Choosing to take a slow start to the day, we got some rest and then headed over to the aptly name Sleepy Hollow. Originally called North Tarrytown, the village changed its name back in 1997 to honor the famous fictional short story set there: ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by the author Washington Irving. We obviously took this trip at the right time of year as due to the spooky nature of Irving’s tale – and Halloween closing in – the town was having fun with its legend.
Ironically, the best place to go in this village is the graveyard…How many places can you say that about? There are two interconnecting cemeteries here; the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (where Irving is buried) and the Old Dutch Burying Ground (where the short story is set). Although people are still being buried here in the modern day, most of the graves are very old and the setting is peaceful with its large opulent headstones giving off a strange beauty.
As well as the writer that brought the town its fame, there are a number of well-known people laying at rest there. Notably; Cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden, Andrew Carnegie who owned Carnegie Hall and Walter Chrysler as in Chrysler Cars and the Chrysler Building. There are also some intriguing graves; Spencer Blaine in particular appears as if he might have been an interesting fellow!
Crossing over into state number 32, New Jersey, we made a drive-by to Hoboken. A nice looking place, but frustrating to navigate. Unable to figure out the parking situation we quickly jumped out just to snap a picture of our only reason for stopping there – a plaque marking the site of the first ever game of baseball. Quite the claim; no wonder it’s often disputed. It’s a shame we couldn’t stay longer, as Hoboken has some amazing views of New York City.
Moving on, we arrived at our final stop of the day – Atlantic City! Las Vegas’s poor relation is a gambler’s haven set around an oceanfront boardwalk. It feels a little more dated than Vegas, but also quieter and less showy. Still, our hotel is much like any of those in Nevada; it has everything you could want in a resort, including two Starbucks…not that this benefited me as the latte I bought ended up spilled all over the boardwalk…there’s an ongoing discussion about whose fault this really was!
It’s nice to be back by the sea and the beach here is relaxing to walk along. Oddly they don’t appear to allow swimming in the ocean though, not sure what that’s about, but it’s a shame as the weather has improved in the last couple of days! Tomorrow we will explore the rest of the boardwalk as the sun was setting pretty fast by the time we got out there.
So, until tomorrow…
Ani
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