Road Trip - Larchmont

With temps in the high sixties and access to a car last week, I went for a stroll up the road apiece to broaden my horizons. This post is part "road trip" and part of my "walk around the neighborhood" series. How would you like this view to be within the confines of where you live? The lucky residents of Larchmont get to enjoy the fresh air and fabulous sunsets of Manor Park right in their backyard. The rocky coastline of this little New York village has a walkway with gazebos and benches for gazers to stop and rest. I happen to know the area from the other side- that is, the water side. After learning to sail last summer, our racing team spends a lot of time in these waters. Just a 20 minute ride from City Island, it's a nice place to get a little exercise or sit and read a good book. 

Boo!

These photos are from The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze in the Hudson Valley near Tarrytown and the area of Washington Irving's famous story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Van Cortlandt Manor is the host of the Blaze, with hot cider and hot chocolate to keep you warm on a chilly autum night. It is also presented as the home of the party at the beginning of the story before Ichabod Crane sets out into the woods- a fitting setting for giving any visitor the creeps.

You can meander through the grounds where there are magnificent displays for Halloween all made out of illuminated pumpkins. Several carvers also compete in a contest that tests their skills. My favorite part was a section close to the water that is roped off. It is a long, darkened dirt road that heads into the woods. If you stand still and listen carefully, you can hear the galloping footsteps of the headless horesman as he rides off into the night.