Cargando clima de New York...

‘Doll’s Head Trail’: The creepiest hike you’ll ever take

Hiking alone in the woods can seem a bit scary. After all, you may have to deal with wild animals, heights, finding your way around — there are all sorts of unknowns involved. But just outside of the city limits of Atlanta, Georgia, in Dekalb County, there’s a hiking trail that’s been made legitimately creepy by the addition of some unwanted items that’ll make your hair stand on end: doll heads.

Nestled inside Constitution Lakes Park, a 125-acre nature preserve of wetlands and wildlife, lies Doll’s Head Trail, a 1.5-mile loop trail that’s known for its found art installations. Hikers can complete this easy-to-moderate trail, which is popular for running, hiking, and birding, in less than 30 minutes.

Here’s an image of the boardwalk at Doll’s Head Trail from its Facebook page. Looks nice, right? Looks can be deceiving!

The area known as Constitution Lakes was once where the South River Brick Co. dug up Georgia clay to create its bricks. The clay pits were so deep, they were transformed into ponds when filled with rainwater.

What began as the work of a local carpenter named Joel Slaton soon became a much broader project involving numerous artists. Slaton, who experienced a work lull after the Great Recession in 2008, started by creating art installations from discarded doll parts and other found trash on the site with his newfound time.

Here’s an image of an item added to the trail last year, from the Doll’s Head Trail account on Facebook:

“During my hikes at Constitution Lakes, I began finding doll, bicycle, automobile, and appliance parts. These became the original displays,” Slaton told CNN. “The trail started as sort of a joke for the few regulars who ventured that far back to stumble upon them.”

His first art installations kept disappearing, so he made them more elaborate and started giving them titles. He also began leaving Sharpie pens so people could leave their own messages. His goal: to give the trail to have an air of mystery and make visitors think about the disposable lifestyle we lead.

Here’s one of the messages you can see on the trail:

Then he invited visitors to repurpose the trash into their own found art, which has become an ongoing project. As the artwork grew, so did the popularity of Doll’s Head Trail. While the installations found along the path are built predominately with doll’s heads, others include old bricks, dinosaur toys, truck parts, and bottles.

This one posted to Facebook, for example, looks like it’s mostly made of old tires.

Slaton said that he wasn’t sure DeKalb County would approve at first, but Dave Butler, greenspace environment manager for the DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs, loved the idea. He even formally “knighted” it in 2012.

Here’s another image of one of the installations along the Doll’s Head Trail.

Just as nature is always changing, the works have evolved. Slaton says the trail is public art, built by the public, and that the displays have changed over time — although some of that is due to vandalism.

This fairly smooth, partially paved path is relatively shaded by large surrounding trees and leads to a lake with a boardwalk. If you want to stay awhile, you can grab a book from the little free library.

Slaton believes the park is a combination of history, nature, and art. Those visiting are asked to keep the area family-friendly and kid-safe and to respect what has already been assembled. The common thread among the art pieces is that every element has been found within the park itself. There’s even a trailhead sign that reads, “Litter makes the angels cry.”

Here’s another one of the many art installations that have been documented on the Doll’s Head Trail Facebook page, where you can go to see many more curiosities.

If you’re a fan of nature and offbeat art and would like to experience Doll’s Head Trail for yourself, the best times to visit are between April and September. Bring a water bottle and bug spray during the summer.

More from MediaFeed:

Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article originally appeared on SimpleMost.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

Droll epitaphs from famous gravestones

Droll epitaphs from famous gravestones

What is the last thing you would like to say to the world? A stanza from your favorite poem that perfectly describes your legacy? Some profound quote on the meaning of life? A cheeky quip? 

Gravestone epitaphs are our last chance for a “mic drop” — the final punchline to the divine comedy we call life. 

We rounded up some of the most inspiring, downright beautiful, weird, and cheeky epitaphs etched into the gravestones of famous people.


Related: 15 haunted hikes perfect for Halloween

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Merv Griffin (1925 – 2007)

Location: Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles, California

Merv Griffin, the man behind America’s favorite game shows like “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” died in 2007 at age 82 after a long-time battle with prostate cancer. During his 25-year run, the iconic talk show host interviewed everyone from Rosa Parks to Andy Warhol. Griffin revealed his cheeky final sign-off, “I will not be right back after this message,” on an episode of “The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder.”

Related: 99 of the all-time most popular musicians in America

Left: Linda_Bisset/Wikimedia Commons Right: Ben Churchil/Flickr

Gravestone of: John Belushi ( 1949 – 1982)

Location: Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark, Massachusetts

The “Saturday Night Live” funnyman died of a drug overdose in 1982 at the young age of 33 at the Chateau Marmont hotel. Belushi’s tombstone has a skull and crossbones with the inscription, “I may be gone, but Rock and Roll lives on.” His fans took the epitaph too seriously and trashed the grave repeatedly in the name of rock n’ roll, forcing funeral workers to move the body to an unmarked grave nearby.

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Bruce Detorres/Flickr

Gravestone of: Charles Bukowski (1920 – 1994)

Location:  Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California

The gritty novelist died in 1994 of leukemia at age 73, shortly after completing his last novel “Pulp.” Bukowski’s tombstone offers somewhat discouraging advice to aspiring writers. In a 1963 letter to John William Corrington, the poet explained the phrase: “Somebody asked me: ‘What do you do? How do you write, create?’ You don’t, I told them. You don’t try.”

Left: Wikipedia/Fair Use Right: Marika Bortolami /Flickr

Gravestone of: Dee Dee Ramone (1951 – 2002) 

Location:  Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Douglas Colvin, a.k.a Dee Dee Ramone, died of a drug overdose in 2002 at age 49. His tombstone is fittingly adorned with the Ramones seal and the line “O.K… I gotta go now.” 

Since 2020, a group of punk-loving ducks have been flocking to Ramone’s gravesite every day thanks to a cheeky experiment by an LA couple. Coyote Shivers and his partner Pleasant Gehman brought five ducks to Dee Dee’s gravesite and fed them using a “dinner bell” dubbed “Duckskrieg Bop” (a version of “Blitzkrieg Bop” but with quacks). “Ramones Ducks” have become daily visitors to the legendary’s bassist grave thanks to this strategy.

Left: Michael Markos/Wikimedia Commons Right: Matt RF Webb/Wikimedia Commons

Gravestone of: Joan Hackett (1934–1983)

Location:  The Abbey of The Psalms Mausoleum, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California

Joan Hackett, one of the most celebrated theater and movie actresses, passed away at the premature age of 49 from ovarian cancer. She is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Abbey of The Psalms Mausoleum, where her epitaph reads: “Go Away – I’m Asleep.”

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Arthur Dark/Wikimedia Commons

Gravestone of: Leslie Nielson (1926 – 2010)

Location:  Fort Lauderdale’s Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Leslie Nielsen died in 2010 from pneumonia at age 84. The “Airplane!” and “Naked Gun” star was a master of slapstick comedy with a career spanning over 60 years. 

Surely one might think Nielsen wasn’t serious when he announced his epitaph would be “Let’er rip.” Well, he was serious, and don’t call me Shirley. As it seems, the funnyman had such a penchant for toilet humor that he took it to the grave. Literally!  

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Avhell/Wikimedia Commons

Gravestone of: Rodney Dangerfield (1921 – 2004)

Location: Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California

One-liners master Rodney Dangerfield, who died in 2004 at age 82, got one last laugh on his gravestone with the final punchline, “There goes the neighborhood.” The legendary comedian who famously claimed “I don’t get no respect” was proven wrong when shortly after his passing, his widow held an event in which the word “Respect” was written in the sky as guests released butterflies into the air.

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons

Gravestone of:  Billy Wilder (1906 – 2002)

Location:  Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary, Los Angeles, California

Eight-time Academy Award winner Billy Wilder died of pneumonia in 2002, aged 95. Wilder is regarded as one of Hollywood’s most brilliant filmmakers, with a career that spanned over five decades. The brilliant mind behind “Some Like It Hot” used the movie’s final line as one last self-deprecating quip etched into his tombstone, reading, “I am a writer, but then nobody’s perfect.”

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Ben Churchill/ FLickr

Gravestone of: Frank Sinatra  (1915 – 1998)

Location: Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California

Ole’ Blue Eyes died in 1998, aged 82, after suffering two heart attacks. Although we all secretly wish his epitaph would read “I did it my way,” the singer’s family chose the lyrics of another classic. 

A nod to Sinatra’s 1964 hit, “The best is yet to come,” was carved into his original tombstone until 2021, when it got mysteriously changed to “Sleep Warm Poppa.”

Wikipedia

Gravestone of:  Jack Lemmon ( 1925 – 2001) 

Location: Westwood Village Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California

Hollywood’s favorite tragi-comedian, Jack Lemon, died in 2001 of bladder cancer at age 76. Leaving behind a legacy of more than 50 movies, including “The Apartment” and “Some Like it Hot,” was apparently not enough for the iconic actor, who left his final marquee etched into his tombstone, which simply reads “Jack Lemon in.”

Related: 30 etiquette rules that nobody should ever break again

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/weddings/30-etiquette-rules-too-many-people-break-these-days/ss-BB1gBIf8

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: Wikipedia/Mo Pie/FLickr

Gravestone of: Sir Winston Churchill  (1874-1965)

Location: Parish Church of St Martin’s, Bladon, United Kingdom

Sir Winston Churchill died in 1965, aged 90, after suffering a final stroke. He is buried in the quiet cemetery of the Parish Church of St Martin’s at Bladon near Woodstock, Oxfordshire. A master wordsmith, Churchill left his final speech for his tombstone, which reads: “I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”

Wikipedia/Public Domain

Gravestone of: William Shakespeare  (1564 –  1616)

Location: Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52. The complete epitaph on his gravestone reads, “Good friend for Jesus sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Bless be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” The Bard penned this witty couplet to prevent his corpse from being dug up for research purposes, which was a common activity during the 1600s.

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Mel Blanc  (1908 –  1989)

Location: Hollywood Forever Cemetery,  Los Angeles, California

“The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Mel Blanc died in 1989, aged 81. The voice behind Daffy Duck, Tweety Pie, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and many other popular cartoon characters used the beloved Looney Tunes’ tagline “The-the-the-that’s all folks” as his final sign-off etched into his headstone.

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Jim Morrison ( 1943 – 1971)

Location: Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France

Jim Morrison died in 1971 of a heart attack aged 27. The flamboyant frontman of “The Doors,” who spent the last months of his life in France, was buried in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. The epitaph on the “Lizard King’s” gravestone comes from the Greek inscription: ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ, which literally translates to “according to his own daemon” but is usually interpreted as “true to his own spirit.”

Wikipedia/Public Domain

Gravestone of: Joe DiMaggio  (1914 – 1999)

Location:  Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma, California

Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio died in 1999 at the age of 84. “Joltin Joe” was known as one the greatest baseball players who ever lived. His brother Dominic described the iconic athlete in a short but touching epitaph: “Dignity, grace, elegance personified.”

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968) 

Location: National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia

Martin Luther King, Jr. died in 1968 at age 39 after being fatally shot by James Earl Ray. “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free at last,” the moving words that the civil rights leader once boldly spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial are carved into his tombstone, embodying his faith and inspirational spirit.  

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 –1940)

Location:  Old Saint Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery, Rockville, Maryland

The Jazz Age wordsmith Francis Scott Fitzgerald died in 1940s at the premature age of 44.  On his grave is fittingly etched the closing line of “The Great Gatsby,” the novelist’s greatest work.

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Sylvia Plath (1932 – 1963) 

Location:  St.Thomas’ Churchyard, Heptonstall, West Yorkshire, England

The poet Sylvia Plath died in 1963 at age 30. For her epitaph, Plath’s husband and fellow poet Ted Hughes borrowed the wise words of Wu Ch’eng-En’s novel “Monkey” “Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted.”

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Bette Davis  ( 1908 – 1989)

Location: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California

Old Hollywood legend Bette Davis died in 1989 at the age of 81. Davis, revered as one of the greatest actresses of her generation, was known as a stickler for getting every detail right and her obsession with perfection made her a rather “difficult” co-star. 

Her tombstone bears the enduring line “ She did it the hard way,” which sums up her everlasting legacy.

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Robert Frost (1874 – 1963) 

Location: Old Bennington Cemetery, Bennington, Vermont

The four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost died in 1963 at the age of 88. Frost’s epitaph, “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.” is the last stanza of one of his less-known poems, “The Lesson for Today.”

“And were an epitaph to be my story 

I’d have a short one ready for my own

 I would have written of me on my stone 

I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.”

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Ludolph van Ceulen (1540 – 1610) 

Location: Pieterskerk, Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands

Ludolph van Ceulen was a German-Dutch mathematician and the first man to calculate the value of Π (or pi) to 35 numbers. It took the brainiac 25 years to come to the record-breaking digits (give the man a break, he did the calculations by hand). Fittingly, those very digits are etched into his tombstone. 

Wikipedia

Gravestone of:  Lucille Ball (1911 – 1989)

Location: Lakeview Cemetery, Jamestown, New York

The beloved comedian died in 1989 at the age of 77. Ball was originally buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. In keeping with Ball’s wishes to be buried near her mother, her ashes were moved to her birthplace in New York. Fittingly, her tombstone now reads, “You have come home.”

Wikipedia

Gravestone of: Rita Hayworth  (1918 – 1987)

Location: Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California

Rita Hayworth was one of old Hollywood’s most glamorous and beloved stars. She died at age 68 from complications associated with Alzheimer’s disease on May 14, 1987, at her home in Manhattan. The headstone of “Gilda” is inscribed with a tender sentiment from her daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan: “To yesterday’s companionship and tomorrow’s reunion.”

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

Left: Wikipedia/Public Domain Right: IllaZilla/Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

Featured Image Credit: Marcus O. Bst/Flickr.

Previous Article

Corned beef vs pastrami: Do you know the real difference?

Next Article

These Americans have more trouble affording health care, even with insurance

You might be interested in …