Sleepy Hollow, NY

There's a definite hint of mystery about Sleepy Hollow. Perhaps it's the historic architecture or the wooded hills. Maybe it's the narrow, winding roads that seem to vanish around every bend. Perhaps it's the famous residents buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery … Andrew Carnegie, Elizabeth Arden, Washington Irving, Brooke Astor, and even William Rockefeller. The tombstones and mausoleums alone would inspire a bit of a shiver … and then, of course, there's the legend. When Washington Irving wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," published in 1820, Sleepy Hollow was known as North Tarrytown. The story, set in 1790, focuses on a headless horseman -- a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during battle.

While living in Sleepy Hollow will make friends and family want to visit every October, there's much more to this historic village than ghosts and legends. Sleepy Hollow, which was settled sometime in the mid-1600s, is stunning. Located along the Hudson River about 25 miles north of Manhattan, Sleepy Hollow has amazing parks, riverfront hiking trails, lakes, and forests to explore. And while you'll definitely want to visit Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground (dating back to 1685) to see the monuments and tombstones, you'll also want to see Kykuit -- the former home of the Rockefeller family and now a National Historic Landmark open for tours.

Sleepy Hollow offers some amazing events year-round. Of course, there's Oktoberfest, the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze, and a fascinating event called Champagne Cocktails with the Dead, but there are also concerts at the Music Hall, Outdoor Free Summer Concerts, Sunset Jazz at Lyndhurst, and tours of the iconic Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse. The Rockefeller State Park Preserve, covering 1,000 acres, provides fishing, hiking, horseback riding, sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.