Category: (ODD)yssey

Weird, wonderful, quirky and over-sized roadside attractions found on my journeys.

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

We paid respects at the grave of the famed educated horse, Beautiful Jim Key

Kelly Kazek

Sweetums and I took a Mother's Day drive Saturday to go to a festival in Tennessee (I'll have a post on the festival soon). On the way, I realized we were passing through Shelbyville, Tenn., which is an area I've written about but never visited. One of the quirky points of interest there is the… Continue reading We paid respects at the grave of the famed educated horse, Beautiful Jim Key

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

The evolution of skull-and-crossbone gravestones

Kelly Kazek

Charleston has numerous historic cemeteries and graveyards (meaning in a churchyard) to visit. Most are open to the public and some companies include them in tours. The oldest and one of the most fascinating is the graveyard of the Circular Church. According to its website, it is “likely the oldest English burial ground still in… Continue reading The evolution of skull-and-crossbone gravestones

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

Have you ever heard of a community called The Bottle?

Kelly Kazek

With football season starting up, I thought I'd share an excerpt from my book "Forgotten Tales of Alabama." This is one of my favorite books. See a description of the book here. Every student heading from the north to the campus of Auburn University in southern Alabama has turned off Alabama Highway 280 onto Highway… Continue reading Have you ever heard of a community called The Bottle?

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

The Castle at Wilson Park

Kelly Kazek

Below is a brief excerpt from my 2020 book, “A Guide to the South’s Quirkiest Roadside Attractions.” It is a Books-a-Million exclusive and can be purchased in stores or on the website here. The Castle at Wilson Park (Wikimedia Commons) Fayetteville’s historic Wilson Park is known for an unusual feature: a whimsical castle structure that was… Continue reading The Castle at Wilson Park

(ODD)yssey, Blog Post

Morris the cat still haunts the Crescent Hotel

Kelly Kazek

The post below is excerpted from my book "A Guide to the South's Quirkiest Roadside Attractions." You can buy it at Books-A-Million stores or online here. Morris the cat, who lived to the ripe ol’ age of 21, had an important position and an office at the historic Crescent Hotel. Morris was known as the… Continue reading Morris the cat still haunts the Crescent Hotel