At this time of year, when the leaves flutter like kaleidoscopic pinwheels and the bite in the air is as crisp as a New York State Macintosh apple, spooky, mystical winds swirl through the hills and dales of the historic Hudson River Valley.
And the tiny, bucolic village of Sleepy Hollow, hard by the river in Westchester County, is Halloween central. What else would you expect from a place whose high school football team boasts the name "The Horsemen," where the tours of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery are booked solid, where the street sign proclaiming "Broadway" is orange and black, and where the hottest ticket around is the Hudson Valley Blaze, nights of thousands of lighted, carved jack o'lanterns? And oh, yeah, where even the tiny, green parklet in front of the gas station has a bronze sculpture of the Headless Horseman mounted on his steed and tossing his pumpkin head toward The Headless Horseman bridge?
You can even buy cool caps and awesome T-shirts, telling everyone you meet that you "lost your head in Sleepy Hollow, NY"!More later.
But for now... some pictures.
8 comments:
Great pictures!
This is my favorite time of year in New York.
You've made me ache to go and visit Sleepy Hollow now! And here I am, instead, on the Portuguese coast with sunny weather, when all I want is brisk cold winds with golden leaves flying about my feet. I couldn't be much further away if I tried ;(
Been to Sleepy Hollow. Fell in love with an old church and cemetery there.
Wendy ~
Totally agree. Nothing beats Autumn in New York.
Hmm. I think I hear a song coming on.
I want a shirt the shirt that says I lost my head in Sleepy Hollow! lol
Summer, Fall, Spring - Winter would be okay if it lasted like a week.
Suzy ~
Oh, I think I'll be wishing I was in sunny Portugal in a few months! But right now is a great time in the northeast, especially the Hudson Valley, I think. The leaves are just turning now, not yet at their full peak. Can't wait for the show!
But I've heard Portugal is lovely. And the food and beverages are great! The hero of my next book, Healing Hearts, a Regency coming in February from Carina Press, is a veteran of the Peninsula Wars. Before meeting the heroine, who takes the sting from his wounds, he drowned his pain in a very potent Portuguese brandy, aguardente de medronho. Supposed to be made from the fruit of the strawberry tree. (These are not actual strawberries, btw.) Ever hear of it? Ever try it?
I don't mind a nice tawny Port now and again, but that was a new one on me. Ah, the stuff you learn researching!
JL~
I have the Old Dutch Church and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery pictures too. I thought I'd save them for another blog post!
(Also, I was incredibly late for work, when I decided to toss these up on the blog!)
Liz~
I'll try to take a picture of it. But it's HUGE. (3X!! Went a little crazy. Katy and Ryck could BOTH fit in it! Or...out of it. As the case may be.)
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