If you have friends who live up north or have caught a national weather report in the last couple weeks, you know that most parts of the U.S. are in the middle of a pretty severe winter. Sure, temperatures in Miami have seen a few dips lately. But a low in the 40s is nothing compared to "polar vortex" conditions in New England and the Midwest.
So this ranking from the online travel community Gogobot should come as a shock: Miami was named to its list of 20 best winter destinations. Well, duh.
The real question is, why didn't we rank higher than number 19?
The rankings in Gogobot's Travelers' Favorite Awards are based on the over 580,000 reviews you'll find on its website, left there by what an announcement from the site claims is 3.7 million users. (That's approximately 0.16 ratings per user, but whatever.)
Further complicating the report is the vague definition of "destination" that Gogobot seems to use; its list is made up of a mix of cities, states, and countries, pitting a relatively small place like Miami against, say, the entire country of South Africa, which came in at number one on the list.
Miami, meanwhile, is ranked at number 19 on the list, wedged between Park City, Utah, and Norway. Yes, the entire country of Norway. (Sorry, Norway.)
The reason Miami made the list? According to its Gogobot page, it's the same old stuff: "Art Deco buildings, miles of sandy white beaches and plenty to do ... the beach scene, nightlife, exotic cuisine and modern hotels." Users have given the Magic City 4.5 out of a possible five stars.
Gogobot's full list of top winter destinations is below:
1. South Africa
2. Whistler, Canada
3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. Dubai
5. Lake Tahoe, Calif., U.S.
6. Thailand
7. Yellowstone National Park, Montana, U.S.
8. Bali, Indonesia
9. Alaska, U.S.
10. Cancun, Mexico
11. New Zealand
12. Prague, Czech Republic
13. Maui, Hawaii, U.S.
14. Buenos Aires, Argentina
15. India
16. Costa Rica
17. Salzburg, Austria
18. Park City, Utah, U.S.
19. Miami, Fla., U.S.
20. Norway
No offense, Alaska, but most people we know would much rather spend a week down here in the sun than braving even more snow.
Follow Ciara LaVelle on Twitter @ciaralavelle.
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