I can’t even remember the last time I stopped by South of the Border, one of the premier tourist traps on the U.S. eastern seaboard. I’m thinking it was probably the mid-’80s, on a drive between New Jersey and Florida for one of my many summer vacations in the Sunshine State. It is, to say the least, an odd site on the highway between North and South Carolina. Here’s a photo of how it looked on approach during the 1970s.

Click for a larger version. Plenty parking in rear!

Say hello to Pedro.

Notice, if you will, a few vintage gas station signs — namely an old Shell logo and the American torch logo, the latter of which has since been supplanted by the Amoco brand. There’s also a sign for Phillips 66, which is as unchanging as ever.