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Cancaby.

Talk to college students and travel agents about where young people in Lawrence are headed for spring break, and that's the place that keeps coming up.

Spring breakers are seen through the windshield of officer Ed Pace's Kawasaki "mule," a patrol vehicle, on South Padre Island during last year's Texas Week in Brownsville, Tex. South Padre Island continues to be a popular spring break destination for college students. During March 2000, 185,000 college kids had sunned, writhed and imbibed on Padre Island's shores.

Cancon the Caribbean side of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula draws hordes of spring breakers from American universities.

And even students who aren't headed there for the break will tell you they have plenty of pals who are.

"It's been one of the most popular spots for 10 or 11 years. It's warm, there's a beach, it's foreign and there's lots of young people," says Ruth Hughes, owner of Holiday Travel Inc., 2112 W. 25th St.

Ruth Nye sees the same trend.

"Canc always real popular. It's perfect. It doesn't take all day to get there. It's not as expensive as St. Thomas or Jamaica, and there's lots of hotels," says Nye, co-owner of Adventure Travel, 544 Columbia Drive.

Spring break is March 19-25 for both Kansas University and Lawrence public schools. And the thoughts of many college students are quickly turning to sand, surf and potent drinks with tiny umbrellas in them.

Aside from Canc handful of other balmy locales makes the short list of preferred spring break destinations for Lawrence students. Hughes would throw in Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Naples, all in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. Plus Padre Island, just off the east coast of Texas, also on the Gulf of Mexico.

"Most Kansans would enjoy water. We're landlocked, and that's basically what they look for. That and the warmth," she says.

All the favorite Mexican beach sites are a big draw Cancozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, according to John Novotny, vice president of Travellers Inc., 831 Mass.

Add to that the Bahamas, off Florida's east coast, as well as Daytona Beach and Miami Beach.

"First of all, what students want is a warm-weather destination with a beach and an ocean. Your first-time spring breakers either travel to Padre Island or Florida," Novotny says.

"Older students then will hit the very traditional spring break destinations Cancd the Bahamas."

The travelers have pretty basic criteria when choosing a place to go.

"What they're really looking for is a clean, safe place to sleep with a lot of nightlife activities within easy access," Novotny says.

Popular destinations for package trips sold through Lawrence Travel Center, 1601 W. 23rd St., include Canche Bahamas and Jamaica, according to owner Beverly Falley.

"We also sell Caribbean cruises for spring break. The all-inclusive packages are really popular, because you can pay (for everything) before you go," she says.

Natalie McFadden, a 21-year-old KU junior from Lenexa, is headed to Mexico with sorority sisters from Alpha Gamma Delta. She looking forward to a week of "beach stuff, shopping, bars and sun."

"I'm going to Mazatl There are 10 people from our house who are going, so we decided it would be a lot of fun," she says.

Mazatlis on Mexico's west coast, near the Gulf of California.

Jason Herman, a 20-year-old KU junior from New Hope, Minn., hasn't made up his mind yet about his spring break plans.

"I'm either going to Texas, Chicago or Minnesota. I have friends in Chicago; Minnesota, that's where I'm from; or Texas to be with my girlfriend somewhere warm," Herman says.

He says, "If you want to do something more formal (like a package trip), it takes planning. Last year, a bunch of guys went on cruises down by Florida. They were able to find some really good deals and do that."

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