Winter turns the northeast into a snow-coated playground for shoppers, skiers and sightseers alike. From New York City, head northeast to Manchester, Vt. There spend a couple of nights at the Equinox Resort & Spa (equinox.rockresorts.com). In addition to regular skiing and snowmobiling packages, you can enroll in the resort's falconry and off-road driving classes.

From Manchester, it's less than five hours to Montreal. The old-city European charms are made more beautiful by a few coats of snow. When the chill gets to be too much, head into the Underground City, a system of tunnels and shops designed especially for the cold weather.

Finally, another 31/2-hour drive gets you to Quebec City, which is as much like Europe as you can get, short of crossing the Atlantic. If you arrive after Jan. 5, you can stay at the Hôtel de Glace, or Ice Hotel (icehotel-canada.com), which is - you guessed it - made entirely of ice and snow. For the more warm-blooded, there is always the famous castle-esque Château Frontenac hotel (fairmont.com), which dominates the city's skyline.