Gtype,
Thanks so much for posting that photo. That must be late 1970's based upon th vehicles. Excellent photo. I wonder how long that Hardee's was there? When I began to stop at Exit 53, Woodbridge, back in 1990, it was still a Hardee's but I then sometime in 1992 it became a Roy Roger's. Used to love eating there regardless of it being a Roy's or Hardee's. The only other Hardee's I used to eat at was in Lumberton, S.C. Didn't like stopping in that town, it felt dangerous.
This exit was really convenient as I didn't have to drive far to get gas or eat.
I tanked up at the Belmont Bay Shell just down the road across from a KFC. Anyone have 1990's-era photos of that Shell station?
Gtype, thanks for also pointing out that Google Map's Street View shows the remains of the Hardee's / Roy Rogers that were taken in August 2011. For those interested, you Google "gordon plaza" and click on the Google Maps and go to street view. The current view shows the empty cement slab where Hardee's/ Roy's was but click anywhere inside the Gordon Plaza parking lot and it reverts back to the August 2011 Google imagery showing the sad, empty shell of the restaurant.
You can see what poor condition the building is in, crumbling and rusting away, yet the shrubbery on the exterior seems well cared for! Go figure!
Not sure how long the 2011 Street View photos will be up but you can always look for previous Street Views, if ones were taken. Right now it appears these are the only ones taken by Google in the parking lot.
I am attaching 2 screen shots taken off my iPad from the August 2011 photos. I maneuvered every which way and grabbed literally about 100 photos showing the building from every angle. I'd love to see photos of the inside of the Hardee's / Roy's when it was still open.
The last time I stopped at the Roy's was, I think, in February 2001. I was moving and my wife and I stopped there. She wasn't terribly thrilled by the food choice but did so because I was waxing so nostalgically about the place and the many road trips that I had.
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