Good Ol' Eff-El-Ay

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Panama City Beach

Simply put, to blow it out, PCB is the place to be. All the B's are here: bare skin, beer, beach, beer-soaked beach blanket bingo....

Sure, the weather doesn't clear 70 degrees, but PCB's location in Florida's panhandle, in the north, means it's within striking distance of all points Midwest. Plus, 350,000 students -- yes, the size of Cincinnati -- can't be all wrong.

 And for you, with 20,000 rooms in hotels, resorts, condos, and guests houses. The cheapest, about $80 a night, won't be beachside, but plunk down $3,000 a week for a house, the highest-end accommodations, and you (and your two-dozen closest friends) are guaranteed sand between your toes.

But who cares where you sleep when the party rocks till dawn? One option: Club Vela, which claims to be America's largest, with 100,000-square-feet of dance floor stacked across three floors. Inside find DJs spinning progressive house, but also, in years past, bands like the Black Eye Peas. Go early for a $10 cover charge, though drinks will cost $5 a pop.

"A few people here complain about the crowds," said Chris Pitts, Club Vela's marketing and entertainer director. "But this whole town was made what it is because of spring break."

Sunrise

To jam-band-heads, the name Longerado might not ring as many bells as, say, Bonnaroo. But until the festival-concert season kicks in full force, this southern Florida festival, held in the city of Sunrise, may just feed your jones.

Held in the 600-acre Markham Park, smack dab against the Everglades, the two-day event will feature 33 bands, headlined by the Block Crowes, Flaming Lips, Ben Harper, and Wilco but also less well-known acts like Drive-by Truckers and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Two-day passes are still available at $119.50, but there are also V.I.P. ticketswhich get you a special parking spot, unobstructed stage views, and most important, discounted booze--for $299.50.

After, crash in a park's campground for an extra $65 a night to each ticket; this will also get you into Friday night's sound check. Or, head to the many nearby hotels; rooms reserved for concertgoers start at $105 a night, at the Baymont Inns and Suites.

Ybor City

The second-floor balconies on the historic cigar-factory buildings lining Seventh Ave., the district's lively main drag, may remind you of New Orleans. But while the Big Easy rebuilds, check out this self-contained section of downtown Tampa, pronounced "E-bore," though it's anything but.

At night, the three-dozen clubs and bars packed onto the 10-block stretch between Adamo St. and Tenth Ave. come alive, though as of October the strip is no longer pedestrians-only. Still, the Green Iguana, which features local rock bands many nights, is a good spot to load up on margaritas and burgers. The Luna Lounge, meanwhile, features DJs spinning hip hop (CK) until 4 a.m. (CK) on weekends.