You know the moment it strikes: It’s the dead of winter, and you’re at peak cabin fever. I refer to this feeling as my “winter blues-aissance.” After staring at the same four walls and cooking the same meals, life feels dull, gray, and utterly mundane.
That’s when my inner Aquarius and wanderluster strikes; it’s time to shake up the routine.
While most February and March travelers might book the first available ticket to sun-soaked paradises like Mexico or Miami, they also must contend with peak-season pricing, which translates to sky-high airfare rates, exorbitant accommodations (don’t even think about booking five stars), and crowded resorts and beaches.
There’s also the unpredictability: Despite a forecast promising sunny skies, Mother Nature has her whims, and you might end up drenched after forking over a small fortune to get there. So, what are your other options when you just need to escape? This is the perfect time of year to consider treating yourself to the emerging travel trend of an “icescape.”
Yes, it’s what it sounds like: an escape to a Northeast beach location in the winter months, like, for example, Newport, RI, or the Hamptons, for a few days of glacial calm. These trips may consist of slow living moments like reading by a manor’s fireplace with a hot tea, bundled-up walks on the beach, and saunas before dinner – a serene and snowy getaway to reshuffle your mindset.
As a frequent traveler, luxury-lover, and change-it-upper, icescapes have felt like kismet, and I often get creative ideas and writer growth spurts, returning back home to New York City with a refreshed point of view. Below, read about my latest icescape experience in Newport.
Experts Featured in This Article
Anthony Berklich is a travel agent and the founder of Inspired Citizen, a luxury experiential travel platform and agency.
What Is the Icescape Travel Trend?
“An icescape in 2025 is a way to lean into the winter weather through embracing destinations that become a literal snow globe during this time of year,” Inspired Citizen founder Anthony Berklich tells PS. “Winter can be magical and not dreadful, but it depends on where you spend it. Destinations with snowy hillsides, crashing waters, crackling fires, and cozy interiors beckon travelers with phenomenal deals on luxury hotels and homestays.”
Celebrating the stillness of winter is also a welcome change when other destinations are bombarded by fellow visitors and tourists. “It’s the perfect time to take advantage of lower than usual rates at hotels and resorts in destinations like the Hamptons, Newport, and Cape Cod,” Berklich says. “Your budget can go much further, and you don’t have to choose between luxury accommodations and booking memorable dining experiences or relaxing spa treatments. You can have it all with an icescape.”
My Experience Going on an Icescape Vacation
For my mid-February icescape, I chose Newport, as I adore its blend of New England seaside charm and historic grandeur. I stayed at The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection, a fantasy spot that had been on my Pinterest board for years. The hotel has manor-like interiors, several cozy fireplaces, and a petite (yet inviting) spa.
From the moment I stepped through The Vanderbilt’s grand entrance, I felt the icescape magic. The mansion, stunningly restored, is adorned with museum-quality artwork and eccentric treasures. I found myself gasping at every turn: Was that a hidden fireplace? A server offering a hot beverage as if summoned by magic? A secret pool parlor? Reading nooks with velvet sofas? It was like the Gilded Age meeting 2025 luxury travel.
After checking into my suite (because, yes, there can be luxury perks on an icescape) and looking out the window at snow and icicles everywhere, I blissed out in a deep tissue massage at the downstairs spa. Lying on the heated table, I let my worries and tension melt away. Afterward, I dove into my book and lost all sense of time in the candlelit relaxation room, surrounded by the fireplace, homemade dark chocolate truffles, and ginger tea. By the time I emerged, it was almost sunset.
I quickly showered and made my way to get a front-row view of the sunset at Bannister’s Wharf, where the sky erupted in shades of cantaloupe, orange, and highlighter pink. This daily art is a spectacle I often overlook back home in New York City. I took a deep breath and remembered why I needed this.
Next, I dined at the iconic Clarke Cooke House, which dates back to 1780 and has been a Newport mainstay for over two centuries. I’d been before during the summer, but in February, it’s everything you want a New England seafood spot to be: Newport clam chowder, nautical decor, impeccably dressed guests, and the stuffed lobster of culinary dreams.
Dinner wasn’t complete without the restaurant’s MVP of desserts, the signature Snowball in Hell – a chocolate-coated goblet filled with chocolate roulade, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce and toasted coconut as toppings. The restaurant was bustling, but less busy than it can be in the summer, when you need a reservation weeks in advance.
The next morning I woke up to a freshly dusted winter wonderland alive with the sweet notes of winter songbirds, the fluffy red-breasted nuthatches. After breakfast I set off to get in my daily steps with a Newport mansion view. I wandered past the gargantuan Chateau-sur-Mer, as well as Marble House, which resembles The White House. Reaching Cliff Walk, the 3.5-mile walking trail along the Atlantic Ocean, I found a moment of solitude at First Beach, where the winter blue sky seemed to dissolve into the boundless ocean.
Back at the hotel, I warmed up in the sauna before a swim in The Vanderbilt’s indoor pool. I felt like a kid living out their wildest vacation dreams, like Kevin McCallister. In the afternoon, I curled up by the fire, accompanied by an array of hot teas and zero-proof drinks. (I recommend the Paper Tiger, a zesty sip of pineapple, ginger, lemon, and Thai chili.)
As I prepared for my last evening, I got all dolled up and headed downstairs to The Dining Room. Surrounded by deep navy walls, leather chairs, and fireplaces, it was the perfect setting for my farewell dinner – an indulgent meal of black angus ribeye, peppercorn jus, and crispy country potatoes.
I returned to New York City excited to be back and with the sentiment that there’s beauty in the quiet and stillness. Since my return, I’ve noticed more of nature’s daily magic in the concrete jungle I call home.
Micaela English (she/her) is a lifestyle writer based in Brooklyn who’s passionate about travel trends, beauty, sobriety, and wellness-based longevity. Micaela spent six years as an editor at Town & Country and has since written for Vogue, Glamour, Oprah Daily, The Zoe Report, Bustle, Well+Good, Quest, and more.
