Sad Ho Jo's

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 12/05/2014 at 11:29 • Filed to: None

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Those of you who are old enough will remember when Howard Johnson's was the go-to place if you wanted to stop for a meal, a cup of coffee, a slice of pie, or a motel room, as you traveled across the USA. In the days before ubiquitous chain restaurants, mega gas marts and gleaming truck stops, the iconic cupola-topped orange roof always meant a good meal and a warm bed. I'm not sure if Ho Jo's even exists any more. This abandoned restaurant sits atop Afton Mountain at Rockfish Gap in western Virginia. It is here that Interstate 64 crosses the mountain after climbing up from Charlottesville. You then descend into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to Staunton, where you can pick up I-81. And if you've never been to the Valley of Virginia, I can tell you that it is a remarkably beautiful place, especially under a layer of November snow.

(Taken with my iPotato through the windshield because I was too lazy to dig my camera out of the back of the family truckster.)

GTI Sprinks > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:31

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recommending post because local area.

ACESandEIGHTS > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:32

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Apparently there was a legendary Howard's that was so huge it spanned two storefronts on either side of the street and had a sky bridge. I'm not making this up.

ttyymmnn > ACESandEIGHTS 12/05/2014 at 11:37

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I remember Ho Jos that were built on bridges over the PA Tpk. You could exit on your side and eat above the highway. But the more beautiful ones were built in Tpk parking areas, built of PA granite. You could pull over for food or gas without exiting the pike and paying a toll. The buildings are still there, but they are filled with chain restaurants and gift shops.

ttyymmnn > GTI Sprinks 12/05/2014 at 11:38

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Local where? I grew up in Norfolk, and did my undergrad at JMU. Whenever we drive back to VA from Austin I always go the north route through AK and TN so we can come up the Valley.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:39

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SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:40

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The hotels are still around. They're almost all guaranteed to be hell-holes where your neighbors are probably cooking meth, and according to Wikipedia there are two restaurants left.

OPPOsaurus WRX > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:43

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i think this was one back in the day. The restaurant is to the left with the prostitute hotel rooms behind that

ttyymmnn > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 12/05/2014 at 11:44

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That was so awesome: HoJos, AT&T, PanAm, Aeroflot. At least two of those are still around.

GTI Sprinks > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 11:46

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Currently Cville local. Also grew up in Chesapeake, alumni of VT.

ACESandEIGHTS > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 14:02

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Ah, yeah I've been in those super-food-courts recently. Meh. Though all in all, Pennsylvania may have the best service plazas.

ranwhenparked > ttyymmnn 12/05/2014 at 21:50

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The hotel company is still holding out some hope of reviving the restaurant chain at some point, now that they have the rights to that part of the brand back under one roof again. I believe there has also been some discussion of reintroducing the ice cream flavors to serve to guests in the lobbies.

I believe there are still two Howard Johnson's restaurants operating, one in Maine and one in Lake Placid, New York. A third one in Lake George, New York was supposed to reopen this past summer, but was still closed with a "coming soon" sign out front the last time I drove past in the fall.

The last one I ate at was the one in Times Square about 14 years ago or so, it closed a few years afterward. I remember it as essentially a slightly nicer, slightly more upscale version of Friendly's.

I'll take 911 RS for $5000 > ttyymmnn 12/06/2014 at 21:04

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I drove by it today! Headed into the park for a hike with some friends. I will say, the weather was much nicer when you passed by. Today was wet and gray.

ttyymmnn > I'll take 911 RS for $5000 12/08/2014 at 10:27

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Weather was beautiful that day. The Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Pkwy were closed the day we where there. The bridge over I-64 was a thick sheet of ice. It would have been a good day to hike up the road though. Brilliant sun, but there was quite a cold wind blowing up there. The view down into a snowy Waynesboro sure was pretty, though.

I'll take 911 RS for $5000 > ttyymmnn 12/08/2014 at 10:30

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That's a shame. I'm really going to miss it when I move away. I'll probably post some pictures from the hike in a bit. If you ever get a chance to stop and hike, I recommend Hawksbill Summit and the Doyle River Trail (to the lower falls). Both are fairly short, provide very different views and are stunning in their own ways. Plus, driving through the park is a blast.

ttyymmnn > I'll take 911 RS for $5000 12/08/2014 at 10:44

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My father was an avid hiker, and he and my brother and I have taken a few hikes on the AT in the area. I miss it. My brother has hiked Hawksbill, but I wasn't on that trip. Don't remember why. That would have been 35 years ago.