Car Guy Magazine Car Guy Magazine Issue 1014 | Page 36

they approached a flat portion of the Mohawk
Trail. Since this part of the trail afforded higher
speeds, the store owners wanted “something the
people could see before their momentum carried
them right by.”
The Charlemont Inn dates back to 1787
and is the last existing traditional country inn
on the Mohawk Trail. With only a dozen rooms,
plan your trip accordingly. From the start of
the automobile era, many families realized they
could make money by renting out rooms in
their homes. According to the Historic Auto
Trail Guide, residents entered the tourist home
business, usually by giving the old place a new
name (such as “The Elms”), parking cars in the
barn, and hanging one or more signs in the front
yard advertising “rooms” or “meals.” As the ability to cover greater distances at greater speeds
progressed, and hotels began to spring up along
the trail, all of these early tourist homes have re-

34 CarGuyMagazine.com