Sleepy Hollow Hotels: Tarrytown House

The name of this post is a bit of a misnomer. As far as I can tell, Sleepy Hollow itself has no hotels. Seems like a bit of an oversight, but whatever. The neighboring town, Tarrytown, has plenty to choose from. Last weekend we got the chance to stay at Tarrytown House Estate, a beautiful hotel on the grounds of what was once two separate estates belonging to the Biddle and King families.

All of the families' old buildings appear to have been kept more or less intact, providing a wide variety of rooms for guests to choose from. That said, affordability is a factor, the normal guest rooms range from about $250-500 per night (give or take) and the guest rooms in the original buildings cost considerably more than those in the recent additions. Not being Rockefellers, we chose one of the newer buildings, which was a pretty standard hotel room. However, if you're willing to spend the money you can stay in King's House (white mansion), the cottage, or one of the other pricier options.

What sets Tarrytown House apart from a normal hotel is the details. Of course, the property is beautiful, but it's pieces like the exquisite statues and interesting old telephones that make it special. All meals are served in the Biddle Mansion (top photo), which provides huge windows and spectacular vistas. There are a variety of activities outdoors and a heated indoor pool to enjoy on colder days.

scenes from the weekend: trees

I've always had an odd fascination with trees. I used to draw them all the time and when I was nine I realized that if I kept splitting each branch in my drawings over and over, they would start to look a bit like the live oaks which had so long been the sturdy playhouse for my imagination. Even now when my hands reach for the pencil they start to draw whirling and splitting branches in the same patterns they've been making for over a decade.

This weekend my family came to visit me and we got out of the city, traveling via train up the Hudson to where the leaves have started to change. We picked apples, wandered cemeteries, ate the last ice cream before winter, and all the time my camera was constantly at hand, ready to snap pictures of new trees.