Thomas Cole National Historic Site, New York City

Smithsonian MagazineJun 8

America’s Original Travel Influencer Drew Up a Revolutionary Itinerary 200 Years Ago. There’s Still Plenty to See Along the Way

Follow along as we retrace the route one journalist laid out in “The Fashionable Tour,” from New York City to Niagara Falls, when memories of the fight for independence were still fresh

Preserved house and art gallery.

15 things in this story

New York Public LibraryMuseumHeld original copies of The Fashionable Tour.
The Fashionable TourPlaceEarliest practical travel guidebooks to the United States.
Catskill MountainsSightMountain range with a luxury resort.
Niagara FallsSightCountry's most renowned natural wonder.
AlbanyNeighborhoodState capital, end of Hudson steamship routes.
Erie CanalParkOpened a comfortable route west of Albany to Niagara.
Grand BanksRestaurantMoored vintage schooner bar and oyster restaurant.
West PointSightSite of a military academy and Fort Putnam.
Fort PutnamSightA 'mouldering ruin' at West Point.
TarrytownNeighborhoodLocation where Major John André was captured.
Catskill Mountain HouseHotelAmerica's first rural luxury resort.
Kaaterskill FallsSight260-foot cascades with a viewing platform.
Catskill State ParkSightPark with a lakeside trailhead.
Cedar GroveSightFederal-style manor, now a museum.
Thomas Cole National Historic SiteMuseumPreserved house and art gallery.

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Thomas Cole National Historic Site

In the coverage1 story

America’s Original Travel Influencer Drew Up a Revolutionary Itinerary 200 Years Ago. There’s Still Plenty to See Along the Way