There is a point in the evolution of an idea when it passes from a funny preoccupation into larger than life reality. In the case of our road side stop today that point passed many years ago.
Over 50 years ago Alan Schafer had a beer stand just south of North Carolina on I-95. Today when you near this exit at night you are greeted by an unusual glow in the sky. Part of that blaze emits from the 200-foot tall Sombrero Tower and from a 100-foot tall neon clad Pedro who welcomes guests to the South of the Border Motor Hotel. Mr. Schafer created a destination where there was no destination before.
South of the Border is somewhere between unique and tacky, and at some point was just a crazy idea. It's exactly the kind of offbeat attraction that makes my wife light up. If not for her I would have marveled at the glowing collection of t-shirt shops, arcades, rides and hotels (yes, more than one) from the highway and kept driving. Instead, we stayed at Pedro's campground, walked passed his car wash, walked through his many souvenir stores and mailed out postcards at his post office. All the while laughing at the sheer improbability of the whole place.
The short stop makes me appreciate people like Alan Schafer who follow through on ideas no matter how bizarre. It also makes me thankful for a wife who expands my horizons, even if that means paying a dollar to ride an elevator to the top of a hat.
No comments:
Post a Comment