The unusual bridges of Hillsdale County

Today it's called McCourtie Park, but back in the 1930s they called it Aiden Lair. And it sounds like it was a pretty sweet spot to stop and party if you happened to be a gangster traveling between Detroit and Chicago.

Cement tycoon W.H.L. McCourtie owned the property, a 42-acre chunk of land on US-12 in Hillsdale County. On the property was an unground bar - or rathskeller - that Dave probably would have like, except that McCourtie hosted famous Great Gatsby-esque bashes attended by the likes of Al Capone.

To decorate the landscape, McCourtie hired two Mexican artisans who specialized in sculpting concrete to look like wood - a skill called El Trabajo Rustico. Over a 10-year stretch they created 17 bridges that cross the creek on Aiden Lair, as well as other works that include two enormous tree trunks that served as chimneys for the underground bar's kitchen. The bridges are still there, and so are the tree trunks. The underground bar is left to your imagination.

In search of an apostrophe at Elizabeth Park

The walkway lining the river looks great. The new playscapes and pavilions are popular real estate for kids and families. And the snazzy new signage is an instant reminder that this ain't the same Elizabeth Park that Dave grew up with. 

But on the east side of the park, near a new playground that looks out at Grosse Ile, one sign in particular caught our attention. Not sure how much Wayne County spent on these new signs, but it's too bad they didn't splurge and buy an extra apostrophe.