Latest News

Hola Pedro

Category: Latest

Published Date

I doubt you'll find a more famous, more outlandish, and more hyped up roadside attraction than South of the Border. Approaching this monstrous complex from almost any direction along an interstate highway, you'll see, of course, billboard after billboard heralding its many features. South of the Border has its own hotel, campground, diner (not the real thing) scenic overlook, amusement park, restaurants, and naturally, a voluminous selection of souvenirs. What it didn't have much of -- at least when we arrived -- was people. We passed SOTB going down to Bluffton, but we pledged to stop on the way back, and we eventually made good on that pledge. As I pulled into the parking lot, I had to ask Mrs. Roadside, "This place isn't closed, is it?" Our visit came on a stunningly beautiful Saturday afternoon; hardly a cloud in the sky, but to us it looked like General Pershing had already rampaged through and chased poor Pedro into the hinterlands. For those who've never visited, SOTB features one of the world's largest selection of bric-a-brack you'll find anywhere. If you need an ash tray, a hat (or more accurately, a sombrero), t-shirt, a keychain, a big foam finger, a belt, floaty pen, snow globe, or any other dust magnet with a Mexican motif, run -- don't walk -- to South of the Border. The experience left me scratching my head mostly because after hearing for years about this wondrous place, I think I expected something more. Considering what this place spends on billboard advertising alone, I can only scratch my head and wonder why I only saw few more than 100 people on the whole complex. Most of them, myself included, seemed to gravitate to the restaurant. Here I ordered a chili dog, which I must admit tasted damn good. We did see stores apparently closed for renovations, including one that featured porn, of all things, but to me, the whole place had the feel of a Jersey boardwalk in decline. After soaking in all I needed and finishing up my foot-long chili dog, I bought my obligatory, Chinese-made ash tray and kept driving. Find more info about South of the Border at [url=http://www.pedroland.com/]http://www.pedroland.com/[/url] Next time: A roundup of some good reasons to visit Bluffton