A famous pit stop for Florida drivers has disappeared. What happened at Yeehaw?

The historic Desert Inn, damaged by a truck five years ago, has been demolished. All that remains of the landmark site at Yeehaw Junction is an empty field.

Yeehaw Junction may stick out on the map thanks to its unusual name and central location — straddling State Road 60 and Florida’s Turnpike, with Tampa to the west and Vero Beach to the east.

But the junction serves a practical purpose: a pit stop for hundreds of drivers a day, many from South Florida.

A new RaceTrac station and store on the south side of State Road 60 recently joined two stations and stores on the north side of the road, Pilot and BP. That’s welcome relief for eastbound drivers heading to the turnpike or the beach from Lake Wales or Tampa.

Just beyond, the smashed remains of the landmark Desert Inn greeted drivers for five years. The hotel and bar had been closed since 2018, but then was pummeled by an out-of-control truck in 2019.

The heavily damaged building was demolished in September 2024.

Looking back at Yeehaw Junction

So, what is it about Yeehaw Junction that has captured Florida’s imagination through the years?

“It’s a crossroad,” trucker Clyde Padgett told the Miami Herald more than 30 years ago. “You can’t miss it even if you wanted to.”

The Desert Inn dominated a desolate place that used to be called Jackass Junction, for the donkeys that once crossed the road. The hotel and bar served and housed road-weary travelers since the late 1800s.

A hundred years later, Yeehaw Junction became a travel stop to get Disney tickets or Florida souvenirs. And thousands of turnpike travelers see the sign each day, whether they stop or not.

Here’s a look at Yeehaw Junction through the years from the Miami Herald archives.

This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 7:26 AM.