(There were no travel bloggers in 1890. There were no blogs. No Web. But there were more and more people in America ready to do some traveling and looking for places to go. So if there was such a thing as a travel blog in the last decade of the 19^th century, this is what I think it might have looked like.)

4. Mohonk Mountain House

What Messrs. Alfred and Albert Smiley promise visitors to their Victorian castle in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York is stewardship, reflection and renewal. Located on the half-mile long Lake Mohonk, this model Christian resort is a place for the busy city dweller and his family to experience nature.

Mr. Alfred Smiley, who was a Quaker school teacher, bought what was then a run down tavern situated on 300 acres of scenic beauty 21 years ago. The Smileys opened the resort that same year, 1869, playing host to a group of guests from Philadelphia. They have since improved and expanded the Mohonk Mountain House and have added a bowling alley, a spacious dining room and even a telegraph office.

While bowling is one recreational activity available to Mohonk guests, the resort is more importantly a celebration of the natural environment. Guests can enjoy fishing and boating in the lake or just sit in one of the summerhouses (covered benches) situated along the carriage roads and take in the scenic beauty of this mountain setting.

The Mohonk Mountain House provides an ideal respite for businessmen in the city who can get away for a week or two. It is only a few hours train ride from New York City to Palz Point where visitors can take a 90 minute carriage ride up the mountain to the resort. For those who can’t leave their businesses for that long they’ll find Mohonk to be an ideal place to send their wives and children for the summer as it is close enough to commute on weekends. Women visitors are especially likely to enjoy having all their meals served in the Smileys’ dining room.

And at the Mohonk Mountain House you can be assured that the highest moral standards are maintained. Alcohol is prohibited, as is gambling and dancing. No carriages are allowed to arrive or depart on the Sabbath. There is a 10-minute prayer service daily as well as a non-denominational Sunday service.

Guests at this oasis in the Catskills have included Presidents Chester Arthur and Rutherford Hayes as well as former First Lady Julia Grant. Mr. Albert Smiley is well known for his civic mindedness and for the past seven years has been hosting the Lake Mohonk Conference of Friends of the Indians, a group he brings together to discuss how to improve the living standards of Native Americans.

A stay at the Mohonk Mountain House may seem a bit pricey to some at $25-$35 per week for a double room but all meals are included in that price. And the Smileys have been known to make financial accommodations for guests interested in a longer stay.

(See also The 1890 Travel Blogger posts about Atlantic City, ”
Wonderland,” and the Grand Tour of America.)