Halloween Country: Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, New York

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If there's one quintessential American ghost story, a good case could be made for Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Never mind how the original Headless Horseman story has morphed over the years from cute and spooky into occult and gory—as in Fox's series Sleepy Hollow. The story is as integral as any to Halloween, so there's no better place to celebrate the holiday than Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, New York, the towns where the legend takes place.

A quick train ride brings visitors twenty-five miles outside of New York City, where this bustling suburban grid sits on the banks of the wide, blue Tappan Zee. Come autumn, the area's historic estates don their Devil's Night best and put on countless Halloween celebrations for every taste.
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Any visit to Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow should start with a trip to see Washington Irving's quaint, ivy-choked cottage called Sunnyside—after all, he's the guy who started it all. Keep your eyes peeled and you just might see his ghost peering through a dark window, possibly pining for his lost love.



From there head to nearby Lyndhurst, the estate of nineteenth-century railroad baron Jay Gould. Lyndhurst has been the setting for many a spooky movie and TV show, including House of Dark Shadows, a staple for fans of vampire horror. Even if you're not into this year's seaonal offering, "Jay Ghoul's House of Curiosities: Lyndhurst, The Disenchanted Castle," the estate's architecture alone is worth the price of admission, as the mansion is regarded as one of the best examples of Gothic Revival in the U.S. Notably, the estate is really the only venue in the area that offers daytime Halloween tours, which are a bit less spooky than the nighttime offerings.



If you've only got a couple hours to kill, no Halloween adventure into Headless Horseman country would be complete without a visit to the Old Dutch Church and the adjoining Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. There, the Headless Horseman rose from Washington Irving's imagination and famously chased Ichabod Crane through the haunted glen. There are tours for every interest—from nighttime lantern tours that conjure real-life stories of murder and madness to daytime perambulations that focus on Irving and the Sleepy Hollow legend. While you're there, try to attend an event inside the Old Dutch Church. Built in the late seventeenth century, the quaint interior offers no electricity or heat, just candles and a stove—perfect for master storyteller Jonathan Kruk's colorful rendition of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

With so much to do, you'll have to keep your energy up. The good news is there are lots of places to eat and drink. For a local haunt, hop on line for a gyro at Lefteris on Broadway. If beer is your thing, you'll love the huge selection and polished wood bar at The Bridgeview Tavern.



For a luxurious dinner you'll never forget, head just outside Sleepy Hollow to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, an elegant farm-to-table restaurant set in the heart of an environmentally progressive, working farm. There, massive stone structures inspired by Normandy folk architecture will win you over even before you sit down to eat. You can also take advantage of the fabulous Blue Hill Caféduring the day. But don't expect a table: just stake a claim on a picnic bench and chat up some locals. If you time it right, the sky will be blue, the October air sweet and crisp—and you'll eat your gourmet lunch out of a brown paper box, surrounded by the fields where your kale and squash were growing not too long ago.



Finally, if you've spent a fair amount of your time in weatherworn graveyards or at haunted houses like The Horseman's Hollow at Philipsburg Manor, you might need a moment to reflect. In that case, go seek a moment of solitude at one of my favorite but perhaps less visited spots in the area: Union Church of Pocantico Hills. For a few bucks, you can sit in one of the pews, ponder infinity, and gaze on a poignant collection of stained glass windows by Marc Chagall—not to mention Henri Matisse's very last work of art.

Or, just hunt down some more Halloween—because there's lots more to be had. Go get shivers up your spine gazing on the 5,000+ art-carved pumpkins at The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. Go on a hayride. Go sip hot apple cider and watch a parade. You might not get to do everything that Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow have to offer in one weekend—but it will be fun trying!



Lisa Van Allen is the author of The Wishing Thread (Ballantine), a story of magic, sisterhood, knitting, and folklore in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.


Photo Credits (top to bottom): © June M Sobrito | Dreamstime.com, Andy Romer Photography, © Fearpogo | Dreamstime.com, courtesy of Andrea Cirillo, © Jeffrey

5 Reasons to Visit Halifax Now

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It may be the largest city in Atlantic Canada, but history-meets-hip Halifax retains a pleasantly small-town feel while packing in plenty of diversions. Neat and lively neighborhoods are set back from the atmospheric waterfront promenade, fronting the city's scenic harbor (second only in size to Sydney, Australia's), where Haligonians (as the locals are known) are afforded a high-quality standard of living. Visitors can easily set out on foot to explore the city's compact quarters, chockfull of insightful museums, historic buildings, artsy shops, and a burgeoning food-and-brewery scene. Here are five reasons to visit Nova Scotia's capital right now, not including the fabulous fall foliage that's currently on display.
1. THE WATERFRONT
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Halifax's two-mile-long waterfront boardwalk, lining the sparkling harbor, is the city's bustling hub, beckoning visitors with cafés and restaurants; shops and galleries; entertainers and buskers; Segway, bike, and walking tours; historic ships and minor monuments; and boat tours and ferries that depart from Cable Wharf. Stretching between the Halifax Seaport (and cruise ship terminal) at its southern end, and the Casino Nova Scotia to the north, the promenade connects a slate of major attractions, including the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Seaport Farmers' Market, and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (see more on each below). Well worth a visit, too, are the Historic Properties, where historic timber-frame and stone warehouses have been reimagined as atmospheric shops, eateries, and pubs.
2. FOOD & BREW SCENE
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Halifax embraced the farm- (and boat-!) to-table culinary culture long before it was hip. Naturally, locally sourced seafood is a big deal here, with lobster, scallop, and chowder dishes galore, but don't overlook comfort-food staples like the gyro-like, Turkish-inspired donair (pita stuffed with shaved-and-spiced beef, topped with a sweet sauce made from condensed milk); try one from a "Pizza Corner" vendor at the intersection of Blowers and Grafton Streets. Or, sample some of the city's best culinary spots via a guided outing with Local Tasting Tours, which offers several, multi-stop tour variations—try their Downtown SOMO Food Tour to sample fresh greens and gelato at the Seaport Farmers' Market, the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in North America; scallops at the historic Halliburton House Inn; risotto and Nova Scotia wines at one of the city's oldest Italian restaurants; and more.

The city has also been embracing a craft brewing boom in the last few years (sample well-crafted, small-batch flights at Garrison Brewery Co.), while the last decade has seen a viticultural revolution in the surrounding Annapolis Valley, about an hour outside the city (try a chauffeured and guided tour out of Halifax with Grape Escapes Nova Scotia Wine Tours).
3. CANADIAN MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION AT PIER 21



Fresh from a massive $30 million renovation and expansion that nearly doubled its original size, Canada's equivalent of Ellis Island unfolds at the country's former waterfront immigration gateway, Pier 21. Set within the historic ocean liner terminal and immigration shed where almost a million new immigrants to Canada were processed between 1928 and 1971, the museum space has been brilliantly converted to contain multimedia and hands-on displays that bring the Canadian immigration story to life, spanning arrivals from hundreds of years ago through to present day. Visitors can view immigrants' personal effects (like old trunks and archival photos); explore a replica ship cabin and dining quarters common to twentieth-century immigrants; browse an audio collection of immigrant oral histories; trace their own family's immigration in the Scotiabank Family History Centre; and much more.
4. MARITIME MUSEUM OF THE ATLANTIC



In this city by the sea, so much local history and culture is bound to the ocean. Uncover Nova Scotia's strong maritime ties at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, fittingly situated along Halifax's waterfront. Visitors can explore regional maritime heritage via myriad shipbuilding and naval exhibits, with transporting exhibition spaces that spill over into an old ship chandlery and onto the retired hydrographic vessel, CSS Acadia, berthed out back. Two dominant displays are related to Halifax's role in the 1912 Titanic tragedy, showcasing an impressive and sobering collection ofTitanic artifacts (the city was the closest major port to the ship's sinking site) and the Halifax Explosion of 1917 (documenting the largest explosion on the planet, prior to the atomic bomb).
5. HALIFAX CITADEL



Walk off that donair with the uphill trek to Canada's most visited national historic site, the star-shaped Halifax Citadel, the fourth in a series of forts to have been built on the site, dating back to 1749. While most visitors today appreciate the sweeping photo-op views out over the harbor, this position was more practically chosen for its strategic position to defend the city. The citadel does a good job in bringing history to life, with reenactors convincingly depicting members of the historic 78th Highlanders Regiment (and their pipe band) and the 3rd Brigade Royal Artillery, allowing visitors to imagine what life was like for the soldiers who once lived and worked at this fort. (Real enthusiasts can even sign up for the ages-8-and-up "Soldier for a Day" program, to don a uniform and, for adults, to learn how to handle and fire a rifle.) Pop in to view the restored army barracks, guard room, and Army Museum, and be sure to time your visit for the noontime cannon fire salute and its related pageantry.


Photo credits (top to bottom): Courtesy of Wally Hayes (Halifax Waterfront); Courtesy of Local Tasting Tours (Scallops at Halliburton House Inn); Courtesy of Canadian Museum of Immigration (cool art installation)