When I first started teaching first grade in Florida, I had a little boy in my class, who, one morning during "show and tell," talked about going to South of the Border. "What on earth is that?" I thought to myself. Well, I had never taken a ride up I-95.
Several years later, our family drove to New York for the wedding of my husband's brother. So our route took us up I-95, and, lo and behold, after all those years, I knew what Steven had been talking about. Many miles before you reach the South Carolina-North Carolina border, you begin to see billboards for South of the Border. The closer that you get, the more frequent they become. Since
Carmi was doing a "sign" theme this week, as we were driving north, I got my camera out and began taking photos of these billboards.
Some of them are informational; all are amusing. Sarah reminded me that there is one that says "Kids, keep screaming for mom and dad to stop." That one was on the way coming south, and I didn't see it in time to get a photo. There is a little bit of everything there...a gas station, motel, clean bathrooms, rides, a place to walk your dog, and so on....
As much as I don't care for billboards littering the landscape, I do find these amusing, and they help to pass the time a bit along the way.
For other sign photos, check out
Carmi's blog.
13 comments:
Like your "billboards" They're cute. Although I do agree with you about too many of them littering our highways.
Isn't it wonderful what children teach us? I'll bet you have lots of cute stories to tell us from your teaching years.
Thank you for awakening a powerful memory, Beverly. South of the Border was a popular road trip destination for a lot of families in my hometown of Montreal. Many of my friends' parents cars sported SOTB bumper stickers when they got back from winter vacation.
I never went - I guess I'm just not a theme park/attraction kind of person - but as soon as I saw the log in your pictures, I felt like a long-dusty box of memories had been opened. Thank you for that...the power of photos!
Also loved your painting - with words and images - of the road trip up the I-95. I've had similar experiences on other Interstates and major regional roads...it's nice to know we're all connected by these ribbons of asphalt and the mini-societies that service and support them.
Have you ever been there, Beverly? It is sort of tacky (actually very tacky) and I think the signs, while amusing, are also annoying in their numbers!!
"You never sausage a place!" had me laughing out loud. :-)
Yes South of the Border's signs are more fun that South of the Border. It is rather tacky and dinky....I have seen these signs wayyyy to many times.
Dreaded blogger has not been loading your website and I kept seeing the post you had back in July. I just knew that had to be wrong, so finally today I see where you had all of these posts in August. I don't know why blogger does this...
we have similar signs along a route north to Tobermory reminding drivers about the Sweet Shop ahead. It is one sweet shop too.
gord h.
remember, no beverly , you are TOO YOUNG to remember the old burma shave signs dotting the highways annouecing the next big THANG....south of the border to us is mecico not the line beteen noth and south carolina...my wife is 25 floors above the ocean floor in myertle beach
Oh yes this does bring back memories. Many years ago when our family drove to Florida (from PA) we saw the SOB signs for miles and miles before we got there. A big build-up for not much. But a fun memory!
WE counted the signs one year on our way south to Myrtle Beach, I can't remember how many but it was 60 or more I think! Then we stopped and had a look round... went into the fireworks shop... WOW I had never seen so many fireworks in one place. I wasn't very inpressed with much else, but they had clean toilets and that was important!
This was a new one for me and I thought the puns were funny but I guess they would be pretty old after a few miles of repetition. I think kids do get a kick out of them though.
I was hoping for a report at the end of the post about the actual place.
During a recent trip through Utah, saw a roadside sign that advised "Beautiful scenery ahead to enjoy while you're stopped for construction."
I miss the old Burma Shave signs that I used to see along the roads when I was a kid. They were almost (but not quite) inconspicuous--and clever!
Oh MY! Nyssa and I took the I-95 to I-20 route to Mississippi this time, instead of I-85. I was trying to get the old u-haul into SC for gas... since it is so much cheaper in SC than other states. I had never seen such a cheesy place, and yet so funny at the same time. On the way back this past Saturday, I got a pic of the large sombrero on top of the tower. How funny!
Post a Comment