Hunting for History- Where are Michigan's One Room Schoolhouses?

I enjoy traveling and history and I document everything through another hobby – photography.  Among my favorite subjects to photograph are one-room schoolhouses.

Michigan, Allegan County, Ganges FR District 1 (now an art gallery)

Okay, I am going to date myself but I attended a one-room country schoolhouse for a few years.  It was torn down a long time ago and a field of corn now grows where the schoolhouse once stood. 

Those schoolhouses that have survived may now serve as museums through preservation efforts by local historical societies.  Some have been converted into private residences, businesses, or are used by local government units.  Most have been torn down or have been left in a state of decay.  These disappearing structures represent a piece of history and looking for them is like going on a scavenger hunt.  I am ready to go hunting!

Deerfield Nature Park

Michigan may not be the covered bridge capitol of the mid-west, but it does have a number of covered bridges.  Some are old and historic while some are new and offer visitors the opportunity to see a replica of these quaint covered bridges from the “olden days”. 

A little Internet research revealed a covered bridge (not historic) in Deerfield Nature Park (about 6.5 miles west of Mount Pleasant in Isabella County, Michigan).  The 591-acre park has eight miles of hiking/biking trails. Trail maps show the location of the covered bridge (over the Chippewa River).  The park also has two swing bridges but our lack of time and daylight prevents us from hiking to them on this visit.

Today, it is all about finding and photographing the covered bridge.  We are told the bridge is about 3/4's of a mile down one of the trails.  We begin walking the Lewis Preston Trail (a two-track road).  Soon, we hear the rumblings of a small creek where a metal pedestrian bridge - the Lewis Preston Suspension Bridge - allows us to cross the creek without getting our feet wet.  

Lewis Preston Suspension Bridge

The trail splits and we keep veering right onto the River Loop Trail. The trail splits again and we continue veering right following the river.   It is along this section of the trail that we find a small seating area with a man-made water feature gurgling down to the river.  It is a peaceful spot but we can’t linger here very long.  We need to find the covered bridge before we lose our daylight.   

The trail splits again. I look to the right and there it is. We cross the covered bridge and spend about 15-20 minutes taking pictures and enjoying this peaceful scene. 

Deerfield Nature Park Covered Bridge

For more information about Deerfield Nature Park, click on the following link:

Deerfield Nature Park

Travel Daze

What can I say about travel days?  Some say driving there is half the fun but it can be stressful too.  No matter how hard I try to be organized something unexpected occurs (unreliable GPS info, detours, forgetting something important).  During these times, I wish Star Trek’s Scotty would beam me from my home to my vacation destination – no fuss … no muss … no stress … just let the vacation begin!  Don’t even get me started on flying somewhere!  Okay, now that I have said it …

Travel days can fill me with “foot-tapping” nervous energy. Will our flight be delayed or cancelled?  Will we have time to make our connecting flight?    Will there be any mechanical problems with the plane?  Will we encounter any air turbulence?  Will our seats be near someone who is coughing?  Will our baggage be on the luggage carouse when we arrive at our destination?

Saying a prayer for our health and safety helps to ease my travel day worries.

“Lord, be our guide and our protector
on the journey we are about to take.
Watch over us. Protect us from accidents.
Keep us free from harm to body and soul.
Help us be patient in any trouble which may come our way.
Keep us always mindful of Your presence and love.
Amen.“

Now, let the day begin.  First, we go through airport security.  We move through the maze of pathways zig-zagging back and forth until we reach the security point.  We take off our shoes and coats and walk through the x-ray machine while our carry-on pieces are being scanned.  Passengers are not allowed to bring any liquids in bottles larger than 3 ounces.  I want to drink water to keep myself hydrated and I think the airport prices for bottled water are outrageous.  

Here is my solution – Put an empty water bottle in your carry-on bag.  After you pass through security, go to a drinking fountain – let the water run for a few seconds – and fill your water bottle for free! 

We check the airport monitors to confirm our flight time and gate (yeah, no gate changes and marked as “on-time”).  Today’s technology allows the airlines to provide us with “up to the minute” changes via Internet, text, or automated phone message.  At our gate, we wait for the boarding process to begin.  Then, like sheep being herded into a corral, we board the plane. 

I breathe a quiet sigh of relief when I climb into my assigned seat (I usually have the middle seat and my husband has the aisle seat).  For the most part, the words “comfort” and “coach class” are not synonymous.  Oh sure, you can pay extra for a little more leg room in an “economy comfort” seat or maybe get an exit row seat (for safety reasons seats directly in front of exit rows do not recline!) but the middle seat is still uncomfortable. 

Here’s a tip.  When you book your flight for two, select the window seat and aisle seat leaving the middle seat vacant.  If the flight is not full, you may have all three seats to yourselves.  If someone does claim the middle seat, most of the time they are willing to change seats because they don’t want the middle seat either.  Better yet, select two aisle seats across from each other.  You are still sitting next to your travel partner and you both have easy access to the aisle.  

If you can afford it, consider flying first-class.  But do the perks (priority boarding, slightly bigger seats, free drinks, mediocre light meal) outweigh the higher cost?  That is your decision. 

Looking for seat advice when selecting your seats?  Click on the following link

Seat Guru

Suggestions for Staying Healthy While You Travel:  Now, I’m not a germ phobic person but I want to stay healthy especially when I travel.  Since some germs may linger on hard surfaces (like plastic and metal) for up to 24 hours, I use an antibacterial wipe to clean any surface that I am likely to touch during the flight - don't forget that seat belt buckle!  If I need to look at an item stored in the seat pocket in front of me, I wash my hands (or use an alcohol-based sanitizer) after I'm done with it.  Also, I wash my hands before eating and I try not to touch my nose, eyes, or mouth during the flight.  

Keep in mind the restrooms on planes are notoriously germ-filled places.  I use the paper hand towels whenever I have to touch something (the toilet lid and flush handle, faucets, door handles). 

If my trip involves “can’t miss” things to do, I might go the extra mile and take a supplemental tablet to help boost my immune system.  It’s like the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. 

Another health concern I have is using the air nozzle above me.  I always got sick whenever I had the air blowing on me.  When I stopped using it, I did not get sick as often.  Despite a report from NBC news (dated March 4, 2011) that states the re-circulated air in planes is better than the air you breathe in an office building, I chose not to have the air blowing on me.  To read the NBC news article, please click on the following link:

Does Airplane Air Really make You Sick?

Preparing for take-off includes the safety talk.  While safety is a serious issue, there are the flight attendants who provide the obligatory departure speech in an entertaining way like, "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover but there are only two ways out of this aircraft." 

I imagine some of the ways might go like this:  Listen to the plan, Dan – Lights down the aisle, Kyle - Slip out the wing, Bing - Exit out the door, Thor – Get off the plane, Jane and get out safely.

After all the final checks have been completed, our plane is cleared for take-off.   Those of us traveling from the northern states during the winter months may require the additional precaution of de-icing the plane.   Again, the de-icing process is an important safety factor but it will reduce your layover time in your connecting city.   So, unless your flight is non-stop to your final destination, consider flights with a longer layover in your connecting city 



Over the years, we have encountered a few “white-knuckle” flights but usually the planes can fly above or around the potentially rough areas.  Generally speaking, flying is still the safest and fastest way to travel.            

Here are a few ideas for easing discomforts during the flight.  Chewing gum/swallowing during take-off and landing will help to equalize the pressure in your ears.  Another option to equalize your ear pressure is to hold your nose closed with your thumb and pointer fingers and try to gently blow out through your nose.  This may help “pop” your ears and relieve the pressure. 

For queasy stomachs, “barf bags” are located in the seat pocket in front of you.  To help prevent motion sickness, try eating some saltine crackers, sucking on a piece of peppermint candy, or drinking some ginger ale to settle your stomach.   Taking chewable motion sickness pills an hour or so before your flight leaves may help too.  Most of these options can be easily placed in your carry-on bag. 

Once we land, we make our way to the baggage claim area and anxiously await the arrival of our luggage.  The chance for lost/delayed luggage may occur more often with passengers who have experienced delayed, cancelled, and re-booked flights.    

Be Prepared:  In the event of lost/delayed luggage, your carry-on bag should always include an extra pair of socks, underwear, medications, etc.  Should TSA need to search your bag, I recommend placing these items in a clear plastic ziplock bag.  Even though they wear gloves, I don’t want anyone else “man-handling” my stuff.  I pack this way with items in my checked bags too.  The airlines may provide passengers who have experienced delayed/lost luggage with a small bag containing some personal items like a flimsy toothbrush, mini-tube of toothpaste, disposable shaving products, travel-size deodorant, etc. 

Now that our travel day is done and we have arrived at our final destination, I thank God for granting us a safe journey.  Whether you are traveling near or far, may God bless you with safe travel days too.





Ha Many Homonyms Do you Know

My love for words began with playing the board game Scrabble.  Over the years, it has taught me some new words and some fun words – like homonyms.   A long time ago, I began keeping a list of homonyms and it has been growing and growing.   Now, what do I do with it?  Well, I have this travel blog “Focusing On Travel”.  So, even though homonyms have nothing to do with travel, I hope this list strikes a chord/cord with you/ewe too/two.   Am I/aye write/right?

                              

Ad/Add                                  Ate/Eight

Ail/Ale                                   Away/Aweigh

Aisle/Isle/I’ll                          Awl/All

Aid/Ade                                  Aye/Eye/I

Ant/Aunt                                 Alter/Altar
Allowed/Aloud

Bare/Bear                               Boarder(s)/Border(s) 

Bale/Bail                                Booze/Boos 

Balled/Bald/Bawled               Bow/Bough  

Bass/Base                               Brake/Break

Be/Bee                                    Brays/Braise 

Beet/Beat                                Bread/Bred 

Bite/Byte                                Bridal/Bridle

Blue/Blew                              Brows/Browse
Boar/Bore                               Build/Billed
Board/Bored                           Buy/By/Bye 

Carat/Carrot                            Chord/Cord                        Choose/Chews          

Cell/Sell                                  Cite/Site/Sight

Cellars/Sellers                         Claws/Clause/Claus 

Cent/Sent/Scent                      Click(s)/Clique(s) 

Cents/Sense                            Colonel/Kernel                 

Cereal/Serial                           Creek/Creak
Chile/Chill                              Crews/Cruise
Chute/Shoot                            Coop/Coupe
Cede/Seed                               Court/Quart
               

Days/Daze                               Died/Dyed

Deer/Dear                                Do/Dew/Due

Die/Dye                                   Dough/Doe

Earn/Urn

Eight/Ate

Eye/Aye/I

Ewe/You/Yew

Fair/Fare                                  Flower(s)/Flour(s)

Fairy/Ferry                              For/Fore/Four

Fax/Facts                                 Foul/Fowl 

Feet/Feat                                  Fourth/Forth 

Fined/Find                               Friar/Fryer

Flee(s)/Flea(s)                         Freeze/Frieze
Flew/Flu/Flue                          Fur/Fir

Gate/Gait                                Guessed/Guest

Grate/Great                             Gym/Jim

Grease/Greece                        Gored/Gourd

Groan/Grown                         Graze/Grays/Greys

Hair/Hare                                Hi/High 

Hairy/Harry                             Him/Hymn 

Hail/Hale                                 Hoe/Ho 

Hall/Haul                                 Hoes/Hose 

Halve/Have                              Hole/Whole                             

Hay/Hey                                  Holy/Wholly

Heal/Heel                                Horse/Hoarse
Heed/He'd                                Hour/Our
Heard/Herd

Idle/Idol                                  I/Aye/Eye

In/Inn                                      It’s/Its

Isle/Aisle                                In/Inn

Jim/Gym

Kernel/Colonel

Knot/Not                                 Knead/Need/Kneed

Know/No                                Knight/Night

Knows/Nose                           Knap/Nap

Lane/Lain                                Leak/Leek

Lay/Lei                                    Lesson/Lessen

Lead/Led                                 Locks/Lox/Lochs

Lie/Lye                                    Load/Lode

Links/Lynx                              Lone/Loan

Liken/Lichen                           Lyre/Leer

Maid/Made                              Merry/Mary

Male/Mail                                Might/Mite 

Main/Mane                              Miner/Minor 

Maize/Maze                             Mist/Missed

Mall/Maul                                Moan/Mown 

Manner/Manor                         Moose/Mousse
Massed/Mast                            Morning/Mourning
Meat/Meet                                Muscle(s)/Mussel(s)

Naval/Navel                            None/Nun

Nay/Neigh                               Not/Knot

Need/Knead                            Nose/Knows

Night/Knight                            Nap/Knap

No/Know

Oar/Or/Ore                              Our/Hour

Oh/Owe                                   Overdo/Overdue

One/Won

Pact/Packed                             Pier/Peer 

Pail/Pale                                  Picture/Pitcher 

Pain/Pane                                Plain/Plane 

Pair/Pare/Pear                         Pleas/Please

Passed/Past                             Pole/Poll  

Paws/Pause                             Pour/Poor/Pore

Peal/Peel                                 Prey(s)/Pray(s)/Praise 

Pea(s)/Pee(s)                           Presents/Presence

Peace/Piece                             Pride/Pried

Peak/Peek                               Prints/Prince
Peat/Pete                                 Profit/Prophet
Pedal/Peddle                           Pros/Prose
Pi/Pie                                      Plate/Plait
Patients/Patience                    Prize/Pries

Quarts/Quartz                         Quart/Court

Racket/Racquet                       Ring/Wring 

Rain/Rein/Reign                     Road/Rode/Rowed 

Rap/Wrap                                Roam/Rome 

Raise/Rays/Raze                     Roe/Row

Real/Reel                                Role/Roll  

Red/Read                                Rote/Wrote

Reed/Read                              Rough/Ruff

Recede/Reseed                       Rung/Wrung                   
Rest/Wrest                              Rye/Wry
Review/Revue                        Rhyme/Rime
Right/Write/Rite

Sachet/Sashay                          Sick/Sic 

Sale/Sale                                  Sighs/Size 

Sacks/Sax                                Sight/Site/Cite

Scene/Seen                              Sioux/Sue 

Sea/See                                    Slay/Sleigh

Seas/Sees/Seize                       Soar/Sore 

Seam/Seem                              So/Sow/Sew

Seen/Scene                              Sole/Soul 

Sear/Seer                                 Some/Sum 

Sell/Cell                                   Stare/Stair

Sellers/Cellars                          Steal/Steel

Sent/Scent(s)/Cent(s)               Steak/Stake
Serf/Surf                                  Straight/Strait
Serial/Cereal                            Sun/Son
Shoe/Shoo                               Sweet/Suite
Shoot/Chute                            Seed/Cede

Tail/Tale                                  Tic/Tick  

Tea/Tee                                    Time/Thyme 

Tease/Tees                               Timber/Timbre 

Team/Teem                              Toad/Towed  

Tents/Tense                              Toe(s)/Tow(s) 

Tern/Turn                                 Toile/Tool                          

There/Their/They're                 Two/To/Too
Threw/Through                        Tide/Tied
Throne/Thrown                        Taught/Taut
Tier(s)/Tear(s)

Urn/Earn

Vain/Vane/Vein                      Vice/Vise

Vary/Very                               Vile/Vial

Versus/Verses

Waist/Waste                           Whoa/Woe 

Wait(s)/Weight(s                     Whole/Hole

War/Wore                                Wine(s)/Whine(s)  

Wave(d)/Waive(d)                  Wise/Whys/Wyes

Waver/Waiver                         Won/One

Walk/Wok                               Wood/Would

Weak/Week                             Wrap/Rap

Wear/Where/Ware                  Wrest/Rest

Weather/Whether                    Wring/Ring

We’d/Weed                             Write/Right/Rite

Weigh(s)/Way(s)                     Wrote/Rote

Weighed/Wade                        Wrung/Rung
Whale(s)/Wail(s)                     Wry/Rye
Which/Witch                            Wet/Whet
Whirled/World

Yolk/Yoke                              Your/You’re

You/Yew/Ewe                        You’ll/Yule

How many homonyms do your know?  If you have any homonyms not on this list (nothing vulgar please), feel free to share them in the COMMENTS section following this post.  In the meantime, I will continue to add new homonyms as I come across them.

Bridging the Years - Fallasburg Covered Bridge & Historic Village

I love Sundays – it is “our” time to do whatever we want.  Today, the late afternoon sunshine suggests we take a Sunday drive … somewhere “off the beaten path”.  We find ourselves near Lowell, Michigan and drive to Fallasburg County Park (established in 1928). The Flat River flows calmly through this picturesque park making it a perfect spot for some family time.  Some people play games on the grassy banks of the Flat River, some bring a picnic lunch, and some do a little fishing from the shore.  For us, it means photographing the park and the Fallasburg Covered Bridge. 

Built in 1871, this 100’ long bridge spans the Flat River.  The nearby State Historical sign gives the history of the bridge which was listed with the Michigan State Register on February 12, 1959. Despite its age (it has been rehabilitated), its condition allows it to be open to motor vehicles.   

Bridge's Historic Sign

 Fallasburg Covered Bridge - Late Afternoon and Early Evening

The park has informative exhibit signs about the area’s history – including the “ghost town” village of Fallasburg.  Even though it is getting late, we have to check this out too.   

We begin at the Fallasburg Covered Bridge which marks the entrance to this historic pioneer village. The "Fallasburg Historical District" was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 1999.

Village's Historic Sign

Within its 42 acres are a one-room schoolhouse, farm houses, barns, and a village cemetery.  The school house and Misner House are museums that are open to the public on most Sunday afternoons during the summer months.  The surviving historic buildings can easily be seen during the short drive down Covered Bridge Road.

 Misner House (built 1850)

Fallasburg Schoolhouse  (built in 1867)

Fallas House (built in 1842)

Stagecoach House (built in 1853)

Tower Farm - House (built in 1896)

Tower Farm - Barn (built in 1896)

Fallas Farm - Barn (built in 1896)

Fallasburg Cemetery

I enjoy history and it is nice to see a place like this exists to preserve what life was like in "the olden days".   

For information on Fallasburg County Park, please click on the following link:

Fallasburg County Park

For information on Fallasburg Pioneer Village, please click on the following link:

Fallasburg Pioneer Village

Play or Rest in Key West

Our cruise ship arrives in sunny Key West, Florida.  We are ready to do some walking and sight-seeing. 

One of the first buildings we see is a large red brick building – the Custom House.  It was built in 1891.  Over the years, it has been the location for the Custom’s Office, post office and a court house.  The building was abandoned in the 1930’s and fell into disrepair.  After a lengthy and expensive restoration project, it now serves as the Museum of Art & History preserving the culture of the Florida Keys.  It is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except Christmas) and there is an admission fee charged. 

The Custom House (Museum of Art & History)

We walk down Duval Street and do a little window shopping. This is a touristy thing to do and it can be crowded.  Some of the buildings have been re-purposed like this old movie theater that is being used as a drug store.  

Former Movie Theater - now a Drug Store

Duval Street Clock

In the middle of the hustle and bustle of Duval Street is a large white church - St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  There has been a St. Paul’s community since 1832.   The current building (the fourth church to be constructed on this site) was built between 1914 and 1919.  We enter through the open red doors (symbolizing the blood of Christ) and go inside of the church.  The soaring wood ceiling offers a sense of strength while the rows of beautiful stained glass windows (circa 1920) offer inspiration.  Each window represents a biblical story or a piece of Key West’s history.  

 St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Red Church Door

Guardian Angel Medallion

1.  Baptism of Jesus

2.  Blessing the Little Children

3.  Philip and the Ethiopian

The streets of Key West are lined with historical homes like the Hemingway House.   Across the street from the Hemingway House is the Key West Lighthouse (opened in 1848).  It was decommissioned in 1969 and is now a museum dedicated to Key West’s maritime history.  There is an admission fee but it includes the opportunity to walk up the spiral staircase (88 steps) to the top of the tower. 

Key West Lighthouse

This is what we did during our limited time here but there is so much to see and do in Key West.  To help you get started planning your visit, please click on the following links:

Key Wst Chamber of Commerce

Key West Visitor Center

Cozumel - San Gervasio Mayan Site

Our wake-up call rings at 7 a.m. and our day in Cozumel begins.  While we have breakfast, we watch our ship pull into port and dock at the pier. 

Today, we are doing the "Cozumel Mayan Ruins & Island Overview". We board bus #36 and meet Patty (our tour guide) and Carlos (our bus driver).  The bus takes a bumpy road across the middle of the island from San Miguel (where our ship is docked) to the San Gervasio Mayan Site.  It is here that the goddess Ix Chel (deity of the moon, childbirth, fertility, medicine, and weaving) was worshiped.  Maya women would try to travel to San Gervasio and make offerings at least once in their lives.  

San Gervasio Mayan Site

The biggest advantage this Mayan site has over others is its location.  You don’t have to spend a lot of time driving for hours to see it.   I’ve been to Tulum Mayan Ruins.  At first, I was a bit disappointed in San Gervasio’s small collection of ruins (only part of it is open to the public).  However, the history behind the site is just as interesting as other sites.  Roofs have been placed over some of the ruins to help preserve and protect them. 

Among the protected ruins is “Las Manitas”.  The name “Las Manitas” comes from red-colored hand prints on the interior walls.. This was the home of the Mayan ruler of the time.  It included his residence and an inner sanctum.    Another large ruin is the Temple building.

Red Hand Prints

"Las Manitas"

The "Temple"

We continue our walking tour passing El Arch (about seven feet tall) and some stone steps.    

El Arch

Stone Steps

This site is also a wildlife refuge.  We see lots of iguana and a scorpion! 

Iguana

For more information on San Gervasio Mayan Ruins, please click on the following link:

San Gervasio Mayan Site