It's the beginning of February and the snow hasn't stopped falling. We might not be fans of the insanely low wind chill or the fact that our boots are covered in salt stains, but that's not going to keep us from having a good time. You can thank Rachel Kowalski for the following ideas to keep warm during the wrap-up of this winter (although she does omit communal hot tub spas for the fact that they give her the heebie-jeebies).
Heat up from the inside out
If you’re going to bundle yourself up and trek out into the slush and snow, you might as well head out to somewhere worth the effort. Our pick is Chiang Mai Thai, where you can find a variety of authentic Northern Thailand dishes and chef Thi Mai Evans’ signature curry sauce. “The Pad Thai and Sweet Green Curry are definitely two of our top menu items,” says Kim Seidel manager of Chiang Mai Thai. Between the candlelit sconces, stonewalls and Thai street food, you can forget about the cold and imagine your touring the streets of Bangkok (where the lowest temperature this week is 77°F).
The restaurant also features an extensive (but non-pretentious) wine and specialty drink list. Choose from a variety of unusual drinks that include the Urban Monk (blueberry vodka, lime, orange, and mango) and the Thai-Piranha (Leblon Natural Cain Cachaca smashed with a fist full of fresh limes and topped with soda). Plan a date or catch up with old friends while you decide rather or not you should actually use your hands (as recommended) to eat. “The greatest thing about our restaurant is that its versatility lends itself to a family gathering, a first date, or happy hour,” says Seidel. “The overall energy of the restaurant combined with great food creates an inviting atmosphere for all customers.”
Chiang Mai Thai
3001 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
612.827.1606
Open Daily: 11:00am-1:00am
Average Entrée price: $9-15
Try a native approach
As much as we love the traditional Swedish, we're considering a trade-in after talking with Dr. Wyman Hall-Walker, owner of Lincoln Park Massage and pioneer of new massage techniques such as the Diversified Hot Stone Method. The hot stone massage, which dates back to the Native Americans who would remove basaltic stones from nearby riverbeds, is what Hall-Walker considers one of the most powerful massage techniques out there (when done correctly). His process eliminates all use of the hands and utilizes only hot stones because “unlike traditional massage techniques that push and pull the body, hot stone allows the therapist to melt away tension with a methodical, systematic process."
Lincoln Park Massage
630 Webster Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773.296.6300
90 minutes: $145
Distract yourself with a dog's day out
Okay, you might not get to drive the sled yourself, but the dog sledding excursions at Boyne Highlands still sound pretty exciting to us. Almost every weekend in February and the first two in March, Iditarod sled dogs of Nature's Kennel will pull pairs of adults (or one adult and two children) on rides of either a half hour ($75) or 1 hour ($150). And if you're worried that the pups might overwork themselves - don't be. Considering the dogs normally train in their Upper Peninsula home running fifty to sixty miles per day, these excursions are basically like spring break for the Alaskan Huskies (yep, running is actually fun for these guys). Besides, according to Tasha Stielstra, co-owner of Nature's Kennel, "it also helps the dogs to earn their keep and allows us to work with them full-time." While the ride alone might be enough to keep your mind off of the cold, we suggest you bring along mittens (and maybe even hand warmers) to ensure that you can still feel your fingers when you're done.
Boyne Highlands
600 Highland Drive
Harbor Springs, MI 49740
231.526.3000
Readers can contact Rachel at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .