Weird, Wacky & Wild South

A TRAVEL BLOG

Oddities & Originals

Off-Kilter & Off-Beat

Adventures & OMG's

Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written by the equally wacky food & travel writer

Cheré Dastugue Coen. Follow as this veteran journalist hits Southern backroads and byways.

Or grab one of her many novels, written under the pen name of Cherie Claire and available at all online bookstores.

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Feb 25
4 min

Howard Haunts the Courthouse

A man named Howard haunts the Blairsville, Ga., courthouse.

39 views4 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Feb 2
3 min

Carnival Cocktails

Carnival time brings out delicious and colorful cocktails. Here are a few to try.

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Who's Haunting the Halls of Louisiana's Loyd Hall Plantation?

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jan 21
4 min

Who's Haunting the Halls of Louisiana's Loyd Hall Plantation?

The bed and breakfast outside Alexandria, Louisiana, claims to have several spirits hanging about.

26 views0 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jan 8
2 min

The Sill

A guest blog post by Karen Ott Mayer.

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My 2023 New Year’s Resolutions that are destined to be broken

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Dec 31, 2022
1 min

My 2023 New Year’s Resolutions that are destined to be broken

I'm likely to break them all.

48 views2 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Dec 27, 2022
3 min

5 Ways to be Weird on New Year’s

New York may dominate the news when New Year’s Eve rolls around but the South has its own countdown at midnight and some are quite unique.

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Here's an Oldie and a Newbie for Bayou Lovers and Children

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Dec 10, 2022
2 min

Here's an Oldie and a Newbie for Bayou Lovers and Children

These two books are sure to please this holiday season.

37 views1 comment

'Craft' elevates zero-proof cocktails to a more sophisticated status

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Dec 4, 2022
2 min

'Craft' elevates zero-proof cocktails to a more sophisticated status

New book offers recipes for lovely non-alcohol cocktails.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Dec 1, 2022
3 min

Greek Cities of the South

Apparently, early settlers had a great fondness for the classical world.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Nov 28, 2022
3 min

Christmas in Roseland

Shreveport’s annual holiday event lights up the gardens of the American Rose Society.

87 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Oct 27, 2022
2 min

Virginia is for Tater Tot Lovers

A trip to Smyth County uncovered some unique potato dishes.

156 views2 comments

Southern Writers Spotlight: Athens' Judy & Len Garrison

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Oct 19, 2022
3 min

Southern Writers Spotlight: Athens' Judy & Len Garrison

Judy and Len Garrison's travel book highlights 100 things to do when you visit Athens, Georgia.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Sep 30, 2022
5 min

Traveling the ‘Gumbo Trail’

When fall arrives, it's 'Gumbo Weather!'

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Saturdays Down South: SEC Football Traditions

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Sep 14, 2022
7 min

Saturdays Down South: SEC Football Traditions

Yeers, cheers and mascots run the gamut in a region that goes crazy for the sport.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Sep 6, 2022
3 min

Beignets Are Not a Laughing Matter!

The Beignet Fest returns to New Orleans on Sept. 24.

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Southern Writer Spotlight: Bellamy Gayle

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Sep 2, 2022
5 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Bellamy Gayle

Death lurks in unexpected places in New Orleans mystery.

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Southern Writer Spotlight: Victor L. Schmitt

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 26, 2022
3 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Victor L. Schmitt

Memoir teaches others how to find their true purpose and think outside the box.

34 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 23, 2022
3 min

Happy Birthday National Parks

This Thursday (Aug. 25, 2022) marks the 106th birthday of the National Park Service.

23 views2 comments

Southern Writer Spotlight: Sharon Marchisello

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 19, 2022
5 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Sharon Marchisello

Author tackles Alzheimer's in new mystery.

22 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 17, 2022
5 min

The South’s Official Cocktails

Give it to the South to come up with official cocktails for their towns and states.

68 views2 comments

Southern Writer Spotlight: Genevieve Essig

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 15, 2022
9 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Genevieve Essig

Author takes readers on a journey to Amelia Island, Florida.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 13, 2022
4 min

It's Time Again to Storm the Sazerac

Take a trip back in time at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans and enjoy the city's official cocktail!

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 9, 2022
4 min

Big View from Big Walker Lookout

Big Walker Lookout, and nearby Wytheville, Virginia, offer the perfect nature-town combination getaway.

98 views1 comment

Southern Writer Spotlight: Patricia Bradley

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 5, 2022
3 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Patricia Bradley

Mississippi author Patricia Bradley takes readers on a trip down the Natchez Trace.

53 views1 comment

Berry College: 14 acres to every student

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Aug 2, 2022
1 min

Berry College: 14 acres to every student

Berry College in Georgia sits on the world's largest campus.

173 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 29, 2022
4 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Lisa Black

Lisa's "Red Flags," the beginning of a new mystery series, debuts today.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 26, 2022
3 min

You Can Win and Eat Your Cake, Too

The Morean Arts Center of St. Petersburg is looking for the finest cupcake and winners take home a unique piece of art.

107 views0 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 24, 2022
4 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Lynn Cahoon

Tennessee author Lynn Cahoon writes several mystery series set in New Orleans.

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Southern Writer Spotlight: Heather Weidner

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 22, 2022
5 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Heather Weidner

Heather Weidner writes mysteries set in her home state of Virginia.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 20, 2022
3 min

Get Your Mojo Working

Looking for a little summer lovin’? How about some mojo magic?

578 views1 comment

Happiness once came in a small metal box

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 14, 2022
2 min

Happiness once came in a small metal box

Relieve childhood memories at the Lunchbox Museum in Columbus, Ga.

30 views2 comments

Southern Writer Spotlight: Davida G. Breier

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 7, 2022
4 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Davida G. Breier

Davida Breier's “Sinkhole” is a suspenseful, darkly comic, coming-of-age tale immersed in 1980s Central Florida.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jul 1, 2022
1 min

Stranger Things at The Lucky Rabbit

The Lucky Rabbit in Hattiesburg recreates scenes from the Netflix hit "Stranger Things."

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Southern Writer Spotlight: Dan Petrosini

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 29, 2022
2 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Dan Petrosini

Dan Petrosini of Florida is the author of several mystery and suspense series.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 24, 2022
3 min

Elvis is in the Building

See the movie and then visit the real thing. For 22 years, Elvis Presley experienced great fame and fortune with his manager, Colonel Tom...

55 views0 comments

Southern Writer Spotlight: Nancy J. Cohen

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 21, 2022
5 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Nancy J. Cohen

Florida author Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.

41 views0 comments

'Little Grand Canyon' in Louisiana? Well, kind of.

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 18, 2022
2 min

'Little Grand Canyon' in Louisiana? Well, kind of.

Longleaf Vista in the Kisatchie Forest of Louisiana offers a gorgeous view and a 1.5-mile trail down to a bayou.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 16, 2022
3 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Jane Tesh

Jane Tesh writes several Southern mystery series.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 13, 2022
4 min

Cheers to National Bourbon Day

June 14 in National Bourbon Day and we're here to celebrate that spirit.

29 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 12, 2022
2 min

Southerners love to pose with rocks

Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga may take the prize for the photos snapped.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 9, 2022
2 min

Show Your Stripes on Seersucker Day

National Seersucker Day is June 9 and it's especially celebrated in New Orleans, where the seersucker suit was born.

29 views1 comment

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 7, 2022
2 min

The Smallest Church in the South?

The Chapel of the Madonna in White Castle, Louisiana, is arguably the smallest church in the South — if not the world!

41 views0 comments

Southern Writer Spotlight: A.C. Mason/Anne Clayre Mason

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Jun 1, 2022
3 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: A.C. Mason/Anne Clayre Mason

A.C. Mason's novels feature Susan Foret, mystery writer, and are set in South Louisiana.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

May 25, 2022
3 min

The Witch Tree of Old Louisville

The Witch Tree of Louisville has a strange history and a following that continues today.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

May 18, 2022
1 min

The Three-legged cat of Natchez

A limping stray cat in Natchez, Mississippi, captured the hearts of City Hall.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

May 13, 2022
3 min

Southern Writer Spotlight: Mike Nemeth

Spotlight on Author Mike Nemeth.

63 views2 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

May 5, 2022
2 min

Authentic Mexico in downtown Atlanta

If you’re searching for true Mexican cuisine and less of the commercialized fare, take a drive down Buford Highway in Atlanta.

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Cheré Dastugue Coen

May 2, 2022
2 min

Reliving an Alabama Distillery Raid

The South loves a good reenactment, including a law enforcement raid on a moonshine still.

45 views0 comments

Best Winery in the U.S. is in Gatlinburg?

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Apr 26, 2022
2 min

Best Winery in the U.S. is in Gatlinburg?

Mydatingadviser.com studied more than 700 U.S. wineries and the top three were in Tennessee!

94 views3 comments

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Apr 20, 2022
1 min

The Odd Bayou Art of Kenny Hill

Bricklayer Kenny Hill settled in the small bayou town of Chauvin in 1988, erecting a tent on a bayou-side lot while he built his home.

35 views2 comments

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