Literary Field Trip - Walden Pond

A month or so ago, I read Walden for my Back to the Classics reading challenge. After I was finished, I really wanted to go see the place for myself. Thoreau wrote about Walden Pond with such reverence that I was convinced it had to be really special. Luckily for me, moving across the country to Connecticut meant that I was only a few hours away from it. After only a little bit of convincing my husband (because it was pretty cold at the time) we packed up the car and set off for Concord, Massachusetts.

Let me start off by saying that I am not exactly a seasoned traveler. I have been nowhere more interesting than Disney World in my entire life. I struggle with pretty serious anxiety, which is triggered by going to unfamiliar places, so vacations aren't necessarily the most fun prospect for me. However, I felt like I had to see Walden, so I pushed through my worries.

The parking lot for Walden Pond State Reserve is across the street from the pond itself. It's near the welcome center, gift shop, and the recreation of Thoreau's cabin, so we started our exploring there.

Thoreau's actual cabin is long gone, which is not surprising, considering that he built it himself out of secondhand materials in the 1800s. Visitors can look at this recreation though, to get a sense of what it looked like. It is tiny. Thoreau describes the measurements in Walden, but actually seeing it in front of you puts things in perspective. Furniture similar to what Thoreau had is inside the cabin, but when we visited, the door was locked. We had to settle for peeking in the windows.

  A neat statue of Thoreau stands outside the cabin.

 The welcome center houses a lot of little artifacts from Thoreau's life, as well as information about Walden. There's even a little activity for kids to use a set of ropes and weights to test the depth of a wooden model of the pond, just like Thoreau described in the book. The gift shop next door is run by the Thoreau Society, and contains a lot of nice souvenirs. It is honestly the best gift shop I have ever been in. It's full of literary things. My poor heart could barely stand the excitement. I bought a new copy of Walden (I couldn't resist), and a shirt. I regret not taking more pictures of these spots, but like I said, I am not a seasoned traveler, so I didn't think to take all the pictures I should have.

 After exploring those areas, we headed across the street to look at the pond itself. The walk there was gorgeous. It was fall, and the bright New England foliage was in full effect. Having lived in Florida so long, I am not used to seeing visual changes in the seasons. These kinds of sights are so cool and different to me.

 We turned a corner, and suddenly, all of Walden Pond stretched out before us. When I got my first real look at it, it honestly took my breath away. It was so calm and beautiful. Instantly, I understood the appeal of the place. It's quite a small pond and it's not fancy, but there's a quiet majesty to it. It feels important.

I couldn't believe I was standing on the same shores that Thoreau stood on. I have read so many books, about so many places. I've never traveled to one before.

There is a trail from the shore of the pond to the location of Thoreau's cabin. It's not too long of a walk, but it is a bit hilly. Everything is clearly marked and the cabin site is easy to find. After admiring the pond for a bit, we made our way over. It was a beautiful walk.
 

 The cabin site is decorated with a lovely quote from Walden, and the area where the cabin actually stood is roped off. People leave stones on the signs and surrounding area as a tribute to Thoreau. Some of the stones have encouraging words written on them. Some have personal goals. Some are just blank. 

Looking at all the stones made me feel some things I wasn't quite prepared for. There is a spiritual atmosphere hanging about the place. So many people with so many different hopes and dreams have traveled there. So many people have found peace in Thoreau's words. The idea that one man, living alone in the woods hundreds of years ago, could inspire all that is incredible.

This is the magic of reading. 

This is why literature is so important. 

This is why we must not forget the classics.

 I stood outside where Thoreau's door would have been and looked out at the pond. It was felt completely unreal that I was looking at the same view he looked at all those years ago. I felt like I understood Walden more now. I know why he spent chapters on ice melting and depth sounding. How could you not be endlessly fascinated by this?

 After exploring the cabin site, we set off to find his bean fields. It was another short walk, and it wasn't as well marked as other locations, but we eventually found it. This is where Thoreau planted the vegetables that he would primarily live off of during his stay.
 

We headed back down to the pond for a few more pictures before heading home. The sun was setting and made for an even more beautiful view. As I was standing there, soaking it all in, I knew that this trip would be one I remembered forever. It's hard to describe how much being at Walden meant to me. It left an impression on my heart. In that moment, I didn't feel anxious, or sad, or worried about anything. I was at peace. I felt connected to what I had read in Walden. I was so happy.

One thing is definitely clear to me now. I need to take more literary field trips.