Many Sartell Students took advantage of the week off during spring break to explore different parts of the world and escape their daily routine. One group of friends traveled together and apart to many locations: Colorado, Florida, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. 

For Rylee and Natalie’s spring break, they decided to take a road trip! The 14 ½ hour car ride brought them right into the mountain town of Frisco, Colorado. Frisco has a variety of small shops and restaurants, a hot spot being right down West Main Street. Staying in Frisco also offered a wide range of activities nearby. 

• • • Rylee and Natalie Skied at Copper Mountain for two times on two different days!
    • They took a two hour trip and hiked at Rocky Mountain National Park.
    • They made a stop and visited the Stanley Hotel which was used for inspiration for the hotel in the movie The Shining!

• • • Frisco Trading Post – locally owned and operated by two sisters and their dad. They had cute shirts, hoodies, and other miscellaneous products
    • High Rhodes Records – a small record and music store connected to a coffee shop. The workers there were very personable and gave us some music recommendations  

• • • Greco’s Pastaria – offered a wide variety of Italian dishes like pizza, pasta, and a variety of salads
    • I – Scream Gelato – a frequent spot, some of Natalie and Rylee’s  favorite flavors were Donut and Lemon
    • Delly Belly’s – one of Rylee’s favorites; they had a variety of unique hot dogs, subs, sandwiches, and salads
    • Ollie’s Pub and Grub – voted 2025 Best Sports Bar, Burgers, and Wings in Summit County

Molly, Autumn, and Annabelle took a flight down to Fort Myers, Florida. Fort Myers is on the west side of Florida, surrounded by beautiful beaches, shopping, and unique restaurants. Naples is a 50-minute drive away and offers a huge shopping district and a beautiful downtown. The three barely had enough time to fit everything in on their trip! 

• • • Annabelle, Autumn, and Molly, took two jet skis and went jet skiing!
    • The three of them  went swimming at the pool every day!
    • They spent every day tanning at the Fort Myers Beach.
    • They spent one day shopping at a nearby mall, and they all bought clothes!

• • • Shops (All in Naples)
    • Brandy Melville – there are no Brandy Melvilles here in Minnesota, so this was a must on their list
    • Waterside Shops – Their favorite shops were Alo, Free People, and Anthropologie

• • • MoJoe’s Coffee Cafe – Molly’s go-to order was an iced vanilla latte with a breakfast sandwich.
    • Yo! Taco – A small pop-up restaurant near the beach, a nice stop at night with its late hours. 
    • Dutch Bro’s – A quick pick me up for early mornings before the beach.

Aki took a flight down to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for her spring break. She and many other seniors stayed at the Hotel Palace Riu Bavaro, located on Arena Gorda Beach. Aki started most of her mornings swimming in the pool and had fun during the day by tanning, going to the beach, and hanging out with her friends.

• • • On one of the days Aki and a lot of the other seniors on the trip went on a party boat!
    • Every day Aki spent the day going to the beach to swim in the ocean and tan!
    • There were many big pools all over the resort that Aki swam in!
    • At the resort there was a Water Park, Aki and her friends spent a lot of time going down the giant waterslides!

• • • Mexican Buffet – Aki’s favorite item at the Mexican buffet was the beef tacos.
    • Food court- This was Aki’s second pick for restaurants that she liked!

Lilly went on a trip with her family of five, along with her five friends Jenna, Autumn, Mollie, Hawa, and Sienna. Lilly went to southern Mexico to the luxurious Barceló Palace, a highly rated 5-star all-inclusive family resort. It’s located on the white sandy beaches of Riviera Maya, Mexico. Barceló offers many à la carte restaurants, various swimming pools, and daily activities. Lilly was kept busy every day, from trying lots of food, to swimming, and playing water games!

• • • At Barceló there is lots of swimming in the pools and in the ocean every day. 
    • Lilly went banana boating on the ocean which was a challenge to stay on!
    • Lilly got to spend a day snorkeling with turtles/ feeding them bananas!

• • • (Brasserie) French restaurant: Lilly’s menu item was the salmon! 
    • La Hacienda Buffet Restaurant: This was one of Lilly’s favorite restaurants since it had a wide variety of options for food!