Hillsdale

Winter brings skiers to Hillsdale’s Catamount Ski & Snowboarding Area (Breezy Hill Rd., off Rte. 23, 518/325-3200). The small ski resort offers 32 slopes and trails, three terrain parks, and seven lifts, along with a laid-back atmosphere that makes it especially good for families.

The comfortable Swiss Hutte (Breezy Hill Rd., off Rte. 23, 518/325-3333, www.swisshutte.com [1], $150–220 d) sits in the middle of the Catamount ski area, overlooking the slopes. On site is a cozy wood-paneled bar and separate dining room that serve Swiss-American fare (bar dishes $5–18, restaurant entrées $20–28).

For good regional American cuisine or wood-fired pizza, try the circa-1811 Hillsdale House (Rte. 23 in the village center, 518/325-7111, $14). Aubergine (Rtes. 22 and 23, 518/325-3412, $26), housed in a 1783 brick Colonial home, serves French-American fare that changes according to the season. The restaurant is open for dinner only.

The creaky, near-legendary Rodgers Book Barn (Rodman Rd., off West End Rd., off Rte. 23, 518/325-3610, noon–6 p.m. Thurs.–Mon., reduced hours in winter) is filled with books, books, and more books—over 50,000 titles, all secondhand. They’re housed in a two-story barn with lots of nooks and crannies.

The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Long Hill Farm, Rte. 23, 860/364-0366, www.falconridgefolk.com [2]) comes to Hillsdale every late July, though it may soon be moving to a new site. On tap are top folk performers from around the country.