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Photographs Courtesy
of Tim & Tom Bernert 1999 |
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Anderson,
South Carolina
I-85 & Hwy 76,
28 Exit 19A |
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After a long day of traveling
and battling Atlanta's rush-hour traffic, The Anderson Howard
Johnson's Motor Lodge was a sight for my sore eyes back on August
4, 1989. Having set out with my 10 year-old brother, we were
headed to Virginia from Louisiana.
After having rested for
a few minutes at the South Carolina welcome center, I determined
to drive a while longer since it was not quite dark. However,
upon seeing the Orange vision of Anderson's Gate Lodge set on
its lofty perch, I quickly exited I-85 to "be Rest Assured."
Alas I took not a single picture of the place, and feared that
I would never be able to see what it looked like again since
it was demolished by the time I made it back in 2001.
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Anderson was on the small
side with only 60 guest rooms, but big on eye appeal. What a
site it had! The Motor Lodge could be easily seen from
either north or south on I-85, allowing motorists enough time
to exit. However approaching from the south was its best lie.
Coming from the Georgia border, South Carolina is scenic with
its lakes, hills and piney woods. The HoJo's was designed to
fit harmoniously into that scenery. It was placed on a rise at
I-85's exit 19 giving the Motor Lodge a commanding position of
visibility. The Restaurant was placed on the rise also, but it
was much lower on the hill almost at street level. It was located
behind the sign in Tim and Tom's shot above and below. You can
still make out one of its light standards. |
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By the time my
brother and I arrived at the Gate Lodge to check in back in 1989,
it was dark, but its roof was a vision of Orange Illumination!
I believe that the Lodge was configured in an 'L', and our room
was all the way around on the back side. It was like heaven--truly
a haven of repose! Upon entering the guest building, I immediately
recognized the familiar HoJo's Motor Lodge aroma. The room was
fantastic--it had not been done over in the mid-1980s grass cloth,
but retained an earlier look. Its Pamper Panel was deluxe featuring
not just the customary controls for lights and TV, but it also
had a switch for the window shade! |
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Thanks to Tim and Tom,
my memory of Anderson has been validated! But it is very sad,
since this 1966 ideal of hospitality is perfection lost... |
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