Written and illustrated by Tracy
The year we bought our Asheville home, Steve & I took a long weekend that happened to start on Halloween. We decided to drive up the backroads from Jacksonville. . .a leisurely route that passes through charming small towns, state parks & scenic farms. These are the roads tourists took to Florida before I95 was built.
The route is also lined with old motels, restaurants & souvenir shops — long abandoned buildings falling to ruin. These crumbling skeletons give a feeling of creepy nostalgia — ideal for our Halloween road trip.
Midday we saw an oasis in the blight — a cheerful motel with diner — freshly painted pink, turquoise & yellow; lushly landscaped with tropical florals; crystal clear swimming pool & big bright sign, Mandalay Motor Lodge: vacancy. It was so alluring. We had to stop and check it out.
We pulled up to the diner to have lunch. The absence of other cars didn’t dissuade us, as we figured folks were busy at home rather than traveling or eating out on Halloween.
When a dangling bell above the door announced our arrival, a middle aged couple emerged to cheerfully introduce themselves as Bunky & Gina, husband & wife proprietors. Each looked as if they’d stepped off the set of a 1950’s tv show — Gina with short bob & cat’s eye glasses, shirtwaist dress & flats; Bunky in Ban-lon shirt & slacks — cute Halloween costumes to match their midcentury-modern digs.
They signaled us to sit anywhere, & we chose a cozy corner booth. We marveled at the ambience–sky blue Formica table tops, chrome & cobalt leather chairs & banquettes, brightly lit juke box playing in the corner–all looking incongruously shiny & new despite having to be 50-60 years old. After pouring over a menu of classic diner fare, we each opted for our favorites & tucked in. The food was heavenly!
We liked everything so much that we decided to stay the night. Our room was even more intriguing. There too, everything looked brand new despite being antique. They even had these crazy channels that played only black & white shows from the ’50’s, complete with original quirky advertisements. They spared no expense or effort to make us feel that we’d stepped back in time.
An afternoon hanging by the pool, admiring the lush gardens & soaking up the warm sun left us aglow with relaxation. All the while, Bunky & Gina busied themselves about the place–tending the garden, maintaining the buildings, fetching & toting. Early evening they too were ready to relax, & brought cocktails to share by the pool.
It seemed odd that we were the only patrons, but it was fun having the place all to ourselves & we enjoyed our proprietors’ company.
We freshened up & headed to the diner for another wonderful meal—the special ‘meat & 3’, all scratch made, followed with chilled slices of chocolate cream pie. Heavenly!
Back in our room, we tucked in to watch retro shows on our vintage console tv with rabbit ear antennas–news with 2 guys named Huntley & Brinkley ended with the Star Spangled Banner, then dead air. Too tired to wonder how they pulled it all off, we drifted into peaceful slumber.
The next morning, after hitting the diner for a quick bite & coffee, we said our goodbyes & thanks, settled our bill, & headed out with promises to visit on our return trip from Asheville.
Three days later, true to our word, we looked for the Lodge driving home to Jacksonville, hungry for lunch at the diner. We were puzzled when we couldn’t find it. After driving up & down the stretch a few times, seeing only the usual decaying abandoned buildings, we popped into a convenience store to confirm the Mandalay’s location.
When we inquired with the young woman behind the counter, she simply smiled & pointed to a picture on the wall. There it was—the Mandalay Motor Lodge in all its glory, Bunky & Gina smiling in front.
We smiled too, until we noticed the date on the little plaque — 1954! How could it be?! Our hosts looked exactly the same age in 1954 as they did 3 days ago.
Regina explained her take on our strange situation. . .
Regina said that every year, people like us pop in looking for the Mandalay, returning after having enjoyed a Halloween night as the only patrons.
Her grandparents had loved the Mandalay, but had to give it up & find other means of employment after I95 eroded business.
“They lived contentedly to a ripe old age, happily reminiscing about their days running the Mandalay. They always said, ‘ya know Regina, Heaven just won’t be Heaven without our beloved Mandalay Motor Lodge’. So the way I see it, Our Good Lord gives them one night a year to host guests who venture to stop in on Halloween”.
So now I ask you, my friends, is this a ghost story or an angel story? Maybe there’s not much of a difference, come to think of it.