Where has the speaker in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" stopped and why?

In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the speaker is riding his horse toward some unnamed destination and is still "miles" away when he decides to stop a moment.
There is no sign of civilization in this spot, no sign of a "farmhouse," and perhaps that solitude is just what the speaker longs for. He is situated between snow-filled woods and a frozen lake on "the darkest evening of the year." As he pauses, he takes special note of the peaceful silence: the only sound he can hear is an "easy wind" and a light snowfall.
The speaker is vaguely aware that he might know the owner of the property, but his house is in the "village," supporting the thought that he knows he will not be disturbed in his peaceful reflections of nature.
Because the speaker still has miles left in his journey in order to fulfill some unnamed "promises," this brief yet peaceful interaction with nature gives him a respite from the obligations of life.