Day 7: December 27, 2023
Graves on a Gray Day

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Cris pointed out a bakery last night that seemed within walking distance of the hotel but as we continued to climb up hill, I decided it wasn't walkable after all and said so. Then, when I punched it into my phone this morning, I saw how close it was and decided to walk after all. It really was all downhill including the stretch in the photo which was actually labeled. I think I put more effort into picking an almond croissant from all the goodies at Patisserie Didier Dumas than I put into getting there.

But now I had to return. I avoided that super steep hill by taking a slightly different path back but a light rain had developed while I was eating and someone was teasing me by parking a car that looked like mine almost in front of the place. A clue as to the climb involved is that, while both directions measured 0.6 miles in length, getting to the bakery was estimated at 12 minutes. The estimated time for getting back was 16 minutes. I don't know what my actual time was.

Thankfully, the climb was a little more interesting than the descent. Part of it was beside Nyack Brook which a sign said had been used as a landmark on the Underground Railroad. There was just a little more climbing to do once I reached the hotel lot entrance


After a little recovery time in my room, I set out for Sleepy Hollow. The phone said it was about twenty minutes away across the nearby Governor Cuomo Bridge but when I punched it into the Garmin, I got a near one hour route north over the Bear Mountain Bridge. The phone indicated there were tolls involved, the GPS didn't, and I attributed the different routing to that. I had been think of exploring the Hudson a little bit anyway so had no problem embracing Garmin's route and heading for Bear Mountain. As I drove north then south along the river, I could tell that this would be an extremely scenic drive in fair weather and it was an enjoyable one even in light rain under a gray sky.

I did step briefly into the stone building housing Sleepy Hollow Cemetery's offices but I didn't need to. Free maps are available in a wall-mounted rack by the door. Walter Chrysler's mausoleum (There's a better look at the name here.) was my first stop simply because my car was pointed that way when I started my drive through the cemetery. I then headed to the Carnegie plot with stops at the Bronze Lady and William Rockefeller's mausoleum along the way. I knew nothing about the Bronze Lady at the time and stopped only because it was noted on the map. I've since learned that it has it's own legend. Separate stones mark the graves of Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise with some combined details on the cross beyond.

This is the Headless Horseman Bridge which the map dutifully explains is not the original. The horseman's possible churchyard parking location is marked by a sign just up the road. I snapped a picture of Old Dutch Church from outside the cemetery.

The section of the cemetery containing Washington Irving's grave is currently off limits to vehicles so I had to hoof it there. I obeyed "keep out" signs signs at the Irving family plot and grabbed photos of the plaque and Washington's tombstone from the fence line. The flags by the stone honor his service in the War of 1812.

My GPS had no problem routing me back to my hotel on the Cuomo Bridge making me initially think my toll based explanation of the earlier routing was nonsense. I have since learned that only eastbound vehicles are charged. A win for Garmin.

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