Pack extra socks.

I whine as soon as the temperature dips below 70, and yet I'm counting the minutes until Quebec's Ice Hotel re-opens so I can spend a regret-filled night shivering on a bed of deer pelts. The hotel is carved from ice every year and stays open from January through April, when it melts. I don't know if I'm more attracted to the transience and imminent destruction, or the vodka bar. I mean, they serve drinks in ice shot glasses!

Keep in mind, this is more of an experience than a hotel. Rooms start at $200 per person -- check their site for early-booking discounts -- but for the five-star price, you're getting communal bathrooms, a partially frozen staff, and a thermostat that's stuck at 25 degrees. (Thanks, nature.) If you must be pampered, maybe skip the overnight stay; day tours are available for $15.

J'aime Montreal!

To quote Mallrats, I love the smell of commerce in the morning. Thus my fascination with Montreal's underground city, which lets visitors keep shopping in the most vicious of wintry weather. Why curl up by a fireplace (so cliche) when there are 1,700 warm, dry boutique stores beneath your feet? But now there's actually a reason to visit in the milder temps -- Tourisme Montreal is offering a sweet half-off deal for the third night of a stay between now and October 15th. A bunch of downtown hotels are participating, but I've got my eye on the Hotel Place d'Armes in Old Port, because 'tis important to stay within stumbling distance of nightlife when you plan to experience the joie de ivre. No, that's not a typo. Rooms start at $191/night, so if you stay three nights, it averages out to $159/night -- not too shabby for a four-star.