In the mood to commune with Henry David Thoreau? In New England, it's possible. A mere nine miles from Brandeis, you can see exactly where Thoreau made his cabin and lived in nature, which inspired possibly his most famous text, Walden. Walden Pond, hidden in Concord, Mass.-and apparently unreachable by GPS, according to a recent New York Times article-is one of those New England gems one must visit during their four year stay at Brandeis.

On a popular beach day at the Pond, you can find yourself sharing the sand with hundreds of other New Englanders, whether they're literary enthusiasts, nature enthusiasts or just looking for a place to spend the day. But even on Labor Day, when day-trippers all over try to get out of the office and into the world, if you walk around the 1.7-mile radius of Thoreau's tranquil oasis you'll find quiet strips of land. There's just enough water to dip your toes in to think and realize that even just miles outside of a major city, nature is plentiful.

If you don't think about it while you're at the Pond, you'll certainly realize when you lose cell phone reception and GPS service. This complicates attempts to tweet a picture of the delicious frozen treats at Dairy Joy, in Weston, Mass., but makes for a much more encompassing (and delicious) trip into nature.

Certainly visit this fall, while the leaves are changing colors and before the water is too cold for a quick dip. Don't have a car? Fear not: there will be an opportunity to do so this fall. The "Quest Through Concord" trip, part of the Fall Fest events Oct. 11 to 15, will include a tour of Walden Pond and the nearby Concord Museum. Or, you could do it the old-fashioned way and walk, like Prof. Sabine Von Mering (GER), who walked with students from her course "GECS 118B Human/Nature: European Perspectives on Climate Change" from Brandeis to Walden Pond last spring.