about the towering mountains of Colorado, the plains in the west, and the beautiful symmetry of our nation’s cities. Whether you like white sand beaches or hiking in the mountains, America has it. If you’re a person that goes to Florida and sits on the porch looking out at the waves, why not try sitting on your porch and look out at cascading waterfalls. Like my family, it’s all about going somewhere warm. Well, what about Texas; not only is it a warm state, but it contains wonders like Longhorn Cavern State Park, or the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada to see the breathtaking petroglyphs on fiery red rocks.

We have such a vast home, so why not try something new? Explore everything from the East coast to the West.