HAWTHORNE, N.Y. -- People have been there before you, and they've left footprints.

Babe Ruth's grave is well-manicured, but with a few inches of snow on the ground, that's not what you notice. The approach to nearly every grave at Gate of Heaven Cemetery is snowed in, blocked by frost and ice. But leading up to this one, the final resting place of baseball's greatest legend, there is a path in the snow.

The foot traffic to Ruth's grave is steady and consistent in all seasons, and it has long been something of a baseball pilgrimage for thousands of fans around the world. There's even a bus tour that brings fans to visit Ruth once a year -- right before Opening Day -- as a rite of passage for the new season.

And in some cases, fans commune with The Babe as if he were still alive. Ruth, buried for nearly 66 years, still inspires fans to leave gifts. Sometimes, a gift is as simple as a bat or a signed baseball, or perhaps a ribbon from a local youth tournament. Last week, a reporter visited and found a cheese danish offered in tribute.