Want a perfect holiday treat? Step inside Buzz Bakery, with locations in Arlington and Alexandria.

Cabin Fever Cure: 6 Mini-Vacation Ideas in D.C.

Winter weekends can elicit a range of emotions and thoughts, foremost of which is GET ME THE HECK OUT OF HERE. Even if you’re not booking a flight for warmer climes, an in-town escape can be an antidote to the pool of slushy nothingness that sometimes plagues our weekends. Our six suggestions to deliver you from the cabin-fever scourge:

Perfect Treat. Consider Buzz Bakery (two locations in Alexandria and Arlington, Va.; buzzbakery.com) your local Santa’s workshop with baking elves aplenty. Homemade chai ushers in the winter season with dabs of cinnamon and cloves, which meshes wonderfully with fresh gingerbread cake. Stop by Ballston’s location for eggnog ice cream.

Perfect Stay. Need a refuge from the cold? Curl up at The Jefferson (jeffersondc.com) with a Jefferson eggnog (made with Madeira, his wine of choice), and listen to tunes Tuesday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight from the resident pianist in the hotel’s Quill Lounge. Mosey to the book room to choose from a selection of contemporary and classic novels set against a roaring fireplace.

Perfect Bites. Swank comes to Southwest D.C. with the addition of Station 4 (station4dc.com), an upscale restaurant seating more than 200 plus an outdoor patio (we’d save that for the warmer months). An international wine list sweetens the menu, which includes standouts such as the jumbo blue crab cake (above) and the hearty beef short ribs pappardelle.

Perfect Escape. Sure, some animals are hibernating, but there are still plenty of critters at the National Zoo (nationalzoo.si.edu) all year round. Look for lions, tigers and bears nestled among the chilly backdrop, and stop by for any of the zoo’s special events. Mark your calendar for ZooLights, the zoo’s annual festival of animal-shaped lights sprinkled throughout the grounds from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. throughout December.

Perfect Buy. Be completely on trend for the cozy winter season with must-haves from Ginger boutique on Bethesda Row (gingerstyle.com). The options are endless: Snatch up knit cardigans from White+Warren, don international jewels (with local flavor) from D.C. designer Suzanna Somersall’s line, kirakira, or wrap yourself in a Virginia Johnson vintage-inspired printed scarf.

Perfect Diversion. Duck into Riot Act Comedy Theater (riotactcomedy.com), the newest chuckle club in town, for laughs, light bites and brews in the 330-seat showroom. The two-story spot features two bars, local and national acts, and weekly open-mic nights. This winter, look for Jason Stuart (Nov. 17–19) and Tammy Pescatelli (Dec. 1–3), among others.