Skiing

WHY IT’S A CONTENDER: The words "deal" and "The Little Nell" rarely share the same billing, but this is the time of year when the leaves turn, the rates fall, and even the locals are known to check in for a romantic night or two. Luxury hotels don’t come much

Skiing is the closest I come to flying. So when I saw an Andean condor soaring among the jagged 19,000 foot peaks at Portillo last September, I felt truly inspired. With its 11-foot wingspan, it rode the thermals in a cobalt blue sky, leaving enormous shadows against the rocky flanks