Iconic Yeehaw Junction landmark demolished

The historic Desert Inn has finally been demolished, five years after a semi-trailer truck barreled through its front door from the iconic crossroads known as Yeehaw Junction, west of Vero Beach.

The accident occurred in December 2019, and the remaining structure sat in shambles as the Osceola County Historical Society weighed whether the iconic tavern could be restored. Built in 1889, the inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

The society obtained the inn in 2015 after a succession of owners were unable to keep it afloat as a bar and restaurant, an iconic stop for travelers crossing the state or hopping off nearby Florida’s Turnpike for a burger and a beer.

The truck crash forced the society to put restoration plans on hold, but there was a lingering hope the project could still be achieved despite the heavy damage caused by the accident

Those dreams died on Sept. 5, 2024, under the wrecking ball.

Fortunately, many of the inn’s artifacts had already been removed to prepare for the renovations.

Back in the day…

Yeehaw Junction has been a major transit point for local farms and ranches since the mid-19th Century, making it ideal for a trading post. The Desert Inn was built in 1898 and had changed little since. 

More recently, Yeehaw Junction gained notoriety from its chain of Turnpike billboards that would beckon you to get off Florida’s Turnpike to buy gas and get your discount coupons to Orlando attractions.

The Desert Inn stood as a beacon to the hungry traveler who abided by those signs, as it had been for cowboys and farmers for decades before that.

“We Pay Your Toll” was the standing offer repeated on sign after sign along the Turnpike.

The billboards are long gone, and the coupons can now be found on the internet or at the Turnpike’s Fort Drum Rest Area (Turnpike MM 184)..

Florida Rambler has visited the inn many times over the years. Below is our original story, first published in 2010 and updated a few times until its demise.

Cowboys once herded cattle to greener pastures through this crossroad, and Florida Crackers snapped whips on mule-drawn freight wagons loaded with lumber.

The Desert Inn was born as a trading post in the late 1800s. No roads, just trails. These photos were taken before the 2019 crash that shut it down for good. The inn has been a popular stop for travelers throughout the 20th Century, whether on horseback, in wagons or automobiles.

The current building was built in 1898. The 1930s brought paved roads, and the intersection earned the nickname “Jackass Crossing,” a nod to the cowboys and lumbermen who relied on mules for working cattle and hauling timber.

Easy travel brought a bordello to the Desert Inn, and a few cabins were built out back to accommodate the occasional tourist trickling west toward the Gulf Coast.

When Florida’s Turnpike cut through the state in the 1950s, linking South Florida to Orlando, state legislators changed  the name from Jackass Crossing to a less-offensive Yeehaw Junction.

The 1898 Desert Inn still stands, still serving travelers and cowboys as a restaurant and a bar, and you’ll find a ramshackle 11-unit motel out back: “Clean rooms with showers – $45. No reservations, no refunds.”

I’ve been stopping at the Desert Inn for years to grab a bite to eat on my way to Tampa Bay.  The menu has changed a little under new management, but you wouldn’t really notice — unless you were hankering for a turtle burger.

But you can’t go wrong with the juiciest, tastiest beefburgers on the planet, and the fries are freshly cut, not frozen. (One change: Burgers now served on ciabatta rolls.)

The complete menu is “raht behind ya on the board, honey.” Crunchy fish sandwich; Fried Green Tomato, Fish & Chips…

The horseshoe-shaped bar, wooden booths, witty signs and oddball knick-knacks are classic Old Florida, including the carved Indian couple with their papoose.

Cowboys who work nearby ranches continue to be regulars, as are truckers and tourists. It’s a must-stop for bikers cruising across the state through cow country.

One minute the bar is full, empty the next.

Even without the coupons, Turnpike travelers would be well-served by skipping the Fort Drum Service Plaza for a taste of Old Florida at the Desert Inn.