Melodie Drive (West, Texas)

KD's Smokehouse was a relatively short-lived. (See article for source).
Originally this was part of the "I-35 in Waco" page and today we're covering two businesses on Melodie Drive, a street in West, Texas that acts as a two-way road for the businesses behind it as the frontage road itself became one way. The first of two businesses that we will cover is 114 Melodie Drive: The hotel opened as Czech Inn in January 2006, built by Jerrell Bolton (who owned the car dealership behind the hotel), with its address, 114 Melodie Drive, named after his late wife Melodie, murdered in a 1985 robbery. In the first half of 2013 it was rebranded as a Best Western amidst the construction of I-35 and around 2018 or 2019 was rebranded as a Holiday Inn Express & Suites, which it still is today.

While there's still a bit of vacant space that could be used for something in the future, 214 Melodie Drive was developed around 2007 as KD's Smokehouse. The advertisement seen at the top of the page is from the August 2009 issue of Waco Today (as KD's), but it closed around 2011. In November 2013, it was renovated and reopened as Slovacek's Travel Center, an Exxon station much like their flagship plant in Snook, but much nicer and featuring sausage, kolaches, and all the convenience store fixings. There's also a dog park on the premises, though plans to add a 40-foot fire hydrant were dropped at some point. There's an article regarding the opening of Slovacek here. In early 2022, "Slovacek's Etc." was built in the south end of the parking lot. It appears to be some sort of store selling outdoor furniture and goods, though I can't find much more on it.

Lastly, there's the Golden Trails Senior Apartments that opened around 2021 at 314 Melodie Drive, but that's the least interesting of the other two here.

The Defunct Gas Stations of West (West, Texas)

Focusing on the north side of West Oak Street and I-35 (or rather, Exit 353), the first "numbered exit" on the Numbered Exits blog is merely coincidental and focuses on some of the defunct gas stations of West, Texas. The northwest corner of the intersection is our main focus. Currently (as of July 2024) this features a Starbucks and McDonald's, both sharing the address of 22119 N. Interstate 35. The McDonald's opened September 2021 and in March 2022, the Starbucks opened right next to it. Prior to this, there were two gas stations that got wrecked in the expansion of I-35. The first was Texaco / CEFCO (22185 N IH 35), a part of a bigger complex that included a large auto center and even incorporating a much older gas station into the property.

Additionally, an Exxon existed closer to West Oak Road. This was Gerik's Exxon at 22087 N IH-35, though it upgraded its canopy before its demise.

700 West Oaks Street at the northeast side still resembles a former 7-Eleven when it opened back in 1977. The Waco-area stores were sold to Circle K in 1988. Sometime around 1999 (it seems it was still Circle K in the late 1990s) was sold to Skinny's and by 2007 had been operating as a Skinny's/Fina for a number of years. It shut down in the early 2010s after I-35 ate the gas canopy area (and roadside sign), so it never became Alon (and if it did, it was extremely brief). It was abandoned in 2013 and became JoAnn's Bridal in 2014, though it relocated within a decade.

There's obviously the south side of West Oak Street that I did not cover, but that's a future update...or just check out the whole page where this post was derived and expanded from.

The photos here were generously provided by McLennan Central Appraisal District.