Hi! I’m Jennifer. She/her. Athens, Georgia resident for over 15 years. Office manager for Flagpole Magazine, a baker for Daily Groceries, and a huge supporter of literacy and libraries.

Like many Southerners, I grew up in a traditional small town. The same one my Mother grew up in. And my Grandmother. That town, while a bit bigger nowadays, still quietly sits on the edge of the amazingly beautiful and wonderfully wild Okefenokee Swamp.

Thanks to the many old cemetery visits in my youth (for Homecoming and the like), it feels like I’ve loved funerary art and oddities for just about forever. My move to Athens and its proximity to some of the most unique cemeteries in the South continues to fuel the fire of that interest.

I’ve spent a good deal of time exploring nearby states and documenting my finds, and I’m pretty sure positive that I’ve moved into the realm of full-fledged tombstone tourist or taphophile. Definition: someone who visits cemeteries because they have a specific interest or hobby that isn’t affiliated with traditional mourning practices. In other words, I will often visit cemeteries and don’t know a single soul there!

I like to explore these sites for a variety of reasons – funerary art & sculptures, interesting epitaphs, ghost stories & odd history, interesting characters/people, vernacular works, Victorian Era finds, metal graves of cast iron & white bronze, etc. But that’s just me and there’s a world of other cemetery-centric interests. Folks might go for historical research or to update find-a-grave. Some go the conservation route such as mapping plots to protect these areas from land development, or going bird or critter watching in a quiet and protected area, or finding rare or native plants tucked against headstones. Oh, there any other number of pursuits! As you can see, there’s a lot to be had from exploring your local cemetery.

Of course, as a visitor one should be sure to read rules and regulations, and to behave accordingly. Many people visiting cemeteries are there to pay respect to loved or lost ones, and a good cemetery tourist will be sure to practice proper etiquette. After all, I am from the South and we do love to natter on about manners…

Aside from all things cemetery, I am also a big fan of car camping, reading booksbooksbooks since I was a librarian in a previous life, visiting museums and museum gift shops, collecting vintage pottery, and finding roadside attractions and outsider folk art. Oh, and local festivals and botanical gardens! You’ll find them on the blog from time to time.

While my blog is mostly about my Taphophile travels around the South, I hope we can connect over a variety of these shared interests. And I’m very open for collaborations with others – specifically not-for-profit events and projects.

If I share places here on the blog such as shops, restaurants, museums, etc, then please know that it is because I truly enjoy them and it is not profit. I do not have sponsored posts. There’s nothing wrong with sponsored posts but a) I have very people who ask to do so and b) that’s not the direction that I’m currently wanting the blog to go. With a full-time job, helping out at the local co-op, volunteering here and there, and wrangling 6 rescue critter it’s just not in the cards right now. I’m just glad to be here to show you things I find interesting and to share the people who are involved in community.

I have a disclaimer here about using my blog for travel and information, sharing my photos, AI use, and more. There’s also a statement regarding representation, inclusivity and other topics of that nature.

Glad you’re here.

Oh, and I have to give photo credit to my kind and talented friend Zane. Go follow his Instagram!

*There’s a historical difference between cemetery and graveyard but in a more modern/casual setting the term cemetery is often used in an overarching manner that includes both titles.