Looking for something interesting to do while visiting a small Southern town? Well, how about a walk around the cemetery?

Yes, it will be quiet, and you may well be the only live person there, but, oh, the stories. Some people’s lives just read like a good book. Take, for example, this rockin’ Army veteran who served with the local sheriff’s department…

You’ll also find yourself asking a lot of questions. You’ll see a headstone with birth and death dates in the same week and wonder what happened to that baby. Then there’s that headstone with a photo of a smiling teenager. Was it a car crash? Drugs? Or something else?

You’ll also see the impromptu memorials next to the headstones — lots of them…

Tip: You can view more travel photography in my portfolio.