Saturday, October 30, 2010

WHEN VISITING SPOOK HILL, STAY AT THE SPOOK HILL MOTEL


Two postcards for Spook Hill, located in Lake Wales, Florida. Long ago, this town did the right thing and embraced their gravity hill as a tourist attraction. I have not been, but it is on my list of top roadside attractions to visit one day.

I love the over-the-top description off the back of the top postcard - "A few blocks from the heart of Lake Wales is that mystifying and fascinating phenomenon Spook Hill. Here playful ghosts apparently seize your car and in defiance of the laws of gravity and your previous experience in such matters, roll your vehicle gently backward uphill, while they chortle in unholy glee at your mystification"

You really have to appreciate a community that adopted Casper the Ghost as a school mascot. Really the Spook Hill Elementary might be the best elementary school name in America! View this video for a shot of the school sign.

One of my favorite postcards in my collection is this one of the Spook Hill Motel from 1966. I wonder if this motel is still along the roadside or if it gave up the ghost? Anyway, check out that neato cool Casper motel sign. I'm not sure what's better, Casper or the nifty haunted neon font of the sign.



Follow the links and check out this 1974 clip of Spook Hill and a modern video from last year on Halloween.

2 comments:

Prof. Grewbeard said...

love that sign!

Rick Kilby said...

The Spook Hill Motel is new to me- great find! As to Spook Hill itself, its a pretty subtle phenomena at best, especially compared to the awe-inspiring beauty of nearby Bok Tower.