The Robert Frost Summer Cabin, The Homer Noble Farm
The Road Not Taken leads me to finally take it…
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not take them both…” (Robert Frost).
I think almost everyone remembers this Robert Frost poem and we associate it with so many things in our lives. Every decision we have taken involves the “road not taken”. We wonder if we took the right path. Robert Frost said that this poem was about not agonizing over past mistakes or decisions but just living and enjoying the moment that you are in. (paraphrase from the article)
Robert Frost lived in many places during his life, from New England to Ann Arbor Michigan, to Florida, to England. But since he resided in so many locations around New England, I think New England must have agreed with him the most.
Frost had many homes over the years. in his early years (1900-1911) he bought a farm in Derry New Hampshire where he tried his hand at poultry farming. He wasn’t successful at this venture and went back to teaching. One thing I have noted at this location in Ripton, and the Derry New Hampshire farm, he had or started small apple orchards. Maybe it was merely by chance that in both locations he would have apple trees but it is interesting to ponder. Another article is about his “Frost Place” This was in Franconia New Hampshire, where he and his family stayed from 1915-1920.
Getting to the Robert Frost Summer Cabin at Homer Noble Farm
This location is just off Route 125 in the Green Mountains of Vermont. You may see it listed as the Robert Frost Wayside (as listed in Google maps). Either way, you have found his summer home. He would spend summers here in the last 30 years of his life. During much of this time, he was living in Cambridge Massachusetts. He bought this property in 1940.
You pull into the parking lot but you won’t see the cabin from there. To get to his cabin, don’t go to the farmhouse ahead of you, instead, go around it to the west side of the building and you should see a worn tractor path that heads past the house. Follow this until you see the low three-room cabin at the top of the hill. I suspect that there are tours with more information, but I found this Wikipedia article good information.
The view from his cabin is probably why he had a screened-in porch on the side of the building, to enjoy the warm summer evenings. In the fall, he could take walks over to his apple orchard and enjoy fresh apples, or look out over the valley and nearby hills.
Nearby Options for exploring
Where you go from here is up to you. Route 125 is a great drive whether you go west or East. Both areas are extremely scenic and mid to late Oct will be great areas to explore. For instance, heading south on Route 7 you could go to another Robert Frost location which is the Robert Frost Stone House which the College of Bennington maintains which we still have to visit. This area is also home to many covered bridges.
Heading East to Route 100 and it all depends on where we are in October and the type of season we’re having. Once you are back on Route 100 you can head north to Granville and Moss Glen Falls or further to Stowe and Smugglers Notch, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill and so much more.
South on 100 is also full of opportunities, wonderful little towns like Weston, Londonderry, and Peru. Even though it sounds like you’ll need your passport, all you really need is a sense of exploration. Questions? leave a note in the comments.
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
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Loved this post as it transported me back to beautful New England. I’ve visited all of Frost’s home’s and his grave in Bennington. I live not far from Little Iddens, Frost’s home in Gloucestershire UK and love The Road Not Taken so much so we used it at my husbands funeral. It was very apt for him.
Well Sue, I will consider my article fully successful as it had a strong meaning for you. That makes me very happy!
Our 2 week trip from Louisiana to VT in last October was supposed to be our once in a lifetime…..but these emails are already making me itch to go back!
Hi Karen, sounds like you had a great trip and we’ll be here, when you come back next time. A New England fall foliage vacation is like a lays potatoes chip… you can’t just do it once… 🙂
Hi Jeff,the one you haven’t yet visited is the only one I have visited. I have some photos of it (of course). This one, too, has a little trail through the woods with little signs with quotes from his poems along the way. Convenient to photograph them if you’re ever looking for quotes to append to something! I wonder whether the people who put up those signs in the field in Sugar Hill got the idea from that. Like Sue, I’ve also seen his grave in Bennington VT. Believe it or not, I appreciate the way you include information about where to eat in these posts. My son once gave me a book of Frost’s poems illustrated with color photographs; I still have it. Many many years ago.
Thanks Nancy, I think you’ll find that when I with Lisa I will stop for regular meals… I’m more likely to just stop for coffee or a similar fill me up… when I’m by myself… Sometimes I stop at a diner and see if they have a blue cheese burger (that is how I determine the over all quality of a joint) 🙂
But in general I’ll go many miles before I fill me up… Except coffee… I usually stop for that and if I see a general store, I like to stop and pick up a snack… but if they have home made items… 🙂 I gain a few pounds…
I’ve got a pocket book of Robert Frost’s poems @1960 sitting here by Louis Untermeyer