I don’t know where the time goes. It seems I am sometimes able to keep up and sometimes I just rush through life without looking back or thinking twice. It’s been many weeks since I’ve updated the blog so I have some catching up and thinking twice to do. Here goes…
At the end of July it was our extreme pleasure to take Alanna and Aaron and visit my brother and his family in New York and New Jersey. To make it even more fun, my parents decided to take the trip as well. We spent about half of our time in Sleepy Hollow and Tarry Town and the other half in New Jersey.
Sleepy Hollow is the Sleepy Hollow you are thinking of. Washington Irving made the place famous in his tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Strange enough, Sleepy Hollow was just a local name and not an official city until the 1990′s. I believe it was known as North Tarrytown until they finally decided to capitalize on the name “Sleepy Hollow”. It is actually a tremendous little place with old 17th century farms and a few castles to boot. My favorite part was the cemetery though. The same one Icabod Crane had to get to in order to evade The Headless Horseman. While Icabod never made it, we did! It is a fabulous old cemetery that is in the hills with lots of big old trees. During the day it is very Gothic with its old headstones, crypts, and mausoleums. At night I am certain it is haunted, but alas, it closes at 4:00 pm. I can understand why, but it was unfortunate, I would have loved to take Aaron and Alanna in at night!
The cemetery is also full of famous people. It’s citizens include Washington Irving, Leona Helmsley, Brooke Astor, Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and more. There are even many Van Tassels, one of the families in Irving’s tale.
There is also a great little river that runs through it. Remember the bridge Icabod had to cross to be safe? This is the river it spans. The bridge is a modern bridge now and it was disappointing. Here are a few pics of the area:
Washington Irving's Headstone
Old Dutch Church in the cemetery. An excellent building!
River that flows through the cemetery.
Berrett boys on vacation!
Alanna playing at the/in the river.
Alanna at the river again.
Of course Aaron spent time in the river too.
The food in Sleepy Hollow was excellent. We particularly enjoyed the Indian and Greek food. It was the first time many on the trip had eaten these types of food, so that was a lot of fun too. Everyone enjoyed it.
While in New Jersey, we also hit the Jersey Shore. The “scenery” wasn’t all that great.
I'm the painfully white guy from Idaho.
What's a trip to New York without riding the subways? I love the subways!
Lyndhurst Castle
We also spent time at Morristown where Washington spent one winter. We also visited Jockey Hollow. It’s a place where the revolutionary soldiers spent one winter in horrible conditions.
My brother’s office faces the site of the old Twin Towers. We were able to go up into his office and check out the view. The building you see being constructed is the Freedom Tower. The building at the far right is new since the bombing. In the lower center you can see the memorial fountain which is still under construction. He does have a pretty cool view!
World Trade Center Site.
While visiting New York, Aaron wasn’t feeling too well so he and Chris went home with my brother and his family. That left Alanna and I and my parents alone to explore New York and to find our way back home via subway and train. I loved it.
Brooklyn Bridge
Alanna in China Town.
Alanna and I in Little Italy.
While visiting Little Italy, we ate dinner at a little place, Italian of course. The streets are lined with restaurants and I am sure each one of them is excellent. The place smells delicious!
The Berrett family hits Ellis Island. According to Aaron, it is boring...
Aaron in the grand hall where imigrants were processed.
Obligatory visit to the Statue of Liberty.
Aaron checking out the NY skyline.
Alanna too!
While in New Jersey we also hit an Ethiopian restaurant. They serve the food family stile sans utensils. It was fun and the food good.
The vacation came and went quickly. We have some great memories though and are so glad we went. Thanks to Trevor, Sherry, Carter, and Holland for allowing us to come spend time with you. We hope to see you soon!
