S.O.B. and the Legend of Alan Schafer

Full disclosure: I’m a diehard fan of South of the Border, this Mexican-themed tourist trap which straddles the North Carolina/South Carolina border on Interstate 95.  To call S.O.B. a simple attraction would be a grave understatement, though:  the compound features a gas station, motel, restaurant, casino, ballroom, mini-golf park, reptile zoo and countless shops.  The true attraction, though, is S.O.B.’s neon-lit, 200-foot tall observation tower topped with a giant sombrero.  If you’re coming south along I-95 on a clear day, you’ll be able to see Pedro’s hat from miles away.

South of the Border has clearly seen more prosperous days, although in my mind the current run-down state only adds to its appeal.  I’d lost count of how many times I’d visited when my family and I stopped in during December of 2008, but that particular visit was the inspiration behind my fourth book, “Home of the Can Man’s Daughter.”  Writing that story involved a lot of local history, but thankfully I was able to lean heavily on an awesome documentary called “S.O.B. and the Legend of Alan Schafer.”  This film was the brainchild of Nate Mallard and Jesse Berger, two College of Charleston students who wanted to capture a true slice of South Carolina culture.  When my own DVD copy finally arrived in the mail, it was awesome to see that Mallard and Berger had even included an S.O.B. bumper sticker.  Thanks again, fellas!

A couple weeks ago, I was surfing around the Internet to check if Mallard and Berger might have collaborated on any other projects since 2009.  I couldn’t find any other movies, but I was thrilled to find that they’d uploaded the entire documentary to Youtube.  If you’ve ever wondered about the origin of this iconic roadside attraction, this movie was definitely made for you.  Grab your sombrero, amigos, and enjoy the show!