With its Orange Roof still gleaming in the sunlight and supports for Simple Simon and the Pieman still evident in the stone near the entrance, Phil found the door propped open and went in. He discovered "only one person in the entire building--a nice little old lady behind the counter" who "turned out to be the cashier, waitress, AND cook." According to Mr. Edwards, she looked at him like she was surprised to see a customer and continued to size him up even as he asked if they were open for lunch. It turned out that the woman's brother leased the building from the Motor Lodge owners, and she reported that "people still come down from the hotel and think this is a Howard Johnson's Restaurant" even though it hasn't been for a long time.

Left: Rods protruding from the stone-work once held a Simple Simon and the Pieman figural and perhaps later a more austere "Howard Johnson's" sign.

Mr. Edwards' interior shots show that many of the Howard Johnson's features remained intact upon his visit. Even the original ice cream coolers were still in place as were the exposed ceiling beams which Phil noted; gave the restaurant "the feel of a ski lodge." And what's more, the original copper-look hood, where plates of all-you-could-eat fish and clams once passed, was still there.

Having made several trips to Nashville-West, Phil Edwards was able to enjoy the site in its twilight.