Etc.

It's rush-to-the-beach week for American college students

Across the US, almost 2 million college students are on spring break this week (March 10-14), and while about half of them are expected to vacation at home, most of the rest anticipate lathering on the sunblock at various beach destinations in Florida, Texas, Mexico, or elsewhere in the Caribbean. If money were no object, many say they'd travel all the way to Australia (where it's still summer), according to a survey by Kayak.com, a travel website. But since cost does matter, the choice spots are far closer to home, such as Miami Beach and Puerto Rico, which don't require a passport. The most popular destinations for fun-loving college students, based on the percentage of responses to Kayak.com's question: "Where are you going for spring break?"

South Beach/Miami, Fla. 8.7 %

San Juan, Puerto Rico 7.9%

Nassau/Paradise Island, Bahamas 5.1%

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 4.7%

Cancún, Mexico 4.3%

Panama City, Fla. 3.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 3.1%

Key West, Fla. 3.1%

Negril/Montego Bay, Jamaica 3.1%

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 2.8%

Daytona Beach, Fla. 2.0%

South Padre Island, Texas 1.6%