A literary road trip

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

Last year I made a road trip to the Northeast of the US. It was memorable for several reasons. One of them is because I got to spend a couple of days in Salem, and I loved it! I mentioned the experience in another post. The other reason was that I got to visit several iconic places related to literature. It ended up being a literary road trip.

Edith Wharton’s country house

In the heart of The Berkshires you will find Edith Wharton’s country house, The Mount, in Lenox, Massachusetts. I didn’t know that she had designed the house herself, and of course, written a book about it. While visiting her house, you have an idea of what her life looked like back then. The place is gorgeous, but at the same time is cozy and familiar.

The Providence Athenæum 

Such a charming old library near Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The Providence Athenæum is a member-supported subscription library, but the building is open to the public. The cracking wood floors and the smell of old books transport you to centuries gone by.

The Boston Public Library

Third-largest library system in the US. The Central Library building is magnificent, with imposing lion sculptures on the great hall. I was surprised to see how many people were studying in a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning.

MIT Barker Library

MIT’s Great Dome on the fifth floor of the Barker Library is breathtaking! It is open to the public. The staff is super friendly, even though it was very clear that we were not university students.

Stephen King’s house

Stephen King’s house is an iconic tourist place in Bangor, Maine. I couldn’t let this out of our road trip. It seems he doesn’t live there anymore since 2021, when he moved to Florida. But it’s nice to think that most of his stories were created within those walls.

Besides these, I still visited other libraries and bookstores during that trip. When you have a chance, I heartily suggest doing a literary road trip. We have no shortage of themes and places to visit. Let me know if you have done something similar or if it is in your plans. Leave that in the comments!