Favorite roadside stops/attractions

[roadman65]

The Midway Diner in Midway, PA along I-78 is a hit with truckers on the CB.  Diners in general score well with me.

In Fort Lauderdale, FL you have Lester's Diner on FL 84 just east of I-95 that is the only one of its kind in Florida.

Wall Drug in SD is one I stopped at to check out!  I forgot my FREE glass of water though.

Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, PA is a great place and open year round.

Too bad the Red Apple Rest in Southfields, NY is closed now.

[mcdonaat]

In Louisiana, I like the Atchafalaya Welcome Center on I-10. It's got a mini-museum with a movie inside

[jas]

Hot Dog Johnny's on US46 in Buttzville, NJ.

[cpzilliacus]

Anyone remember Stuckey's?  I recall one with a tacky gift shop on US 41 just NW of Milwaukee when I was a kid.  Few traces of that one still exist.

At least in the East, they normally had a Texaco gas station attached. 

Recall the Stuckey's pecan logs (which, IMO, were not that good)?

Last Stuckey's I remember seeing was on U.S. 301 in King George County, Virginia (not so far south of the Gov. Harry Nice Bridge).

After checking Google, it seems that Stuckey's has not completely died.  They have a Web site here.

[pctech]

Lea's lunch room/cafe in Lacompte La. just south of Alexandria on U.S. 71. I haven't been through there in ages. It's still in business I think. They were noted for their fried chicken. ham sandwiches and great homemade pies.

Mark

[hobsini2]

Anyone remember Stuckey's?  I recall one with a tacky gift shop on US 41 just NW of Milwaukee when I was a kid.  Few traces of that one still exist.

Also, has anyone ever checked out the Marrs Cheese Castle on I-94 in Kenosha County, WI?

I frequent the Mar's Cheese Castle when i go up to Grandma's in Oshkosh. They just built the New building which is 3 times as big as the old one right next door to it. Best 4 yr old cheddar on the planet is there. I can never remember though which exit it is. I think it is Hwy 142 / Hwy S.

I am surprised no one has mention the Brat Stop also in Kenosha on Hwy 50 just west of I-94. You name a flavor and they likely have that flavor brat. The Garlic and Original are the best.

I am also surprised the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott (west of Davenport) has not been mentioned. World's largest truck stop. I frequent that as well when storm chasing in Iowa.

BTW HBElkins, the name of the Oasis you were asking about earlier on I-90 is the Belvidere Oasis.

[roadman65]

Hot Dog Johnny's on US46 in Buttzville, NJ.

Now your talking!  I cannot believe I left that one out.



Also, I left out one more.  Then there is a restaurant in Homer, NY on US 11 shaped like an octagon near the Homer Spur of I-81.  I plan to check it out as I am going there to Upstate in a few weeks.  Hope it is still there.  Unfortuneatley I do not remember its name.

[kphoger]

I typically make the same drive over and over, and my stops are based on mileage.

BUT.

When I lived near Chicago, and I was passing anywhere near Bellwood, I stopped for a meal at the Deluxe Grill at Mannheim and Lake (http://g.co/maps/phrsy).  A total greasy spoon in a seedy neighborhood, but the food and the clientele are total Americana.

When I drove a delivery route in southern Illinois, I tried to stop at the Rend Lake rest area on I-57 south to take my lunch.  I drove a truck without air conditioning and, during the summer months, I would walk down to the water's edge away from everybody (http://g.co/maps/3bs4u) and go for a skinny dip in the lake.

The Phillips 66 station in Ozark, Missouri, has a long history in my wife's family, mainly because it has historically had the cheapest gas anywhere around.  Her grandparents have even been known to drive from Minnesota to Branson, get too tired to make it all the way, and sleep in Ozark (30 miles away  ).  It is still The Place to meet up with people we know in the area.  In Branson itself, we always used to go to Tran's Chinese restaurant on the Strip with friends and family; now it's been replaced with a Mexican restaurant, and we're all mad about it.

Driving to México, we always stop right on the Río Grande bridge (it's a slow border crossing) and take a picture of the group next to the official border plaque.

Another great stop is the Iowa 80 truck stop in Walcott, Iowa.  They say it's the largest truck stop.

[Takumi]

Last Stuckey's I remember seeing was on U.S. 301 in King George County, Virginia (not so far south of the Gov. Harry Nice Bridge).

After checking Google, it seems that Stuckey's has not completely died.  They have a Web site here.

I saw one today on US 58 in South Hill (or possibly La Crosse).

[brianreynolds]

Y'know, there are certain celebrities who are famous for being famous.

In the 1950s-60s any female with the last name of Gabor would qualify.

In the 1970s, it was Charo.  Nowadays, any Kardashian fills the bill.

Among roadside attractions, Wall Drug is kinda like that.

--
Brian Reynolds
Hastings Michigan

[mgk920]

Anyone remember Stuckey's?  I recall one with a tacky gift shop on US 41 just NW of Milwaukee when I was a kid.  Few traces of that one still exist.

Also, has anyone ever checked out the Marrs Cheese Castle on I-94 in Kenosha County, WI?

I frequent the Mar's Cheese Castle when i go up to Grandma's in Oshkosh. They just built the New building which is 3 times as big as the old one right next door to it. Best 4 yr old cheddar on the planet is there. I can never remember though which exit it is. I think it is Hwy 142 / Hwy S.

IIRC, the Cheese Castle had to build a new building because WisDOT needed the site of the old one for ROW for their current I-94 upgrade project.

Mike

[Takumi]

I am not aware of even one billboard being there now on I-95 for South of the Border now between the Maryland/Delaware line and the North Carolina/Virginia line.

I think there's still one south of Richmond near VA 150-895.

Thanks for mentioning that.

I almost always use I-295 to bypass the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (except when I have business in Richmond), so that's the one part of I-95 in Virginia (from Exit 46 south of Petersburg to Exit 74 in Richmond) that I don't drive very often.

Though in my opinion, South of the Border should spend their billboard dollars on a sign along I-295 and not the RPT, since that's where more of their customers are likely to see their sign.

Hate to necro, but I just wanted to update that this South of the Border billboard is gone.

[Super Mateo]

I stopped at the oasis on I-90 just before you get to I-39 (forget the name) and it appeared that the over-the-road portion was strictly for seating. The restaurants were located at either end of the "skywalk" on land.

That's the Belvidere Oasis, and it also has a gas station and a car wash.  I think I lost at least a half hour there last time.

[sandiaman]

Growing up in the 50's, a must see roadside stop was the Nut Tree on I-80, (it was US 40 then). In additon to a great food stop, there was a small train fot kids to go thru the orchards and even an airport. This was in Vacaville,CA between SF and Tahoe. I am not sure if it is still there.
Other tourist traps that are worth the stop: Hole in the Wall, Moab UT, built in a cave along side a cliff.
The Big Texan, Amarillo TX. Great if you enjoy watching oter people puke while stuffing a 72 OZ. steak down in an hour's time
Bode's General Store on US 84 Abiquiu, NM. Where Georgia O'Keefe got her hunting license. Best general store in NM, but it is gettting pricey.

Dude, fix your damn spacing.

[doorknob60]

In-N-Out Burger in Redding. For Oregonians, it's a mandatory stop for any California trip

[myosh_tino]

Growing up in the 50's, a must see roadside stop was the Nut Tree on I-80 ... I am not sure if it is still there.

Dude, fix your damn spacing.

No it is not there anymore.  See my post on this topic... https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6699.msg148826#msg148826

IIRC, the (general aviation) airport is still there and it's still called the "Nut Tree Airport".

[roadfro]

In-N-Out Burger in Redding. For Oregonians, it's a mandatory stop for any California trip

In-N-Out in Auburn used to be a mandatory stop for anybody from the Reno heading anywhere in northern California via I-80. It kinda still is a frequent stop, but not nearly as necessary now that In-N-Out has locations in Reno.

[Road Hog]

Speaking of mandatory, any drive between Dallas and Austin requires a stop in West, TX for kolaches.

[NYYPhil777]

I'm very sad to see Lambert's Cafe of Sikeston, Missouri was not mentioned once here.
I and my family drive 200 miles (approximately) there about 2-4 times every year! My favorite restaurant, it's Exit 67 off I-55.

I'll agree I loved visiting Wall Drug and seeing all the billboards on I-29 and I-90 on my fall 2008 trip! It's more advertised on I-90 than Meramec Caverns on I-44! 

[myosh_tino]

In-N-Out Burger in Redding. For Oregonians, it's a mandatory stop for any California trip

In-N-Out in Auburn used to be a mandatory stop for anybody from the Reno heading anywhere in northern California via I-80. It kinda still is a frequent stop, but not nearly as necessary now that In-N-Out has locations in Reno.

My mandatory stop in Auburn on my way to and from Reno is Ikeda's off of the Foresthill exit on I-80.  It's run by a Japanese-American family and they have great produce, excellent fresh-baked pies and a very good burger shack.  The place is so popular, finding parking on the weekends is next to impossible unless you're there before noon.

[hbelkins]

I exited off I-95 at the NC/SC line to claim (mumble) County in South Carolina as one of my visited counties during my trip last month, and drove through, for the very first time, the exercise in gaudiness and ethnic stereotyping that is South of the Border. Just from seeing the outside of the place, my tackiness meter was pegged.

For years, the Sheetz at Weston, WV was a mandatory stop anytime I went to the northeast and my route involved I-79. But since Sheetz has expanded to the southwest, I usually stop at the one in Milton, off I-64, on my way somewhere or on my way home. The one at Mall Road is easy to access if you're going east, but not so much if you're headed west.

[1995hoo]

If you think South of the Border is tacky (and it certainly is), you should see it at night. I wish I had taken my DSLR on the Auto Train with me last trip south instead of leaving it securely locked in the trunk of the car. An iPhone camera was inadequate to try to capture the sight of that place all lit up at night as the train went past.

I haven't stopped at South of the Border in about 20 years but I hear it's become seriously run-down and not especially clean. Any truth to the rumors? While the place is a classic tourist trap, I'd be sorry to see it go. It's already a shame that they wound up putting up politically-correct billboards instead of the funny ones they used to have.

[Jim]

It seems that more often than not, we pass South of the Border in the middle of the night.  Yes, that neon-covered sombrero is quite the beacon in the night.  The whole place is lit up like a mini Vegas strip.

I bet it's been 30 years since my last stop there, passing it up dozens of times since.  So I can't say if it's become run-down or dirty.

As for the signs, I know they lost a lot of the classics to a hurricane.  I'm thinking Hugo in 1989.  There have been a lot of new ones put up over the last few years, including a good number of reproductions of the classics.  For those who aren't I-95 veterans, there's a partial list of billboards on the South of the Border wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_of_the_Border_%28attraction%29).

[DandyDan]

When I was a kid in the Twin Cities area, we would routinely stop at the Happy Chef in North Mankato on the way to my grandma's.  They had a giant Happy Chef statue there and you could press the button and hear it talk.  I don't know if it's still there.

Now that I live in the Omaha area, if I'm ever on I-80 going to or from Chicago, I routinely stop at the Iowa 80 truck stop.  If it really is the world's largest, I can believe it.  FWIW, Iowa 80 is the farthest away from Omaha that I ever had an unplanned encounter with someone I knew from Omaha.

[NYYPhil777]

I'm looking at a lot of posts about South of the Border that's off I-95 in SC. Must be really good... or is it?
Too bad I only use I-95 in SC for a little distance before turning off at where it meets US 278.