Skip to content

Month: February 2016

Road Trip Photos: Vehicles on a Stick

Quirky road trip themes Every road trip I take seems to have its own unintended theme, such as witty church marquees, strange billboards, or bizarre town names. In fact, my husband and I are on a road trip right now for which the theme seems to be “Random Vehicles on a Stick.” Here’s what we’ve seen so far: Car on a Stick It all started in Louisiana, when I caught sight of this Ford Fairmont lofted high into the sky as we we whizzed down the road. We weren’t at a good place to stop, so I’m not sure what this particular car…

Photo Essay: Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida

Worth Avenue: Iconic Shopping Street Voted #3 in a list of the Top 10 Iconic Streets in the USA, Worth Avenue is an upscale shopping street in the resort town of Palm Beach, Florida. People watching & pedestrian friendly With names like Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Giorgio Armani, Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue, the businesses lining Worth Avenue read like a veritable who’s who of luxury shopping. But don’t let that scare you off! People watching on Worth Avenue is just as fun as window shopping. On the day we visited, I saw men, women, and even…

Historic Cemetery Symbols: Monkey Grave at an Upscale Restaurant

2 Graves at an Italian Restaurant? Voted #3 in a list of the Top 10 Iconic Streets in the USA, Worth Avenue is an upscale shopping street in the resort town of Palm Beach, Florida. So why are there two graves on Worth Avenue – one for a monkey and the other for a dog – tucked away in the courtyard of an Italian restaurant? Jazz Age eccentric: Addison Mizner It all starts with Addison Mizner (1872-1933) a quirky architect who settled in South Florida in 1918 after having lived all over the world, including China, New York, Guatemala, Alaska, and…

Historic Cemetery Symbols: Disgraced Widow’s Revenge

The Tale of Annie & Sidney Saunders For Valentine’s Day, I bring you this tale of a lovelorn widow tormented by malicious gossip, who used her husband’s grave to set the record straight: In the late 1800’s, Sidney Saunders was a wealthy grocer and saloonkeeper in Monroe, Louisiana. Like any successful businessman, Mr. Saunders had detractors. In his case, many townspeople suspected that the bulk of his fortune came from illegal channels, including brothels and gambling. But the gossips really had a field day when Sidney Saunders left on business and returned with Annie E. Livingston on his arm. Although they claimed…

Road Trip Fun: Quirky Nautical Antique Shop in West Palm Beach Florida

Culpepper & Co in West Palm Beach, Florida People often ask how I find so many quirky, offbeat, and overlooked places to explore on road trips. The answer is pretty simple: I do a lot of research in advance, but I also keep my eyes open. Planned Spontaneity I call it “planned spontaneity.” And yes, that sounds like an oxymoron. But all it really means is that even though I spend hours researching and planning road trips, I’m not rigid about it. Fun Nautical Themed Shop At home I’m “Planny Plannerton,” but once I’m out the door, all bets are…

Historic Cemetery Symbols: Why Are These Men Chained Together in Death?

Strange and unusual historic grave in Jefferson, Texas Here’s a grave marker that is quite strange and unique. In fact, I’ve never come across a similar arrangement! The following is an adapted excerpt from my book of historic cemetery tales called 6 Feet Under Texas.  (And to learn more about Understanding Cemetery Symbols, check out my book.) East Texas Frenemies Although they lived roughly 80 years before the word was coined, it’s hard to think of a better example for the word “frenemy” than the lives of Jesse Robinson and Bill Rose. The two men lived in the east Texas town…