As the final hours of 1952 waned, a snowstorm worsened across the southeast. That fateful New Year’s Eve, an electric blue Cadillac set out from Knoxville, Tennessee, headed north.
As the year slipped away, that sleek Cadillac roared through the night along country roads into the West Virginia mountains, carrying famous country singer Hank Williams to his next scheduled concert in Ohio.
Ashley Hughes/Google Maps
That ill-fated ride came to an end just before dawn at Hilltop, near the town of Oak Hill. During the course of the night, the old year had passed away, and so had the young, troubled country music legend, Hank Williams.
Wikipedia
His body was found lifeless in the backseat when his teenage driver pulled the Cadillac into a small service station off Route 61 in a quiet town in West Virginia. The famous Hank Williams was dead at 29 from whiskey, hard living, and heart failure.
CesarGeranemo/Tripadvisor
Today you can still visit the spot where Hank’s legendary journey ended. Over the years, the Skyline Drive-In has changed hands many times, but it has always borne the sign “Hank’s Last Stop.”
spencer holcomb/Google Maps (You can still see the baby blue “Death Cadillac” at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.)
Though the exterior of the Skyline Drive-In is inauspicious - possibly not too different from what it looked like back in 1953 - the Skyline Drive-In is worth a visit, and not only for its fabled history.
Cristy/OIYS
Newly re-opened under its original Hank-era name, the diner happens to boast some of the best West Virginia hot dogs around: authentic meaty beef dogs, complete with fresh homemade slaw and chili… and at a great price (nothing on the menu is more than $5).
spencer holcomb/Google Maps
True to his word (from a song released just a month before he died), Hank never got out of this world alive. But you don’t want to get out of this world without visiting the Skyline Drive-In, Hank’s Last Stop!
Ashley Hughes/Google Maps
Wikipedia
CesarGeranemo/Tripadvisor
spencer holcomb/Google Maps
(You can still see the baby blue “Death Cadillac” at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.)
Cristy/OIYS
And while you’re in the area, make a day of it, exploring the countless small nearby towns that are rich in coal heritage history of their own: Whipple, Glen Jean, Thurmond. And, of course, take in the view of the New River Gorge, which never gets old.
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Address: 6329 Legends Hwy, Oak Hill, WV 25901, USA
