Winter is a time to reset. The holidays vanish overnight, leaving frigid mornings and fewer lights in the windows. And it’s almost as if the sun has a lampshade over it—which I don’t mind. We all need a break from the bright overheads. Still, we are fighting the urge to hibernate. Maybe that means tea with friends, dressing up for a late-night show, or a trip north for a proper dose of snow. Wintering slows us down and clears space for something new. Here are a few ways to start fresh.

1. Northern exposure

Whistler, B.C., makes a strong case for winter, and the Four Seasons resort sits in the middle of it all. You can ski, snowshoe, and explore ice caves all day, or skip the cold and stay wrapped in a robe. The spa offers a range of treatments from warm salt-stone massages to thermal mud scrubs, plus there’s a cedar sauna and a champagne bar beside the steaming outdoor pool. After a day out—or in—head to the fireside lounge for a whisky flight or a sushi tasting. Surrounded by mountains at a world-class resort, winter starts to feel luxurious instead of long.

2. Steeped in calm

On a chilly afternoon, there’s nothing simpler—or better—than the sound of tea being poured. At Open Form, a new Persian teahouse on Capitol Hill, the ritual begins with scent: rose, cardamom, or black tea poured over saffron rock candy, filling the air with notes of spice and sugar. Small plates of Sohan brittle, dates, figs, grapes, and olives bring earthy flavors to the table. The space feels like a friend’s apartment, with natural light spilling across Persian rugs and wood floors. Sit on a floor cushion, wrap your hands around a glass cup, and settle in.

3. Play it cool

Since music cuts through winter better than any fire, trade your loungewear for something elegant and enjoy dinner and a show. Seattle institutions know how to set the mood: Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley pairs dinners with strong cocktails and six nights a week of jazz, blues, and R&B. The Pink Door layers its nights with cabaret, trapeze, fortune tellers, and live music that spills into every candlelit corner. And The Royal Room offers yam chips and blackened catfish alongside live shows and themed nights honoring icons like Erykah Badu.

4. Bake the season

At Book Larder in Fremont, the shelves are full of cookbooks that promise comfort on a cold day. Stop in to pick up Pastry Temple: Baking with Inspired Flavors, the debut cookbook from Temple Pastries owner Christina Wood. The book breaks down the “three pillars” of pastry—brioche, puff pastry, and croissant dough—with recipes like gochujang babka and crème brûlée donuts. The bakery’s buttery croissants already draw morning lines, and now the recipes are yours to try at home. And this winter, Book Larder offers a monthly soup stand, so if you visit on the right day, you can eat while you browse.

5. Year of light

Seattle’s Chinatown–International District brings some welcome color to the gray months with its annual Lunar New Year Celebration. On March 7, Hing Hay Park and the surrounding streets will fill with music and the smell of street food. Grab a Korean corn dog and taro boba, then wander through the crowd, stopping to watch lion dancers and martial arts demos. As a bonus, there will be pony rides for the kids—it is the Year of the Horse, after all.