[citation needed], The entire motif of South of the Border can be described as intentionally campy. If coarse I've learned to do things for myself. "It's not just one thing," says Lewis. Now we know. It wasn't that they were hiding in the middle of the night transferring money. Pro Tip: Looking for more things to do while in South Carolina? 0. Soliciting Sign Most everything there is closed up and what is not is overpriced junk. More. I didn't record the people because I didn't want to invade their home space nor embarrass anyone. 83.25 acre lot. and our Best to check online. So pack your bags and head down to South of the Border! Everything You Need to Know About South of the Border, South of the Border Has Their Own RV Park. Your email address will not be published. Its nothing fancy by any means but is a place I think you should visit at least once. Its mascot is Pedro, a caricature of a Mexican bandido. Nasty restrooms but worried about covid. In the mid-to-late 1940s, a North Carolina county bordering South Carolina changed its alcohol licensing laws, limiting sales. You might try making it a quick stop for snacks, but youd miss out. Who actually stays at their motel? The most racist roadside However, given the history of this issue and this legislature, it will likely have to be the voters who eventually decide when it's time to stop sending billions of dollars to drug cartels and terrorist groups overseas. "He texted back, 'I love you.'. Read more about Scout's Crime Data, By sending this Report you agree to NeighborhoodScout's, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Welcome to the online home of Americas favorite highway oasis & gateway to the southeast! It happens when drug cartels find a state that welcomes them in with open arms. Even though Schafer died in 2001, South of the Border's Should You Camp at the Thousand Trails Chehalis Resort? Cloudy with periods of rain. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. In 2010, Lewis offered to do the same thing here in South Carolina, but this time he was tracking the illicit money being shipped out of the state through Money Services, or money transfer businesses places like Western Union, Money Gram, and Vigo. All sites in the campground are paved, ranging from back-ins, 30-amp and 50-amp pull-throughs, and 110-foot extra large pull-through sites with patio areas. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. We're the last state in the country that does not regulate this industry. She always ran to the door to open it. South of the border south carolina By oi bo dz mb of Is South of the Border SC Worth Visiting? in both directions advertising for his kitschy tourist attraction. The site is a 350-acre (140ha) compound that contains a miniature golf course, truck stop, 300-room motel, multiple souvenir shops, a campground, multiple restaurants, amusement rides, and a 200-foot (61m) observation tower with a sombrero shaped observation deck. View all hotels near South of the Border on Tripadvisor, View all restaurants near South of the Border on Tripadvisor, View all attractions near South of the Border on Tripadvisor, Hotels near Fayetteville Municipal Airport (FAY), Motels near Fayetteville Municipal Airport (FAY), The Olympic Museum Lausanne (Musee Olympique), Centipede Tour - Guided Arizona Desert Tour by ATV, Provence Hot-Air Balloon Ride from Forcalquier, Full-Day Bora Bora Lagoon Cruise Including Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle Tour - Entrance Tickets Included. "They hire very, very good lawyers," says Major General (Ret.) If you decide to travel much further inland to the capital, Columbia, your chances of . Captain Andy Lewis is one of the guys the U.S. Army used to track and shut down terrorist bank accounts during the Afghan and Iraq wars. Other US patent applications are currently pending. A confluence of interests from retail outlets," says State Senator Luke Rankin. What restaurants are near South of the Border? Buying some cheap souvenir is almost a right of passage for any road tripper. They never heard back from his office. If passing by keep going and please south of the border try to do some upkeep even a fresh coat of paint on everything would help and not cost much. With its motel and campground, staying overnight is easier than ever. property he bought was near the north-south highway connecting New York and Miami, which later would be If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Anyone who drives North or South along Interstate 95, through the Carolinas, cannot miss the billboards to stop at South Of The Border, (Ret) Andy Lewis with The Ulysses Group. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). It's a family thing you know. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Play areas are provided for Pedros little friends! U.S. Customs and Border Protection Checkpoint located in Falfurrias, 80 miles north of Mission, Texas on January 16, 2019. In South Carolina, the safe and less-than-safe areas spread out across the state like a checkerboard. We usually pass by in late spring and early fall. As the sun set and the lights came on, the empty complex was a surreal relic of roadside America. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}342952N 791835W / 34.49778N 79.30972W / 34.49778; -79.30972, the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, "Reptile Lagoon ~ South Of The Border's Newest Attraction South Of The Border ~ America's Favorite Highway Oasis", "This S.C. roadside attraction is garish, tacky and un-PC but I stopped anyway", "South of the Border MX - General Information", "Tracks | South of the Border MX Motocross Training Facility", "In College: Bernanke once had job at South of the Border", "South Carolina's South of the Border survives modern times", "7 Controversial & Offensive Tourist Attractions In The U.S.", "Eastbound & Down Review: "Chapter 18" (Episode 3.05)", "Movie Review "Impractical Jokers: The Movie", Photo Gallery and Fun Facts about South of the Border, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_of_the_Border_(attraction)&oldid=1127814215, Buildings and structures in Dillon County, South Carolina, Tourist attractions in Dillon County, South Carolina, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia infobox amusement park articles without coordinates, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 December 2022, at 20:17. No_Philosopher_9567 14 days ago It's like a roadside attraction (almost like a little town) in between the Carolinas (south of the border). Reptile lagoon was so much better then I had hoped for. The head of the 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Bill Knowles, says they are not making their money selling floaties and flip flops. The department has been dealing with staffing issues as there are not enough officers for patrol and those who are available are being overworked. How Can We Forget What You Have Done for Us? will be on display at 6 p.m. on Friday from the Clio Opera House, 100 S. Main Street in Clio. There are areas that bring to mind the photography of William Eggleston, the cinematography of David Lynch, and the gas station art of Ed Ruscha. Raw data sources: While several North Carolina counties on the border could not legally sell alcohol, Schafer built his South of the Border Beer Depot to lure drinkers from those dry North Carolina counties. When the driver finally reaches the vicinity, there it is, viewable from the highway: A sprawling village of colorful faux-Mexican structures (including a massive sombrero high in the air) that looks like a fun theme park. racial caricatures. Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. 6 total employees, a million dollar a month electric bill, and they run their only two patrons away. For all too often, and this example as well, nobody is coming to South Carolina to copy what we're doing. Having lived in Myrtle Beach for years, and having travelled this area extensively I have seen it go downhill. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Interstate 95-U.S. 301-501 Hamer, South Carolina 29547, Interstate 95-U.S. 301-501 | Hamer, South Carolina 29547, Copyright 2020 - South of the Border. Business boomed, so Schafer added a grill and a motel. Took back to trade for another one and was told that they do take back returns. [10] In 1964 it was announced that the route for I-95 would pass right by South of the Border, and the facility would be next to two exits and within view of the highway. "When I see known drug, Mexican drug cartels receiving money from Horry County, in an unregulated fashion, when I see terrorist organizations, Hezbollah, receiving money from Horry County, and then I look at the number and I see hundreds of millions of dollars coming from Horry County, going all around the world, yeah, it concerned me, to say the least," says Clemmons. South of the border disappointed us. South of the Border is a roadside attraction you should visit at least once. The pictures of the motor inn are deceiving. The visit couldnt of gone any better for the senior offensive lineman. The stop has since fallen on hard times as more modern hotel areas have grown along I-95. South Carolina priest charged with federal sex crimes Mail Online 12:20 8-Jan-23. They've been counting down the miles, chuckling at every bad joke on the billboards, and they're sure this overhyped place is a promised land of fun. - The Common Traveler. Tips for Replacing Your RV Bathroom Faucet, 5 Ways to Protect Your RV Screen Door From Damage, 5 Mistakes People Make When Using the Campground Shower, You Can Get Full Hookups at This Gas Station, What to Do If the Bottom of Your Slide Is Bowing Out. "I think because of your inquiries as well inquiries from local law enforcement.". It is the shopping I was interested in And the waitress huffed at me when I asked for more cheese. The park is open year-round. "We're hoping now with what you're doing, and with it coming back to light, it will speed the process up," say Horry County Sheriff Phillip Thompson. That Really Works! So we stop. The nachos were brought out as supreme nachos but we only ordered the regular. [8][9] In 1962, South of the Border expanded into fireworks sales, potentially capitalizing on the fact fireworks were illegal in North Carolina. Awful looking buildings with trash piled high and junk vehicle's everywhere. Now mind you, the meal was nachos appetizer and the Mexican combo meal. [6] The site itself also began to expand to include a cocktail lounge, gas station and souvenir shop and, in 1954, a motel. You can watch my video of it on YouTube. A delegation of lawmakers, local military and law enforcement went to Senator Lindsey Graham's office in Washington back in 2012 to get his support, providing him with all of the information in this investigation. With the 1964 announcement that Interstate 95 would run past South of the Border, Schafer continued expanding, adding a barber shop, drug store, a variety store, a post office, an outdoor go-kart track, and the 104-foot tall image of the South of the Border mascot, Pedro. This is located on I-95 just south of the North Carolina border in South Carolina. Schafer went on to add a miniature golf course, an RV campground, hundreds of more hotel rooms, a post office, wedding chapel, and even a volunteer fire department on top of knick-knack shops, firework stands, and more restaurants. (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images) Ad vertisement from shop PopsicArt. The shops have a little bit of everything. State Representative Alan Clemmons championed that bill in the State House as well. My daughter and youngest grandson came down for 2 days. There are also two miniature golf courses and bouncy houses. The opening scene of Season 3, Episode 5 of Eastbound & Down shows characters Eduardo Sanchez Powers and Casper robbing a Mexican store leading the viewers to believe they were still in Mexico. After traffic became a normal presence in the I-95 corridor, business took off for Schafer. By. 5.21. Even if you didnt stop, you werent going to forget it. Fewer than 10 percent are registered with the state. Founded by Alan Schafer in 1949, the stand was established to serve people living in a dry country in North Carolina, just above the border. According to some, a lack of regulation for the Money Services Business has made South Carolina perhaps the most criminal-friendly state in the country. [6][18] Schafer himself had previously dismissed criticism that Pedro is an unfair characterization of Mexicans and argued that Pedro's design is a light-hearted joke. "Pedro" began when Mr. Schafer went to Mexico to make import connections. Pros they did not need our credit card to make a reservation at the motel so we continued on our way to the next suitable motel. Someone at USC wrote their Masters in History thesis on South of the Border. Those businesses wired nearly $700 million dollars a year just out of Horry County to a handful of known cartel addresses in Mexico and Columbia, and to locations operated by Hezbollah and other known terrorist groups in the Middle East. South Carolina doesn't need to be the last stronghold of drug dealers and money launderers. Planning a trip with the family? (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images). South of the Border is an attraction on Interstate95 (I-95), US Highway301 (US301) and US501 in Hamer, South Carolina, just south of Rowland, North Carolina. They were doing it right in front of our face, and doing it legally. Its mascot is Pedro, a North Carolina Border in South Carolina does n't Need to Know About South the..., very good lawyers, '' says Major General ( Ret. North Carolina Border in South Carolina copy. Passage for any road tripper the people because I did n't record the people because I did n't want invade! 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