This year South of the Border, America’s favorite roadside attraction located near Dillon South Carolina along Interstate 95 at the North Carolina and South Carolina border, marks its 60th year of operation and our plans are to get bigger and better than ever before. Pedro has seen a lot of changes in the world and a lot of changes here at South of the Border over the years, and Pedro has many new projects and renovations in the works.
South of the Border began as a 600 square foot stand selling beer to thirsty patrons from dry counties north of the border in North Carolina and has developed into a 300 acre complex with such diverse features as a motel and campground, six restaurants, a theme park, mini-golf, fireworks store, gas stations and more than a dozen gift shops with everything from Mexican jumping beans to antiques. In the beginning Mr. Alan Schafer worked the stand by himself and now SOTB is run by the third generation of the Schafer family and hundreds of employees, making it the biggest employer in Dillon County, S.C.
The people used to come to in a few at a time in American made Chevys and Fords traveling along Highway 301. Now Pedro greets millions of cars, made all over the world, traveling from New York to Florida on Interstate 95, and now some of those cars even run off of electricity. And now, people can travel on jet planes from one side of the U.S. in only a few hours instead of having to drive for days. Speaking of traveling, Pedro has even seen people take voyages in rocket ships from the Earth to the Moon and live in space stations circling high above our planet.
Communicating has changed immensely in the last 60 years. Back in 1950, telephones weighed a few pounds and their use was limited by how long the cord that was attached to it would reach. The sound traveled over wires stretched from coast to coast, and operators transferred calls by switching plugs to make the connection. Now the phones weigh only a few ounces and are wireless so that you can carry them with you on your trip to give Pedro a call if you need to reserve a room at the South of the Border Motor Inn. The cell phone signals now bounce off satellites orbiting the earth and can reach nearly any point on the planet. The satellites themselves are another creation that has happened in the last 60 years, with Russian putting the Sputnik 1 in orbit in 1957. Floating high above the earth and circling the globe, they now carry every type of communication one can image. Television, phone calls, global positioning signals (GPS), surveillance cameras and outer space research are all carried by satellites today. GPS has become a vital part of modern communication and travel. The satellites send signals to small devices, cars, and cell phones that are equipped to guide people to their destination with on-board maps that are displayed on the screen or by a voice that speaks to you.
The computer might be the biggest change in world since South of the Border opened all those many years ago, followed closely by the invention of the internet. In the 1960’s computers were so large that each one would take up space equivalent to the average living room just to do the simplest of calculations. Now smart cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand are able to pack the power of dozens of those computers, and they can connect to the internet so you can surf the web while away from home. The internet has become ingrained in everyday life, with people doing their shopping, paying bills, learning, playing games, watching movies and using social media sites to connect with their friends who might live far away.
Other notable inventions, events and milestones since South of the Border opened are:
- Microwave oven- Pedro thinks microwave burritos should be on here too!
- The Snuggie- Pedro has been wearing one for 60 years, we call it a serape in Mexico
- The Polaroid camera and digital camera- Pedro looks very handsome right?
- E-mail- Lets Pedro stay in touch with his many friends and visitors all over the world.
- Remote control- If Pedro can ever find his, have you seen it?
- Automatic Teller Machines- Made getting more money to spend with Pedro VERY easy
- Salsa takes over as #1 condiment- Pedro thinks plain old ketchup never stood a chance!
We know there are so many more events, inventions and important happenings in the last 60 years and we invite you to share your memories of anything that was important to you and your family, or simply tell us your favorite memory of South of the Border and the changes you have seen to our complex here in Dillon, SC.
Tags: History, Motor Inn, Renovations, Schafer Family
i miss Club Cancun!!
I first became acquainted with Pedro on my first road trip to Florida in 1973 (I must have been 15). We didn’t stop in at that time.
It wasn’t until some time later, after getting married, some time after my sister moved to Florida when her daughter was about 4 or 5 (she’s 27 now). To give my niece a thrill, we actually PULLED INTO South of the Border and called her from a public phone there (pre-cell phone days).
At some later date (although not MUCH later), my sister’s family stayed overnight there on their way to spend Christmas in Northern VA - again to give their daughter a thrill.
We (hubby & I) finally stayed with Pedro ourselves on our way to Florida (to visit BOTH sisters) 2 days before Christmas. We’re not as young and invincible as we once were, can’t do the whole 1000 miles / 18 hours “straight through” anymore.
We were pleasantly surprised with the room. The thing that was most notable to me was that the clean, well-kept room smelled SWEET - so many times you stay at a hotel or motel, even very nice ones, and they either smell like toxic cleaning chemicals or like insectide. And always a pleasure to find a little fridge in the room!