Kitsch Culture in the Carolinas

Where else can you find kitschy ashtrays, shot glasses, a 200-foot sombrero and a giant gorilla, all in one small town? None other than South of the Border, an emporium of Mexican clichés, which is located just south of the North Carolina border in Dillon, South Carolina.

Driving up and down I-95, you can’t miss the hundreds of billboards, all featuring a controversial cartoon mascot named “Pedro.” The site attracts thousands of visitors each month, tempted by toilets, fireworks, or faux Mexican food, who stop on their way to their real destination: usually Florida or New York. But what about making this roadside attraction a destination in and of itself?

The best way to approach this paean to consumerism is with a strong sense of irony. Play mini-golf at the “Gulf of Mexico,” stay in the hotel’s honeymoon suite, and eat at the Sombrero restaurant, which features a ceiling covered with hundreds of paper sombreros. There’s not one or two, but eleven different souvenir shops—featuring everything from Pedro-themed backscratchers to coloring books to life-sized recreations of movie stars. And did I mention the fireworks? You won’t be able to miss the self-proclaimed “Fireworks Capitol of the U.S.”

Once you’ve had your fill of Pedro, you can easily escape for some Southern comfort. It’s only an hour and a half to Myrtle Beach, and only two and half more hours to Charleston.