Marshall, Missouri: Jim the Wonder Dog Memorial Garden

Memorial park to Jim the Wonder Dog, a magical (but real) pooch who could understand English and predict the future.

Beautiful park! There's also a pretty cool looking gift shop that sells Jim the Wonder Dog sweatshirts.

This is a lovely, well-maintained park. You can follow a cobbled path through perennial and water gardens while you read the history of Jim, the wonder dog on markers. Benches and a gazebo make it a nice roadside respite.

Honestly, I did not know what to believe about this magical dog before arriving. I read all of the information roadsideamerica.com provided and kept an open mind. Once we arrived, an elderly man approached us about the dog. He began telling a friend and I about his eyewitness account of the dog's powers. When he was a young boy, he and his father were in town, and witnessed someone write down his/her license plate number on a piece of paper. Then the owner placed the paper in front of Jim and he immediately walked over to the car with the matching license plate number and begin to scratch at the plate. The old man swore that all of the stories and rumors are true. This stop was the most interesting on our road trip. I am now a total believer!

An update on Marshall, Missouri's Jim the Wonder Dog -- May 1st, 1999 marked the grand unveiling of the Jim the Wonder Dog Memorial Park, located on the spot where his home, Hotel Ruff, once stood on the downtown square. You can see a life-size statue of Jim and walk along a path with historical markers bearing stories about his amazing life....