A Season Away - Vacationing in the Early 1900s, When Time and Health Were the Luxury

At the turn of the 20th century, a vacation was not a break from work so much as a temporary relocation of life. Families packed trunks, not suitcases. They stayed for weeks, sometimes months. And they traveled not to escape stress, but to escape heat, illness, and the soot of industrial cities.

Nowhere did this pattern play out more clearly than along Michigan’s Lake Huron shoreline, where small towns like Port Austin became seasonal refuges. Hotels such as the Pointe of Pines Hotel stood at the center of this early tourism economy, welcoming guests who believed that fresh air, pine forests, and cool lake breezes could restore both body and spirit.

Who Could Afford to Vacation?

Vacationing in the early 1900s was not democratic. It was largely reserved for the middle and upper classes—business owners, professionals, managers, and skilled tradesmen with steady income and flexible schedules. Factory workers and farmers rarely left home for extended periods. Paid time off was uncommon, and travel itself required money and leisure time that most families did not have.

That said, early tourism was not only about wealth. It was also about priority. Some families saved all year to send a mother, child, or elderly relative away for the summer. Others shared rooms or boarded with local families to reduce costs. A stay at a resort hotel might last an entire season, but guests often negotiated weekly or monthly rates.

For those who could afford it, a summer away was viewed as an investment—in health, longevity, and family stability.

Vacationing for Health

Health was one of the strongest drivers of early tourism. Doctors routinely prescribed lake air, rest, and sunlight for conditions such as tuberculosis, asthma, nervous exhaustion, and childhood frailty. Before antibiotics and modern medicine, climate was treatment.

Lake Huron towns promoted themselves accordingly. Port Austin offered clean water, steady breezes, and pine forests thought to purify the air. Resort hotels advertised quiet surroundings, nutritious meals, and regular schedules. Guests rose early, ate simply, and spent long hours outdoors.

Children were often sent ahead of parents for the entire summer. Mothers followed. Fathers arrived later, staying for a week or two when business allowed. This rhythm was common across the Great Lakes region.

Getting to Port Austin

Reaching Port Austin in the early 1900s required patience. There were no highways and no bridges across the Thumb. Most travelers arrived by rail and boat.

Visitors typically took a train to Bay City or Bad Axe, then transferred to smaller rail lines or lake steamers. Passenger boats ran along Saginaw Bay, stopping at resort towns during the summer season. From there, guests completed the journey by horse-drawn carriage, wagon, or early automobile.

By the 1910s and 1920s, automobiles became more common, but roads were still primitive. Travel guides warned visitors to plan carefully and expect delays. Arriving at a place like the Pointe of Pines Hotel after a long journey was part of the experience—and part of its appeal.

Life at a Resort Hotel

Resort hotels such as the Pointe of Pines were designed for long stays, not overnight turnover. Guests took meals together in large dining rooms. Men wore jackets to dinner. Women changed clothes several times a day. Social rules were observed.

Days followed a gentle routine. Mornings were quiet, often reserved for reading, letter writing, or supervised children’s activities. Afternoons brought swimming, boating, fishing, walking trails, and carriage rides. Evenings featured music, conversation, and organized socials.

There were no televisions, no radios in the earliest years, and no sense of urgency. Entertainment was local and personal. Guests formed friendships that lasted decades and returned year after year to the same hotel, often requesting the same room.

Activities by the Lake

Port Austin’s appeal was its simplicity. Guests swam in Lake Huron, fished from docks, picnicked along the shoreline, and explored nearby landmarks by boat. Sailing and rowing were popular. So were nature walks and photography, which surged in popularity with the rise of postcards.

Fishing excursions were common, with guides taking visitors into the bay. Children collected stones, shells, and driftwood. Adults read newspapers days late and rarely complained.

The point was not excitement. It was rest.

A Different Kind of Travel

By the 1930s, this style of vacation began to fade. Shorter stays, automobiles, and changing work patterns reshaped tourism. The Great Depression dealt a heavy blow to resort hotels, including the Pointe of Pines, which closed after decades of seasonal operation.

But for a brief window in American history, vacationing meant slowing life down. It meant believing that place could heal, that time away mattered, and that a summer by the lake was worth the journey.

In Port Austin, among the pines and along the water, that belief once filled entire seasons.