You’ll see a lot of things driving on Interstate 95, but when your road-weary eyes catch sight of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — and you realize that you’re nowhere near the ocean — you might think you’re hallucinating.

Standing some 120 miles from the ocean — and more than 200 road miles from its iconic namesake — this landlocked lighthouse isn’t exactly guiding ships through the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Instead, the realistic replica of the much-celebrated Outer Banks beacon lures drivers to Kenly 95 Petro, a sprawling travel center and truck stop in Johnston County. The question is, well, why?

General Manager Ernie Brame emphasizes the importance of providing top-notch service to everyone passing through Kenly 95 Petro. photograph by Joshua Steadman

Because when it comes to lighthouses, Kenly 95’s owner was, shall we say, in the dark. In 2009, the owner — who is based in Walcott, Iowa — told General Manager Ernie Brame that he’d like to build a lighthouse at the travel center, since Kenly is on the coast.

“Well, we’re not actually on the coast,” a bemused Brame replied. “We’re about two hours away.”

“Right,” the owner reiterated, “you’re on the coast.”

That’s when Brame realized that to someone living in Iowa, a truck stop that’s only two hours from the ocean is practically beachfront.

With the geography issue settled, the owner emailed Brame a rendering of a blue-and-white beacon that Brame generously describes as “not very attractive.”

Brame, a native North Carolinian who’s visited all seven of the state’s iconic lighthouses, responded quickly but tactfully, careful not to topple his boss’s self-esteem.

“If you’re going to build a lighthouse in North Carolina, this is the lighthouse you want to build,” Brame wrote, and attached a photograph of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, one of the most majestic — and, with its black-and-white candy cane stripes, most recognizable — lighthouses in the country.

The decision was made: Kenly 95 Petro, one of the largest truck stops on the East Coast, would be home to a one-third replica of the nation’s tallest brick lighthouse, Cape Hatteras, standing 66 feet tall to the real tower’s 198 feet.

“The base basically mirrors the architectural concept of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse with the white stone and red brick,” Brame says. “The only difference is that ours has a white top, or cupola, whereas Cape Hatteras has a black one. We wanted to have a little bit of a difference between the two.”

Fourteen years later, the lighthouse remains the popular truck stop’s signature attraction. Approximately 1.5 million people a year stop at Kenly 95, Brame says, many of them no doubt drawn there by the lighthouse, and many of whom can’t leave without taking a selfie in front of it.

Look for North Carolina icons — from dogwood flowers to Venus flytraps to the Wright Flyer — within the sprawling Crown of the Coast mural inside Kenly 95’s gift shop. photograph by Joshua Steadman

But once they arrive, they discover much more: The 58,000-square-foot truck stop is practically a small city unto itself, with its main building housing six fast-food joints, a sit-down restaurant, a three-screen television room, private showers, a barbershop, a showroom, and a convenience store and gift shop — inside of which a colorful mural of the East Coast by artist Lora Delestowicz-Wierzbowski is displayed across an 18-wheeler. It, of course, features lighthouses from Florida to Maine.

“I tell our employees, ‘The lighthouse will point the way here, but you’ve got to bring them back,’” Brame says, explaining that top-notch service will shine brighter than any light.

And while Kenly 95’s light doesn’t do seafaring captains much good, it’s a welcome sight for passing motorists and truck drivers in need of a break from the road — a welcoming beacon of North Carolina warmth and hospitality.

Kenly 95 Petro
923 Johnston Parkway
Kenly, NC 27542
(919) 284-5121
kenly95.com