Palmer Motel, Dillon SC

My journey next took me into Dillon SC (population 6,669) which sits just south of the South Carolina / North Carolina state line. I first came to the Palmer Motel which is still in operation and welcomes children, families, and pets.

This establishment is made up of small buildings containing two or three rooms each. 

Out front by the drive was one of the traditional coach lights one often finds by the old motels.

Trashed, Abandoned and Left in the Dust

My next discovery was probably the most haunting of the day. I almost missed this one as I drove by, but I turned around and went back. Fenced off and almost hidden by vines and weeds were the remnants of a motel that had been abandoned. I could not find a name or reference anywhere. The sign with the motel's name had been taken down. 

The colors were all pinks and peaches.

It was a fairly large property with all the rooms on one floor facing the courtyard in a u-shape. In the center was a swimming pool built around a tiered fountain. Of course the pool was green with algae. on closer inspection the fountain was covered with these lovely tiles.

Naturally, the first thing that came to my mind was how beautiful this must have been in its day. The office had been trashed with the glass broken. But the brick work and design shows that this was not just your run of the mill roadside mom and pop place.

The wood work in the trashed lobby was quite lovely. And now the whole property sits like a ghost town.

Hwy 301 into Latta SC

The Imperial Motel's sign stood tall as a testament to the old lady's grand days. The motel (or what was the motel) was laid out in a semi circle and was landscaped in lush palmettos and palms which are still there. There is still some type of business being operated on the premises but it is not a hotel as best I could tell. But, thank goodness they left the sign standing. 

And, also on each drive were traditional lamps marking the drives with caution signs.

And then moving on into Latta, SC (population 1,357) I found the Patrick Henry Motor Lodge. This lodge is still operating, serving guests daily.

Featherbed Motel in Turbeville, SC

I found the Featherbed Motel in Turbeville, SC. Now if you are not familiar with Turbeville (population 820), its most notable business may be its downtown local eatery the "Chat 'n Chew". I digress.

The Featherbed Motel looked to be a well to do place in her day. 

Sadly, her day had past. What was left were remnants of days long gone. But just looking at the building it made we want to go back in a time machine, drive up in a 1960's Oldsmobile, check into room #4, put on my swim suit and relax by the pool. What more could a traveler want after a long day on the road.

The comfortable iron benches where visitors could relax under the shade of the awning still sit in front of many of the rooms.

Looking down the corridor, you can see the line of room doors.

And the pool, I am sure was most relaxing in its day. Although these days it is losing the battle to algae and weeds.

Such a sad site to see, a shadow of her former self, abandoned to the elements.

Hwy 301 in Olanta, SC

In Olanta, SC (population 567) I did not find a motel, but I did find an abandoned filling station that I am sure serviced many a snow bird an their way to or from the warmer weather of Florida.

With an old water pump on the side.

And just down the road I found this sign which I could barely make out to read "Ann's Kitchen". It I was in front of a vacant lot so I assume Ann's was long gone. Funny how the businesses go, then the buildings, and last to follow are the signs.

Hwy 301 Bamberg SC

Bamberg is one of the little towns that dot Highway 301 that in its hey day was the North South corridor for the snow birds going back and forth to Florida. And, down here we were more than happy to trade our southern hospitality for their Yankee dollars. Most people know that the difference between a "Motel" and a "Hotel" is that a "Motel" is one for motorist along a route. It is a place that people drive their cars up to the  their room door to park. Most are one story, a few are two stories tall. A Motor Lodge is the same genre.

Once Interstate 95 came through (which basically parallels Hwy 301) it killed the hospitality economy along the old road, and took down many towns with it. Only those towns lucky enough to be close to an exit on the new highway benefited from its largess. And, then only the newer businesses, mainly chains, profited there. So the motels and motor lodges from Maryland through Florida, all along the old 301 route were left to die a slow death.

Having been out west and been on Route 66 several times, it dawned on me that 301 was much like 66, just without a song. There was the romance of the road, the history of the route. There were the memories so many folks had of traveling up and down that through way. Unfortunately, no one had taken the notion to come up with a catchy tune memorializing the wonder days of that time.

 Highway 301 runs right smack dab down the middle of our home town.I can remember as a little girl all the motels dotting the route with the local restaurants like "Berry's on the Hill" and "Jack Nolands" that serviced the motoring crowd. Orangeburg fell just right as a stopping point for travelers from the New York area on their way to Florida. And, we had our regulars who stopped in several times a year as they made their pilgrimage north or south.  

Now all those establishments are gone. The few motel buildings still standing have been morphed into different types of businesses, shelters, and used car dealerships. One, the Slumberland Motel, still stands as a shadow of its former self. The pool is still in the center court  and all the rooms still face the parking lot. But the colors are now red brick, not the bright cheery colors of the glory days.

It also got me thinking, how much was left? How many of these old motels along Hwy 301 from the glory days were still standing? So I took it upon myself to see just what remains. 

I started in Bamberg and found that the one motel that was still operating did not have a name, but used the old signage. 

With the Vacancy Sign that I truly wondered if it worked?

This hardly provided an inviting place after a long day on the road.

But then I found a sign from the glory days, the days of hospitality and motoring. It was all that was left of an establishment that once served so many.

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This is only Bamberg, Hwy 301 runs from Dillion to Allendale in SC, let's see what else is left.

Treasure Trove of Wheels

A pile of wheels among the rocks. This photo was taken in Jerome, Arizona.