If you’re planning a winter getaway to Winnipeg, Manitoba (and who isn’t?), where average January lows hit 9 below and creep to a high of just 10 degrees, here’s a pop-up attraction guaranteed to induce shivers: RAW: Almond, an outdoor restaurant at the gusty fork of the Assiniboine and Red rivers returns for a second, albeit fleeting, season Jan. 24-Feb. 13.
Diners don heavy parkas, fur aviator hats and sub-zero boots to dine semi al fresco in a tent with a communal table for 30, or in a tasting lounge that seats 10.
A rotation of top local chefs will prepare “Canadian Prairie cuisine” (bison bites, Alberta-inspired borscht and that sort of thing, from what we gather). The particulars of the set menus are a surprise, but cost $100 each ($45 in the tasting lounge).
After dinner, the local tourist office suggests a walk (or skate or sled ride) on the Red River Mutual Trail. At 6 kilometers, it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest naturally frozen skating trail. Good news: New warming huts, designed by some architectural heavyweights including Frank Gehry, are erected along the trail.
Other seasonal delights for travelers who like to chill in a literal way:
Hotel de Glace in Quebec, open Jan. 5-March 23. Sample deal: Nordic Escape Package starts at $187 per person, double, if booked by Dec. 31, and includes breakfast, a cocktail in an ice glass, use of Nordic sleeping bags, access to the sauna and outdoor hot tub, and gratuities.
Minus5 Ice Bar in the Mandalay Bay and Monte Carlo resorts in Las Vegas and in the New York Hilton Midtown. A cover charge of $17 in Las Vegas and $20 in New York includes admission and use of jacket and gloves.
Icehotel Jukkasjarvi in Swedish Lapland 125 miles above the Arctic Circle. Now in its 24th season, it offers a variety of icy accommodations from December to mid-April, with traditional rooms available year round. The hotel also operates Icebar by Icehotel in Stockholm and London.
