MB: I have an idea of some of the fans you're referring to. Of course, every segment of fandom has its contingent of jackasses, and DS's is no exception.
I did get quite a few beautiful shots of the mansion and the grounds, as the fall foliage is just about at its peak. Perfect Halloween atmosphere! There were 500-some scarecrows all around the grounds, set up by local students, which were kind of cool. (There are several more shots from the trip at my
blog.) Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow were all done up for Halloween as well. There was a Halloween parade on Friday afternoon, but we bypassed it because there were five bazillion raging muggles all crowded into the area, which made getting around a bit problematic.
The ten-to-midnight lantern-light tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was a winner too.