Skiing below the equator

Summer is a popular time for beach vacations, but in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, where it's winter, the slopes beckon. Valle Nevado, which is 90 minutes from Santiago, Chile, has access to 7,000 acres of terrain and is one of South America's largest ski resorts. The resort offers weeklong ski packages at three select hotels through the end of September. At the two-star Hotel Tres Puntas, rates begin at $1,386 a person, and at the Hotel Puerta del Sol, they begin at $1,600 a person. At the Hotel Valle Nevado, they begin at $2,205 a person. These prices include lift tickets and breakfast and dinner. Book by e-mailing reservas@vallenevado.com or by calling the resort at 1-844-657-0466. Three- and five-night packages are also available.

New York Times

Ship that whiskey

Until recently, whiskey tourists in Kentucky had been allowed to sniff the aromas of bourbon-making and sip the finished product during distillery tours. But they couldn't legally ship bottles home. That prohibition came to an end this year and was officially celebrated on June 1. Kentucky produces about 95 percent of the world's bourbon, and tourism targeting the spirit has become big business. The ability to ship whiskey bottles home after a tour is expected to boost sales at distilleries both large and small. Each year, tourists make more than a million stops at distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail — which includes Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and other venerable distilleries — and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which showcases up-and-coming micro-distilleries.

Associated PRess

Adults' cruise ship revealed

Virgin Voyages, the forthcoming cruise line from magnate Richard Branson, has promised it will be unlike anything the industry has ever seen. That's in part because the line, whose 2,700-passenger first ship will debut from Miami in 2020, will be adults-only. No water slides, no water parks and no kids' facilities. The closest the new vessel will come to that is its "adult-play" area, the Athletic Club. It features the largest seabed at sea, a red-and-white semicircular lounger that encompasses much of the area. The Dock will also be a lounge area, featuring trees and daybeds, focused on relaxation and socializing. Richard's Rooftop will be a private lounge area with large circular loungers and giant umbrellas. The Manor, an emerald, gold and purple nightclub, is expected to draw on Branson's history in the music industry.

Miami Herald

The Athletic Club on the adults-only Virgin Voyages cruise line.

New York, Honolulu are best

In a new ranking of the best cities in America, the decisive winner is the love-it-or-hate-it, 20-million-strong metropolis of New York. That's according to Resonance Consultancy, which collects troves of objective public data on cities from coast to coast, focusing on 27 criteria. Then it adds subjective opinions that reveal a city's public perception, based on a 1,000-person Ipsos poll and sentiment analysis of such digital channels as Trip­Advisor and Instagram. Excellent culture and nightlife catapulted New York to the top of 50 large U.S. hubs, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, Miami, Seattle and Boston. Among small cities — those with a population under 200,000 — Honolulu leads the pack, largely thanks to its natural beauty. Runners-up included Omaha, Albuquerque, N.M., Charleston, S.C., and El Paso, Texas.

Bloomberg