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- Dillon, South Carolina - South of the Border - Haunted Room Power Surge
I had learned of the South of the Border motel room 305 being haunted. I stayed at the motel (not room 305) with my 4 kids, two dogs and one cat on Sunday. We drove by the so called haunted room 305 when the power to my brand new Chevy Conversion Van went dead! My dogs went crazy, they would not stop barking and my kids were completely FREAKED out! After about one minute the power returned to the vehicle and we were out of there like a set of rims at a P DIDDY Concert.
The rest of the night I was so freaked out that I could not sleep, so I went to the front desk and told them what happened.
I found out that two people on separate occasions had perished in that room. One was a woman whose husband had left her alone for awhile as he was getting some unmentionables at the Dirty Old Man Shop. When he returned she was DEAD.
The next victim was the reverse -- a woman left her husband alone for a while, and when she returned he also was dead. This was all confirmed by a security officer during my stay over this last weekend.
[Tony F., 09/03/2002]South Of The Border:RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 3346 US 301 N., Dillon, SC
- Directions:
- I-95 exit 1. Follow the billboards.
- Hours:
- Always open. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 843-774-2411
- Admission:
- Sombrero Tower: $2.
- RA Rates:
- The Best
South of the Border: Adios, Senor Schafer
Alan Schafer, the man who created one of the greatest tourist traps in history, died on July 19 from leukemia at age 87. Schafer was the promotional genius behind South of the Border, I-95's most prominent vacation stop.
Schafer's $40 million business started 51 years ago as a tiny beer stand just south of the North Carolina border. His brilliant billboard strategy and ceaseless development of Mexican-themed stores, restaurants and entertainments made this place on the interstate a marvel -- consistently chosen as one of Roadside America's Seven Wonders.
Schafer was a Hero of the Highway, constantly at work to improve SOB, adding miniature golf courses, expanding into video poker, then quickly retrenching when the state made the game illegal.
SOB's 750 employees, dubbed "pedros," are mourning the loss of their leader. A memorial service is being held by Schafer's family today. The Dirty Old Man Shop will close for a few hours, the Fireworks Store will issue a respectful pyrotechnic salute, and the American flag will remain lowered at half mast over the El Drug Store (Actually, we don't know what they're planning)....
While the family owns SOB, no obvious successor has been promoted to build on the vision. We're keeping an eye on this National Treasure. Rumors the 250 billboards were taken down this season turned out to be false; they simply sport a new neon color scheme. Schafer's illness may help explain other recent reports from visitors of erratic service quality at SOB. The complaints have mainly concerned the motel and Honeymoon package. But SOB's motel room 305 is still haunted -- a bonus from our perspective. And really, how much comfort can you expect in the shadow of a giant Mexican sombrero?
[07/22/2001]- Dillon, South Carolina - South of the Border - Haunted Room
I experienced psychotronic tilt-o-wheel vertigo upon reading in "Updates on Roadside Favorites" that Room 305 at South of the Border is haunted. Was the figure wearing a Classy Lady t-shirt? Was he heard to say oh-so-faintly, "Hey, Meeeeeeeeeesterrrrrrr....."?
[Lint Hatcher, 09/12/1999] I hope you don't think I'm a weirdo but, Room 305 at the South of the Border Motel is haunted. My brother and his family stayed and all saw the ghost of a man there. Each was too self-conscious to say anything to the others but, they all slept in one bed out of fright. Each thought he was imagining it, as if sleeping in one bed was normal.
[Helen, 08/29/1999]
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