Tag: (ODD)yssey

A small stone set into the earth in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis is one of the more mysterious gravesites in the state. It says simply: Daughter Dorothy Ann Whitaker Born Who Knows Died Who Cares The reason these words were carved on her tombstone is unclear, but the wording was apparently the wish of Dorothy… Continue reading ‘Died: Who Cares?’ Is this the south’s most mysterious headstone?

In about 2004, Baby Girl and I went to look for some strange roadside folk art in Palmyra, Tennessee, about an hour’s drive northwest of Nashville. I’d read about the eccentric artist, Enoch Tanner Wickham, who built concrete figures and placed them in a park on his property. At the time, 34 years after Wickam’s… Continue reading E.T. Wickham’s wacky roadside folk art in Palmyra, TN

The story of the World's Largest Nehi Bottle has always fascinated me. Below is an excerpt from my book, "Forgotten Tales of Alabama."    Every student heading from the north to the campus of Auburn University in southern Alabama has turned off Alabama Highway 280 onto Highway 147, which becomes College Street and takes motorists… Continue reading The tale of the World’s Largest Nehi bottle

When Sweetums and I visited Athens, Georgia, we loved the bustling downtown located beside an entrance to the massive campus. Although Athens had the feel of a college town – with lots of clubs, restaurants and green spaces – it is also home to lots of quirky history. First, we visited The Tree That Owns… Continue reading The story behind the world’s only double-barreled cannon

R.E.M. was big when I was at Auburn University in the mid-1980s. Every cover band played R.E.M. songs, and the alt-rock band got plenty of air time on local radio stations. I liked the music but I wasn’t a huge follower of the band so when Sweetums and I visited the famous R.E.M. trestle in… Continue reading This R.E.M. tour in Athens, Ga., is fun even if you’re not a fan