Archive for the 'Things to do and see in Westchester' Category
OK, I confess! I am a sucker for fall foliage and fall weather. This year has been a banner year for leaf peepers. Everywhere I go, I feel as if I am in the midst of a blazing fire show. In my previous post on the Rockefeller Preserve I displayed some photos from mid-October. These pictures from the Tarrytown lakes were taken later in the season – the first week of November. But what a display! The colors had deepened the yellows are morphing into a deeper more opaque gold and the reds are getting richer in color by the day. It really looks like Westchester County is on fire – a cool fire, because there is that wonderful fall snap in the air.
The Tarrytown Lakes provide a wonderful easy-going walking experience. Perfect for either biking or strolling or serious walking. The trail is about 1 mile long and the main portion is linear. Perfect for a nice two mile walk on a fall day. Dogs must be leashed and you must pick up after them.
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OK, I am digressing to my former life. I was a biology major in college and for many years pursued a career as a research scientist. I still teach at the undergraduate level as an adjunct professor. One of my favorite labs teaches students why leaves change color in the fall. When student’s crush green leaves into a solvent – and separate the pigments using a process called “paper chromatography” the different colored pigments separate out from the green chlorophyll – showing the wide array of color pigments that leaves possess. The pigments are there (carotenoids and anthrocyanins) even when the leaf is green, but you can’t see them because the amount of green chlorophyll simply overwhelms them.
As summer turns to fall, the days grow shorter and the chlorophyll starts to break down. This allows the other pigments in all their splendor to be revealed. Some years, the “show” is more vivid.
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Westchester County is the ultimate Halloween community. After all, we have Sleepy Hollow! When people think of Sleepy Hollow, their thoughts usually turn to Washington Irving’s famous tale – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The story of Ichabod Crane being pursued relentlessly by a headless horseman has been a Halloween favorite since its publication nearly 200 years ago.
In that spirit, Historic Hudson Valley hosts Legend Weekend with both day and evening events at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow. The Manor is a remarkable restoration that takes you back in time to about 1750, when the Manor was a farming, milling and trading center. Visitors are shown what life was like as they explore the grounds. The grounds border the location of the “Headless Horseman Bridge” where Ichabod Crane supposedly disappeared forever.
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OK, I confess! I am a sucker for fall foliage and fall weather. This year has been a banner year for leaf peepers. Everywhere I go, I feel as if I am in the midst of a blazing fire show. In my previous post on the Rockefeller Preserve I displayed some photos from mid-October. These pictures from the Tarrytown lakes were taken later in the season – the first week of November. But what a display! The colors had deepened the yellows are morphing into a deeper more opaque gold and the reds are getting richer in color by the day. It really looks like Westchester County is on fire – a cool fire, because there is that wonderful fall snap in the air.
