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Photographing NY's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (in Hipstamatic)

It wasn't part of the plan, spending some of our Sunday afternoon with long-dead notable names, but sometimes these things just happen. They specifically happen when, during a spur-of-the-moment rental car weekend trip up the Hudson River Valley, we spot Sleepy Hollow Cemetery coming up on Google Maps Driving Directions on our iPhone.

There was a fork in the road. Go right and continue on to our planned brunch? Go left and head into the thicket of graves, cutting brunch short? Since the best experiences usually result from taking the least convenient option in moments like this, we veered left.

What resulted was a surprisingly happy hour manuevering the inclines and switchbacks of this hilly cemetery to visit The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving, gazillionaires Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, Walter Chrysler, Elizabeth Arden and the Helmsleys. We missed the Astors, so a return is already in order. You need to go. The photography opportunities alone are worth it, as we found out after firing up the Hipstamatic app and playing with our eeriest filters.

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Spookiest Small Towns: Heading to Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow was the real-life home of author Washington Irving and the fictional town where Ichabod Crane ran from the headless horseman. It's also a short half-hour drive from New York City and a nice Halloween-themed weekend trip.

Whereas Salem weathered some seriously dark times--and gave us the term "witch hunt"--all this small Westchester town had to do to earn its spooky association was provide a respite from NYC to the 18th century author.

Now, it maximizes its famously frightening name every year during the month of October. This weekend and next, the society that preserves Washington Irving's home opens it up to the public. At night, search for the headless horseman with one of several haunted hayrides or venture to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Irving himself is buried.

Related Stories:
· Village of Sleepy Hollow [Official Site]
· Spookiest Small Towns: A Wal-Mart of Frights [Jaunted]

[Photo: MB!]