Photos from June 2011
While pulling into South of the Border, we noticed an abandoned motel literally up the road on the North Carolina side of the border. Next to it was a vacated fast food place; in fact, the only place nearby that wasn’t abandoned was a Waffle House, which is where we stopped for a quick bite (not like we had other options). We decided to explore the motel a bit before heading to SotB, which turned out to be a good idea, as this place was far more interesting.
The sign said Family Inns of America. I found out the chain still exists but only in VA, TN, and LA. I was unable to find out when this particular motel closed, but I did find out robberies took place there on at least two different occasions.
We used to stay here on the way from NJ to FL. As a kid, I would see that awesome playground from the back of the station wagon. One year, I finally got my grandfather & grandmother to stay here. I remember the son of the family (Shane) who managed it drove his bicycle into the pool. Sad to see how it sits today. Next to it was a Days Inn.
I ran away in 1991 and got married at a wedding chapel in Dylan SC. We stayed here and this is where I lost my “innocence.” The guy I married turned out to be a jerk and the marriage only lasted 3 years. Your photos gave me chills!
I stopped by today on way back home to NC from SC. The motel has been torn down and is just a huge pile of ruble now. The playground equipment has completely been removed except for one small item. I used to pass by this several times a year in the 90’s but never saw it in as bad a shape as the photos. I even stopped once and slid down the “Rocket Slide” and somehow survived as it felt like it could have collapsed at any moment! We had that same slide at a park when I was a kid at Ft Bragg back in the 70’s so I couldn’t resist. Hauntingly sad photos.
“We used to stay here on the way from NJ to FL. As a kid, I would see that awesome playground from the back of the station wagon”
Too funny- we drove past it year after year on OUR way from NJ to FL and I was obsessed with the playground but never got to stay there (my grandparents liked South of the Border). Sad.
We stopped here when I was a boy in the early 60s. The motel was clean, the pool was nice. I seem to recall the playground being called Rocketland at that time. The color schemes were silver, red, white and blue versus the Family Inns of America orange and brown. The playground theme was aligned with our country’s drive to conquer space, which was still quite a novelty in the early 60s. The tall rocket slide with a gangplank. The rocket swings with two bars in front and one in back holding the rockets. Rockets mounted on springs to sit on and rock back and forth. A flying saucer that you tried your best to hold on to while the older kids ran in a circle pushing it as fast as they could. Rocket themed monkey bars. At that time, on the playground, there was a large heavy open ended barrel that you could attempt to navigate while it was rotating. Quite challenging, dangerous, and exciting to navigate while rotating from one end to the other. Benches by small, maybe 7 to 10 year old white pines.
It was less expensive to stay here for the night than across the border at Pedro’s. Probably $9 a night.
I-95 at Rowland NC was not completed until the early 1960s. When traveling from north Florida up old highway 17/301 this was a great place for a stop on the way north to Philadelphia. Back then, it took several days to get from Florida to Philadelphia going through all of the small towns on US 17, US 301, US1 and pieces of completed I-95.
It’s all been bulldozed now ?