The next journey in my Wanderlust series is from my 2023 trip to Sleepy Hollow, New York, with my mom and cousin.
Walking Around Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown
Ambling about the city centers of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown alone is a charming experience. These have such a quaint feel to them in comparison to the Big Apple. We passed a yarn shop, music hall, and various shops and restaurants filled with local goodies. Of course, we found a bookstore and made a stop to pick up some local lore on this legendary town.
During our walkabout town, we made our way to the Old Dutch Church to peruse the cemetery headstones. It’s said that among the graves, Washington Irving found the names he used to name his characters in what turned into an American classic.
Not far from here, we also found the Headless Horseman Bridge, which didn’t look all that haunting in broad daylight. There’s even an art installation among the trees on one of the streets, depicting the moment the Headless Horseman chased Ichabod Crane on horseback. The town really leans into its literary reputation.
Historic Houses
Heading to the outskirts of the town, plenty of historical homes stand strong, passing the test of time and beckoning you to listen to their stories. Narratives long gone whisper back to life at the Gothic Revival Lyndhurst mansion that resembles a church, the Philipsburg Manor, a former mill, and the resplendent Kykuit Rockefeller estate.
I need to return to Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown to visit all these homes rich in history. But for this trip in 2023, my mom, cousin, and I visited Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. This cottage stands along the Hudson River, its vine-covered walls giving a glimpse into how long this home has stood watch over the valley.
The tour guide offered wonderful insight into the famous author’s everyday life and how the locals lived and survived in the area before all our modern technology. The perseverance and ingenuity of past pioneers never fail to amaze me.
Ghost Walking Tour
As we gathered at the cemetery entrance for our ghost walking tour, I caught sight of fireflies blinking in and out between the headstones. I had never seen fireflies before, so it felt truly spooky, watching these lights appear and disappear over the grass amid the tombstones in the dark. It made me think of the legends of will o’ the wisps.
Our tour guide handed out lanterns, adding to the historic and haunting ambiance of the experience. We used the dim lighting to illuminate our path and avoid tripping over loose rocks and dips on the trails.
The guide regaled us with tales of the many famous and historic figures buried in the cemetery, including the likes of industry titans Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller. And of course, we visited the famed American writer Washington Irving’s grave, whose work put Sleepy Hollow on the literary map.
Thanks for joining me on my trip through Sleepy Hollow. I would like to return and tour more of the historic homes in the area. Let me know if you’ve ever been here and what you recommend for my next visit.