TRAVELTRIVIA
Test your Michigan Geography IQ
(© 2005 Randy Karr)

Angela Otterbein, Beverly Bandt, Patricia Majeski, and Elly Willis tied in the November TravelTrivia. Patricia Majeski won the drawing and is the winner! Beverly R. West and Mary Bates came in a close second! Congratulations to all. TravelTrivia winners will receive a free, one-year subscription to The Lakeshore Guardian mailed to their home or a Lakeshore Guardian T-shirt. Correct November answers are below. Now, let's see how you do with these TravelTrivia Questions. Answers due December 15.

1. The Forbidden City is the largest and best-preserved palace in the world. Home to China's Emperors, it was called "forbidden" because it was off limits to ordinary people. In 1911, the era of China's dynasties ended and the last Qing Emperor, Pu Yi, was forced to abdicate, by a new provisional government. He, along with his huge family, continued to live in the Forbidden City until a warlord evicted him in 1924. A Hollywood movie tells the story of Pu Yi's life growing up in the Forbidden City. Name this movie. (Answer in Sightseers)
   
   
2. Southeast Michigan became a world-class shipbuilding center when Chris Smith, a local postmaster and aspiring boat builder, attached an engine to a rowboat and sped off at the neck-breaking speed of nine miles per hour. Other boats, including the Miss Detroit, which brought the Gold Cup to the Great Lakes, reached speeds exceeding 80 mph. Satisfied that he had set a speed record that wouldn't be broken for years, Chris turned his attention to pleasure boats, and he became the world's largest producer of powerboats. The popularity of the sleek, mahogany craft made this town the Water Speed Capital of the world. Collectors from around the world are always on the lookout for one of Chris' well-crafted crafts. Name the town that became the birthplace of Chris-Craft powerboats.
   
   
3. Who knows why, but this town square is in the shape of a triangle. Surrounding this village's triangle, which features a tile-covered bandstand with carved stone walls at its center, is a collection of historic buildings. It's a picture perfect Norman Rockwell scene, one that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Also listed in the National Register of Historic Places is the nearby Old Mill, located along the banks of the River Raisin. Henry Ford purchased this mill to show how waterpower could be used for industrial purposes in rural areas. This "village factory" made copper tips for welding machines. Once a rural hub, the village is now home to the "World's Foremost Outfitter." Name this village that an early postmaster named after his Scottish ancestors' village in Scotland.
   
   
4. To the hardy souls that lived in Michigan's North Country, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad was their lifeline to the rest of the world. When they needed to leave, they left in style, riding in passenger cars decorated with mahogany and pilaster carvings, varnished interiors, stenciled ceilings, and plush upholstered seats. Kerosene chandeliers provided light, and heat was provided by direct steam from the locomotive. For emergency use, there were coal stones in each car, and there were outhouses located at depots along the way. With branches running to Calumet and St. Ignace, its rails stretch from Duluth, Minnesota to this Michigan city. Name this city that is known as a boat watchers paradise.
   
   
5. True or false? The Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of the largest freshwater dunes in the world.

Email: rkarr@comcast.net
Mail: TravelTrivia c/o The Lakeshore Guardian,
9697 Purdy Rd., Harbor Beach, MI 48441

November Answers (1) Ronald Reagan (2) Chapin Mine and Iron Mountain (3) Pine Mountain (4) Transcending (5) True
Frederik Meijer Gardens (5) True