With
its 82 rooms in both single and 2-story buildings, Roanoke Rapids
or Weldon opened in 1965. It was a dream location, for it was a
temporary termination point of I-95 for many years. Motorists were
required to exit and use older highways to travel south causing
them to slow down past the HoJo's complex at street level.
The
site also featured a Gift Shop, Tourist Info Center, and Putting
Green. Long lived, it remained a Howard Johnson's including its
full-service HoJo's Restaurant until 1989. Its phone number and
address were listed as a Hampton Inn in 2005. |