Sunny Day At Sunnyside

We are having a wonderful time touring the Historic Hudson River Valley.

This is a great place to savor during a quick getaway.

We'll be spending some time here enjoying the Sleepy Hollow restorations and other attractions.

We began today with a tour of Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside.

A visit to Sunnyside is an enchanted adventure in a romantic landscape and a much-loved riverside home that has been charming visitors for generations.

Our guide told us about Washington Irving's storied past and how he came to be America's first internationally famous author, best remembered now for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other short stories. His characters, from Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane to the mysterious Headless Horseman and the comic Rip Van Winkle, are icons in American culture. Even Johnny Depp has added to their global renown.
A gently curved path leads to gorgeous views of the Hudson River and reveals the allure of Sunnyside's unique design, its intimate setting, its bucolic grounds, and its association with a beloved man of letters.

Sunnyside contains a large collection of Irving's original furnishings and accessories. In particular, all furniture and most accessories in his writer's study are original. The dining room, drawing room, and picture gallery, as well as most bedrooms, are open to the public and contain much of their original furnishings.

Irving never married but he came from a large family and at various times his brother and many other family relatives (including several beloved nieces) lived at Sunnyside with him.

He also entertained other authors and notables on this property.

And yes, he was named after George Washington and he actually met Washington when he was six years old. Irving's last major work was a multi-volumed biography of the Father of our Country.

BTW: Washington Irving was trained as a lawyer but he never really practices law. He was highly imaginative and creative and naturally became a man of letters.