So on Columbus Day, a bunch of us went on a driving tour of US 12 through southern Michigan. Apparently, much of the Irish Hills is for sale, lots of touristy businesses had real estate signs out front. After a quick detour to sample the mad delights of Cement City (Masonic Lodge, convenience store, Iron Coffins Motorcycle Club), we ended up at McCourtie Park. In the 1930s, cement czar Herb McCourtie hired a Mexican artisan to craft a series of 17 bridges over a stream on his property. It's strange and interesting, and worth the stop if you're in the neighborhood.
One of the more ornamental bridges
Incredible detail
Two trees that are actually chimneys for the rathskeller built into the hillside. I guess Herb was kind of a party animal.
Not part of the park, the Irish Hills Towers are a little further east. The observation towers were built in the 1920s. They actually were separately owned and competing enterprises.
Here's a postcard of them in their heyday:
Then, I went home and cleaned the house. Woo woo!
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