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An old historic business/building (the Desert Inn at Yeehaw Junction) that was a nice destination ride out in the middle of nowhere in old era Florida was just destroyed by a semi truck accident. located at the intersection of U.S. 441 and state road 60 in Osceola County, its been there since the 1880's. It started out as a trading post for local ranchers, timber men and the Seminole Indians. Then, it became a bar/ dance hall / hotel / and brothel to provide supplies and recreation? to the local drovers, lumbermen and even tourist, but it was mostly a bar room and brothel for cowboys and lumber workers. Even up until the accident, it burned a red lamp in the upper two story window at night. It survived hurricanes, tornado's, floods and wildfires, but couldn't withstand a semi truck.
Prior to that area being named Yeehaw Junction, it was called Jackass Crossing, a reference to the burros that ranchers rode to Desert Inn. The Desert Inn also didn't install full-service water and electricity till 1978. In 1994, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. You would ride for miles and miles through original undeveloped old Florida seeing only undeveloped flatlands, marsh, forest and an occasional cattle ranch of many thousands of acres. Then up out of nowhere, at the intersection of HWY 441 & HWY 60, you would come upon this familiar old historic building still operating as a business, it was kind of cool. Now, its no more thanks to some dumbass. Maybe I'll ride out there this weekend and take a look at it myself one more time before they bulldoze it, it would be a nice 160 or so mile round trip.
Prior to that area being named Yeehaw Junction, it was called Jackass Crossing, a reference to the burros that ranchers rode to Desert Inn. The Desert Inn also didn't install full-service water and electricity till 1978. In 1994, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. You would ride for miles and miles through original undeveloped old Florida seeing only undeveloped flatlands, marsh, forest and an occasional cattle ranch of many thousands of acres. Then up out of nowhere, at the intersection of HWY 441 & HWY 60, you would come upon this familiar old historic building still operating as a business, it was kind of cool. Now, its no more thanks to some dumbass. Maybe I'll ride out there this weekend and take a look at it myself one more time before they bulldoze it, it would be a nice 160 or so mile round trip.
