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We skipped a wild spring break in Miami Beach. Instead, we had a blast relaxing with retirees in Florida an hour north.

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Bright and early on a Saturday morning last March, I boarded a flight southbound to Florida with hundreds of other college students.

As a group, we screamed "spring break" — wearing various cuts and colors of college gear and the joyous expressions that can only be attributed to a week away from school stress.

But when we reached the Sunshine State and most of my fellow passengers headed to Miami Beach for drinking and debauchery, my friends and I didn't go with them.

Instead, we headed about an hour north of Miami toward the quiet oceanside community Hillsboro Beach for our own relaxing spring break.

We'd chosen to skip the ragers and bad behavior associated with spring break, especially spring break in Miami. This year, Miami Beach even launched a campaign "breaking up" with spring-break tourists and enforcing new restrictions to crack down on destructive partying.

But we went to a party school and saw plenty of that back home. Now, we were ready to relax with retirees on our last spring break before college graduation.

We leaned into the laid-back vibes for our whole trip and made friends with retirees

The small beach town we stayed in was mostly populated by retirees in their 60s. Even fellow tourists we saw visiting the local businesses rarely seemed to be under 50 years old.

So, when my friends and I showed up to check into our hotel, we received more than a few confused glances.

We got "Are you sure you're in the right place?" and "Are you heading to Miami?" more than once, but when we explained our plan for a relaxing getaway, we were often met with understanding.

We embraced the "coastal grandmother" aesthetic with our white linen shirts and floppy beach hats and spent hours reading on the beach.

When we weren't soaking up the sun, we played card games and Bananagrams and ventured into the (very tame) downtown area for dinner.

Since we slept steps away from a quiet beach, we traded in late, hungover mornings for early alarms to watch the sunrise.

On many of these mornings, we were joined by a new friend: a retired woman who was traveling alone and missing her grandkids back home.

We enjoyed the sunrises together and watched local conservation workers on ATVs protecting hatching sea turtles as they migrated to the water.

If we were hungover on a crowded Miami Beach, we would've missed out on forming this unlikely friendship that crossed generational divides.

Throughout our trip, we spent time with many kind, older tourists and hospitality workers. Once they realized we weren't obnoxious, havoc-wreaking spring breakers, they were more than willing to share their time and stories with us.

By the time I headed home, I knew we'd made the right choice

After a week in our little slice of heaven, it was time to head back.

In our Uber to the airport at 5 a.m., our driver told us he'd come straight from a night of driving around Miami partygoers — and he had horror stories.

He told us he was surprised by our choice for an alternative spring break, but he understood. He'd seen many arrests, sick students, and lost young people in his spring-break driving career.

When we boarded our plane north, we were reunited with our peers, who had the clammy, tired looks only a hangover can bring.

Reinvigorated from our week of R&R, my friends and I listened to their wild tales from Miami while exchanging knowing glances: We'd made the right choice.

Our spring break perhaps wasn't traditional for college kids, but it was just what we needed.

Tyler Vazquez

Spring break has sprung and Florida prepares itself for an influx of tourists who hope to take advantage of the sunshine and beaches as an escape from the cold that feels ubiquitous in the nation’s northern climes.

Data shows multiple Florida cities top Google searches for spring break destinations among other states, putting Florida far and above the most sought-after location to spend the vernal interval.

Only Texas and California boast as many search queries from hopefully spring breakers looking for beaches and sunshine, according to the data compiled by car seat manufacturer Diono.

Miami spring break

Despite severe discouragement from the city of Miami Beach hoping to ward off the chaos of spring breakers tearing through town, Miami's popularity nationwide as a potential destination has not diminished.

Miami dominated search data for states in the northeast. New Yorkers along with many in surrounding states searched for Miami more than any other spring break destination. People in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have all been eying Miami for the season.

Spring breakers in Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and, of course, Florida also dominated search results for Miami.

Destin spring break

Destin dominated in the south. Georgians, Louisianans and Virginians all were most interested in Destin as a destination.

Known for its pristine white beaches, Destin's fine powdery sand is actually made from the pulverized rock from the former extended range of the Applachian mountains 12,000 years ago when the last ice age ended. When the pulverized rock was carried by waterways into the Gulf of Mexico, currents deposited it onto the beaches of Destin, where it's a tourist attraction millennia later.

Panama City spring break

Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia all ensured that Panama City would place third among the most searched for Florida spring break cities.

Easily accessible to the south as part of the Florida panhandle, Panama City, and more likely Panama City Beach is a popular spring break destination.

Daytona Beach spring break

Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island were the three states most interested in a Daytona Beach spring break.

Known for its kitschy tourist attractions, biker culture and party town atmosphere, Daytona Beach and spring break are nearly synonymous in the popular imagination.

Clearwater spring break

Two major midwestern hubs, Illinois and Michigan, were the most interested in vacationing in Clearwater, Florida for spring break. Clearwater, like Destin, is known for its immaculate white sand.

Florida's calmer gulf coast waters offer a more place spring break experience in area around Tampa Bay compared to the hectic nightlife and party atmosphere of Miami. Still, record crowds are expected on the state's west coast as well.

Fort Lauderdale spring break

People in the neighboring states of Tennessee and North Carolina searched most for spring break in Fort Lauderdale.

Huge crowds have already been reported in Fort Lauderdale. Packed beaches and bars are the norm in South Florida as the weather heats up.

Siesta Key

Indianans were most interested in getting as far south as possible. Siesta Beach on Siesta Key recently made TripAdvisor's list of top 10 beaches in the United States.

Another Gulf Coast destination made the list of most searched-for spring break locales. Along with Destin and Clearwater, Siesta Key boasts the white sand that makes it a sought-after beach along with other west coast destinations.

St. Petersburg

Low temperatures in Iowa will be in the 30s for much of the next week, motivating residents to look for respite on the warmer shores of Florida's Gulf Coast. St. Petersburg was the most searched spring break locale for Iowans. St. Petersburg is renowned for its historic arts district and aesthetically pleasing downtown while also being within driving distance to many of the other beach towns on this list along with Orlando.

Orlando spring break featuring Disney, other attractions

With its theme parks and tourist-friendly amenities, Orlando was surprisingly the top spring break choice for one state: Maine.

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Disney, Universal, Sea World along with Orlando's proximity to places like Cocoa Beach and the Kennedy Space Center also make it an attractive area for spring breakers.

South Beach. Fort Lauderdale. Captiva. Siesta Key.

We know these are the best beaches in Florida. The Travel Channel said so in a 2022 survey. Or just ask the masses you’ll find spread out on towels all around you.

But what about the unheralded beauties, those “under the radar” beaches that don’t get all the attention?

That may change now after Fodor’s, the travel guide, released its picks for 11 “Under-the-Radar Florida Beach Towns to Visit this Winter.” The selections bring attention to “a taste of old Florida where the simple things — sun, surf, and a no-worries attitude — still reign on these quiet beaches.”

Among Fodor’s favorites:

▪ Atlantic Beach, just east of Jacksonville, was a top pick for many reasons, including the lack of chain hotels and restaurants that would make it feel like so many other beaches. “In-the-know surfers and vacationers converge for an east coast beach vibe that feels more like the Outer Banks than Florida,” Fodor’s opined. Atlantic Beach also made The Travel Channel’s list of favorites.

▪ Deerfield Beach in Broward County, just south of the Palm Beach County line and about 45 miles from Miami and about 20 from Fort Lauderdale, wowed the travel tastemakers for its “old-school feel ... that defies South Florida’s overt bling.” Surfers like the waves near the Deerfield Beach Pier.

▪ Vero Beach on Florida’s Treasure Coast, about two hours from both Orlando or Miami, is worth the visit, Fodor’s says. The subdued stretch of sand is preferable to “the ticky-tacky tourist towns [of] Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach to the north.” And if you’re jonesing for the Cuban delicacies you had the other night at Estefan Kitchen in Miami’s Design District you can still get get “excellent Cuban food and Caribbean vibes,” at Wave Kitchen & Bar at the Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa, which is also owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

▪ Ponce Inlet, which is 10 miles south of Daytona Beach, a spring break magnet, is the quieter alternative. The Ponce beach town’s attraction is its Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse that was built in 1835, and considered the largest lighthouse in Florida. Fodor likens the “unpretentious” beach town of 3,000 people to “something you’d spot along the coast of Maine.” There’s an observation tower and surrounding nature trails. Lighthouse Point Park, on the southern tip of the peninsula, has beaches with “sugar-fine sand and calm waters” and you may even spot dolphins frolicking in its waters.

READ MORE: These Florida beaches were ranked best in U.S. Two are in Broward, one in the Keys

For the other picks, visit Fodor’s site.

Sushi Garage, LLC, a Japanese restaurant in Miami Beach aims to reorganize its business through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The sushi restaurant, which is a subsidiary of the hospitality-focused Juvia Group, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida on March 12.

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Sushi Garage was founded by local restaurateurs Jonas and Alexandra Millán and chef partner Sunny Oh. It launched in 2016 with a 4,000-square-foot, 100-seat restaurant in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood of Miami Beach. The restaurant is located at 1784 West Ave.

The 19-page bankruptcy filing lists Jonas Millán as the managing member of Sushi Garage, LLC. He signed the document on Tuesday as an authorized representative.

Sushi Garage’s bankruptcy filing says the company estimates it has 50 to 99 creditors and owes less than $3 million in debt. The restaurant also estimates it has assets and liabilities valued at between $1 million and $10 million.

Jacqueline Calderin of Agentis Law, a Coral Gables-based litigation and restructuring law firm, is representing Sushi Garage.

Calderin told the South Florida Business Journal that Sushi Garage filed for Chapter 11 due to merchant credit advanced agreements. Merchant credit advanced agreements are when companies buy merchandise or supplies from a vendor on credit.

“A lot of restaurants got into liquidity issues from Covid-19 and it's taken a while for many of them to rebound, and some just have never been able to cashflow positive again, particularly those who've gotten into arrangements with merchant credit advanced lenders,” she said.

Calderin noted Sushi Garage’s bankruptcy filing only applies to the Miami Beach location, and it does not include the Sushi Garage locations in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood and Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas neighborhood, which both opened in 2021.

Sushi Garage’s bankruptcy filing lists 20 of Sushi Garage’s largest unsecured creditors, and some include merchant credit advanced businesses, such as inKind Cards, Inc., a Texas-based gift card company, that’s owed $216,493 for outstanding gift certificates. The restaurant is also $147,001 in debt to Toast Capital, a Massachusetts-based restaurant loan service affiliated with the point-of-sale software development company Toast.

Sushi Garage’s top unsecured creditor is the Miami Service Center, a taxpayer service affiliated with the Florida Department of Revenue, with $327,889 owed.

Other creditors include companies that provided Sushi Garage food supply, vending, financing, janitorial and legal services, the filing showed. Of the listed unsecured creditors, the combined debt equals $1.4 million.

Related: Juvia to relocate to Miami Worldcenter after landlord dispute

Calderin said Sushi Garage’s current cash flow projection shows the restaurant will be profitable in a few months. A reorganization plan is in the works and Sushi Garage intends to renew its lease, she added.

“We had to save the lease. It's a very good location,” Calderin said. “We’re filing a motion today to pay all our employees, so they're all going to be paid on time. We have terms with our vendors, so we're still going to get the same quality seafood that we have.”

Four months before Sushi Garage’s bankruptcy filing, the company announced it planned to open a 5,000-square-foot location in downtown Miami’s Bayside Marketplace.

Juvia Group’s full restaurant portfolio includes Sushi Garage, Juvia, Bonito St. Barth and Sunny Poke.

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16-year-old faces charges in New Smyrna Beach incident

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A 16-year-old was arrested on Thursday after deputies said he pulled a gun in a crowd of spring breakers at New Smyrna Beach.

According to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, deputies were patrolling that area of the beach around 3:45 p.m. near Flagler Avenue, which is when they heard the crowd yelling. Some people began shouting “He has a gun!”

See the full body-camera video in the media player below.

[CAUTION: VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]

In response, deputies ran to the scene and found the Lakeland teen wielding a handgun, investigators explained.

In a release, deputies said they drew their firearms and approached the teen while commanding him to drop his handgun.

“Instead, he took off, still holding the gun, running through crowds of people before heading into the ocean, throwing the gun into the water along with a bag he was carrying,” the release reads.

The teen surrendered to deputies shortly thereafter, and both the gun and bag were retrieved from the water, deputies added. The bag held 20 smaller plastic bags filled with marijuana.

As a result, the teen faces charges of firearm possession by a minor, improper exhibition of a firearm, resisting a law enforcement officer, sale of marijuana, commission of a second-degree felony with a weapon, two counts of tampering with evidence, and three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

In addition to those charges, the teen was arrested on seven active no-bond warrants out of Orange County, including armed robbery and violation of probation, deputies said.

He was ultimately taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center for processing before being transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Deputies said no injuries were reported during this incident.

No additional information has been provided, including where the teen obtained the firearm and why he pulled it out on Thursday.

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