No, wait! Is your self-delusion suffering a cold dose of reality? It's time for emergency measures. Shove something hip-swiveling into your music player of choice (try Putumayo's "Caribbean Party" or "Congo to Cuba" compilations). Beg a friend or loved one (ideally, someone from Manitoba, say, or Minnesota, for whom the mid-Atlantic in winter is a tropical retreat) to go out in the cold for you and round up some eats to restore your equatorial equilibrium.
You can't beat the menu at Negril (four locations in the District, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Mitchellville; www.negrileats.com) for a true flavor of the islands. Curried goat? Fish tea? Fried plantain? Find them here at bargain prices. Try the coconut water -- interesting -- or the homemade punch. Your body may be stuck in area code 301, but your taste buds are headed for Kingston.
The U.S. Botanic Garden's Conservatory features a jungle with exotic plants and trees as well as a warm, humid environment for those craving a respite from the winter blahs.
(Lucian Perkins - The Washington Post)
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Should more serious measures be needed, pack your curried goat and your overnight bag for Vienna. Virginia, that is, and the Tysons Corner Marriott (8028 Leesburg Pike; 703-734-3200; www.tysonscornermarriott.com), where the weekend rates are a fraction of what you'd pay for a weeknight stay, and you can ask for a room beside the (indoor) pool. Swim a few laps, soak in the spa pool, bake in the sauna. True, it's not St. Thomas. But how many places are, after all? And here you won't have to wait in line at the airport to get home. So hop back in that hot tub.
And remember this: Spring comes on March 20.
OTHER PLACES, OTHER CHOICES
Get orchid fever at the National Museum of Natural History's "Orchid Express" exhibit, through May 1 (10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW; 202-357-2700; www.mnh.si.edu), featuring 200 species of live orchids from the Smithsonian's own collection. G- (for "garden") scale model trains run through the exhibit, which includes tunnels, a trestle bridge and fanciful miniature houses decorated with natural materials. Schedule your visit to the museum with time to take in the Imax film "Dolphins," which promises you the opportunity to "dive into tropical waters."
Splurge at Cafe Atlantico (405 Eighth St. NW; 202-393-0812; www.cafeatlantico.com), where Latino dim sum (including a vegetarian tasting option) is served Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 to 2:30. Choose from selections such as seared watermelon with citrus vinaigrette, oyster with mango-lime oil, tuna ceviche with coconut, and guacamole made fresh at your table. And then there are the mojitos.
Splash down at Adventure Scuba Company (13901 Metrotech Dr., Chantilly; 703-263-0427; www.scubava.com) and learn to dive in the two-weekend accelerated course while you dream of drifting in emerald waters among schools of neon-bright fish. "It's about five hours in the pool and 10 to 12 hours in the classroom," says Adventure Scuba manager Henry Johnson. You'll have six months after that to complete the open-water dives needed for diver certification. Try not to be tempted by Adventure Scuba's March open-water training trip to Crystal River in Florida, where the water temperature is 72 degrees year-round. "We still have a few spaces left," Johnson says.
Caroline Kettlewell is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Weekend. Her 2004 book, "Electric Dreams," has recently been optioned for a feature film. •
