Revisiting My Inspirational Summer Vacation

Remember when you were a kid and during the first week back at school you told everyone what you did for summer vacation. That’s how I felt about returning home this summer, but I held onto it for a while, savoring all the goodness I received. For me, this summer’s trip was about location as writer inspiration. While I didn’t plan the trip, imagine my surprise when my partner laid out all the writer places I would experience. Now Fall has begun and since temperature wise it still feels like summer, I decided to revisit the inspirations of my vacation in the woods of Western Massachusetts.

It is exciting to step into the creative spaces – of artists and literary greats. These are places I enjoy revisiting and reimagine. That’s the point of this post. I wanted to remember what uplifts me. I hope you enjoy these basics.

Nature. Beauty. Connections. Please click the links. You’ll be amazed at the information available.

Here are the five places that impacted me.

First, I visited Robert Frost‘s home, where he wrote: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Perhaps the heat inspired him. This winter poem was written in the summer.

On this trip, I discovered that my writing friend was also vacationing in the area. We toured this home together.

Second, I returned to Daniel Chester French’s summer home called Chesterwood. It has been ten years since I visited and I couldn’t wait to be there again. This is the location where French created Abraham Lincoln’s statue for the Lincoln Memorial. The light value and the creative energy was astounding and magical. Aren’t the woods inviting?

Third, Herman Melville’s home.  It was daunting to see the view out his writing window. Mt. Greylock and the whale intertwined. Melville loved fairies. Local artists created fairy homes in his woods. The first graphic is one of the artist fairy creations.

Fourth, Edith Wharton’s Summer Home, The Mount. Besides the immaculate grounds, I loved seeing the art displayed in nature. Going deep into the woods for a spiritual journey is a common exploration. This trip with all these special author locations took me on multiple journeys which highlighted the feel of the area. It was invigorating.