By the latter 1960s a sleek and modern Holiday Inn was built to highlight the Dulaney family's mini-hospitality empire atop Afton Mountain! The HI featured a highly regarded restaurant with a sweeping view of Virginia's panoramic piedmont! Alas the HI lost its franchise during the 1990s, nonetheless it retained a modicum of decorum as The Inn at Afton, but by the 2020s it had fallen into serious disrepair.

The Skyline Parkway Motel/Motor Court dating from the 1950s adjacent to the Howard Johnson's Restaurant became the victim of neglect and firefighter arson. Phil Dulaney having encountered much criticism has mostly been able to demolish the mid-20th century structures that once offered welcome respite to travelers in the Gap atop Afton Mountain.

Listed below are websites of interest regarding information and history of the area where the Afton Mountain Howard Johnson's Restaurant once served touring motorists!

https://www.c-ville.com/ruins-afton-mountain-eyesores-along-scenic-byway/

http://www.virginialiving.com/culture/afton-mountain-myth-legend/

Above: While the Virginia Living article provides a terrific history, it's author was a bit confused about the Howard Johnson's Restaurant--the author wrote that the Afton HoJo's was a motel.

https://www.schuminweb.com/photography/photo-2003/afton-mountain-victim-of-progress-part-1/

Above: Carefully documented and researched Ben Schumin's site is a good read. He has regularly checked in on Afton Mountain since the early 2000s!

https://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/SwannanoaPalace/

Above: Swannanoa was another piece of the Dulaney puzzle atop Afton.

BELOW: Google's aerial view showed that many of the derelict buildings had been razed by the 2020s.