South Carolina - South of the Border - Kitsch Paradise

If you've ever driven on 95 from New York to Florida, you've seen South of the Border. If not, this YouTube video by pkendall09 will give you a good idea of what it looks like and what it's all about. 

Those who dream of going on a tropical vacation visualize palm trees and sipping fruity drinks by the ocean.

Those who dream of going to a retro kitsch paradise visualize something that looks like South of the Border.

There are colorful neon and plastic signs. There are giant animals made of plaster (or something like plaster) that make typical lawn ornaments in peoples yards (deer, gnomes, etc) seem like classy little miniatures. You can drive right under Pedro's legs (yes, he's another large statue) when you check into the lobby of the motel. You can dine at a restaurant shaped like a Mexican sombrero hat (and who doesn't love novelty restaurants in unique shapes?) 

Perhaps you want to see what the highway looks like that you've been driving on for hours (because you haven't seen it enough). If so, just take the elevator up to the top of a sombrero tower. That's where you'll be able to have a view of the highway. Also, a view of South of the Border. Currently it costs a dollar to go up to the top of the sombrero, so save your coins in your piggy bank because you don't want to miss this. 

What else does South of the Border have? Souvenirs. And lots of them! You can get a back scratcher, shot glass, mug, t-shirt, notepad, and more... all of which advertise South of the Border. That way, when you go elsewhere with your South of the Border t-shirt on, people will say to you, "My oh my! You must have gone somewhere special! Did you go on a cruise around Mexico?"

Then, you can proudly reply, "Thank you for asking. No, I did not. I crossed the state line between North Carolina and South Carolina and went to this great tourist attraction called South of the Border! We had dinner there and we stayed overnight!"

"Oh really?" They will reply. "Sounds fantastic. I am soooo jealous! So, what are the main attractions there? Do they have an amusement park, or theatre shows, or museums, or...."

"None of the above" you will say. "There were some amusement rides, but they weren't running. No museums or shows either, but it's such an awesome, colorful place! We did get to go up in a tall tower."

"Oh? A skyscraper? It's a big city?"

"No. A sombrero."

"Oh, okay. So, what did you get to see when you were up there? It's near Myrtle Beach, right?  The views of the ocean must have been spectacular!"

"No, it's about a two hour drive from Myrtle Beach, however, we did get to look down over the highway, and we go to see South of the Border from above!"

"What did you see at South of the Border?"

"Well, mainly the colorful signs and lights advertising the place."
 

"What were they advertising though?"

"The restaurants and the gift shops! Geez! You really need to go! It's impossible to explain! Just follow the 100 billboards leading up to it. You'll see what I mean."