Middlebury survived being almost entirely destroyed during the Revolutionary War to become the home of Vermont's original marble quarries, as well as a popular vacation destination, filled with charming country inns. Middlebury offers visitors the opportunity to shop for crafts, folk art and locally grown produce amidst beautiful woods and farmland. The nearby village of Ripton features the Robert Frost Wayside Trail, leading poetry fans through the woods that inspired his most famous poems.