Blaine Muhl has Cabo San Lucas on the mind.

This spring break, the Kansas University freshman and her friends will be riding ATVs on white sands and partaking in a “booze cruise.”

Oh, the anticipation.

“Next week is going to be torture,” Muhl said of the final days of classes.

There are five days to go before KU breaks for spring and many students disperse to the far corners.

Mexico. Colorado. Florida. Home. Anywhere but class is where they’ll be.

The top three hot spots for spring breakers these days are Acapulco, Jamaica and Cabo San Lucas, said Sarah-Jane Wilton, spokeswoman for STA Travel, the largest student travel agency in the world.

Wilton guessed Cabo San Lucas may be more popular this year because it was the destination for teens on the popular television show “Laguna Beach.”

The three destinations also all have a legal drinking age of 18.

Cancun, still recovering from Hurricane Wilma, is not so hot this year, Wilton said.

Also popular, according to Wilton, are trips to Europe and alternative spring breaks for volunteer work in countries such as Honduras and Guatemala.

“Students are becoming more conscientious,” Wilton said.

Money – or lack of it – is a big factor in many students’ decision-making.

“I’m going home to Kansas City, which I do every weekend,” said Anna Phillips, Kansas City, Mo., freshman. “I don’t have any money to do anything.”

Nic Hillman, Cheney sophomore, said his plans for a Colorado skiing trip would cost him less than a tropical excursion. Hillman bets he’ll spend about $500 when he and more than 20 friends head to Keystone.

“We found a condo that sleeps 24,” he said. “We all just split up the cost. It’ll be a cheap week of fun.”

Others are looking for quiet time.

Jessica Wood, Overland Park freshman, will soak up rays in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“I’m just expecting to go down there, lay on the beach and relax,” she said. “I’m not into the party scene.”

Katie Roach, a KU graduate student, has taken the tropical vacations in the past. This year, she’s planning to go hiking in the Ozarks.

“It’s just supposed to be beautiful,” she said.

When Muhl heads to Cabo, she won’t be alone. Muhl and her friends are bringing along their parents.

“My dad’s got a leash on me,” she said. “My parents said they either come or I don’t go.”

Muhl said she was happy to bring the parents along in case something went wrong.

“My parents trust me, and I’d rather have them there than have to call home and say, ‘Uh, something happened,'” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be let go in Mexico.”