The 35mm projection system purchased with Kickstarter funding

It’s Day 20 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it was a very lucky Friday for me. I only had to drive about an hour to Austin’s Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive In, which was unexpectedly open.

Blue Starlite founder and proprietor Josh Frank was very happy that his Kickstarter project was successfully funded just a couple of days earlier. In the closing days of the campaign, he had added a couple of “off-season bonus nights” at his current location. Since I pledged to support the project, I got a free ticket to watch Idiocracy and Escape From New York. It was a very Austin reaction to the presidential inauguration earlier in the day.

Frank had said last month that the reports of the next Austin location were premature, and sure enough, he announced that the new place would definitely be in South Austin on Manchaca Road. “You can access it from I-35 and Ben White, or there are many non-highway roads to get to it.”

Miles Today / Total:  51 / 2629 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Idiocracy / 14

Nearby Restaurant: One of the closest restaurants was the newest location of an Austin favorite, Torchy’s Tacos. Great Baja shrimp tacos, great drinks, and great service.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The closest hotel where I’d feel comfortable staying turned out to be the “University Area” Fairfield Inn. It was just over two miles from the drive-in, pretty good since it’s almost four miles from the university. Standard, professional Fairfield visit, plus more Marriott Rewards points. (After I recover from this trip, I think I’ll really travel!)

Only in Austin: The Moonlight Towers of Austin are the only surviving light towers of that type in existence. According to Wikipedia, the city of Austin bought 31 used towers from Detroit in 1894. When first erected, the towers were connected to electric generators at the Austin Dam, completed in 1893. During World War II, a central switch was installed, allowing citywide blackouts in case of air raids. In 1993, Austin dismantled and restored the towers, culminating in a 1995 festival.

Next Stop: The Last Drive-In Picture Show, Gatesville TX.

It’s Day 19 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, time for another long Texas drive. This time, I drove from Mercedes TX, near the southern tip of the state, past San Antonio to New Braunfels, home of the Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre. It only took four and a half hours, one hour less than yesterday. Fun times.

The Stars & Stripes in New Braunfels has only been around since 2015 (so recent that I found a news video that’s still active to embed here), but its big brother in Lubbock was built in 2003. From my time in Texas, I remember New Braunfels as the home of the original Schlitterbahn water park and (separately) for inner tubing down the Guadalupe River. That’s all still here, but now New Braunfels looks like a movie town, with a 14-screen megaplex, an Alamo Drafthouse, and best of all, this fresh new drive-in.

The concession stand had some great prices for freshly made burgers and corn fritters with honey. Add the regulars of popcorn and bottled water, and I was set for the night.

With three screens to choose from, I was happy to find one early movie that I hadn’t seen yet. Which is why I watched Patriots Day, not just because it fits the Stars & Stripes theme.

Miles Today / Total:  284 / 2578 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Patriots Day / 13

Nearby Restaurant: After a visit to Germany in November, I’ve developed a taste for German cuisine, but only if it’s authentic. After asking around, I found the Alpine Haus Restaurant. They seem to specialize in schnitzels, and while those are great, I prefer the tender, unbreaded schweinebraten. And Hofbrau Original beer, of course.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The water park is closed for the season, so I got a great rate at The Resort at Schlitterbahn. It always looked great when I’d visit during warmer months, and I can tell that it’s been around for a few decades, but the staff was very welcoming. Maybe they were just glad to see someone when the water slides aren’t running.

Only in New Braunfels: According to Wikipedia, this place was established in 1844 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Germany. After encouraging German immigrants to migrate to his land grant, the prince left within a year. His successor discovered that the prince had deliberately chosen a little-used port of entry and an isolated overland route to New Braunfels to keep the Germans from interacting with any Americans. According to his lieutenant, the prince had planned to establish a German feudal state by secretly bringing in immigrants and placing them in military fortresses.

Next Stop: Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive In, Austin TX.

photo from the WesMer Drive-In Theatre web site

It’s Day 18 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and I was back to a very long drive, this time from little Hockley to the WesMer Drive-In Theater in Mercedes TX, near the southern tip of the state. Another five and a half hours on the road. Glad I brought along some good audiobooks.

The WesMer is named for its location between Mercedes & Weslaco. When did it first open? Two online sources report “the late 1940s,” but my Theatre Catalogs from ’48 and ’49 don’t list it. By the 1952 catalog, the Wes-Mer is in. The drive-in closed in the mid 1980s, then reopened in 1994. It’s always nice to see another drive-in brought back to life.

Many drive-ins run a flea market during daylight hours. The WesMer is the first I’ve seen that’s across the street from the flea market.

I like a concession stand that provides something different. In this case, I picked up a Frito pie and a bowl of chili to go with the usual popcorn and bottled water.

I should be glad that the WesMer is showing something tonight. It would be petty to mention that, with only one screen, I’m stuck watching Assassin’s Creed as the early show for the third time in 10 days. Even if its Tomatometer reading is an ugly 17%.

Miles Today / Total:  359 / 2294 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Assassin’s Creed / 12

Nearby Restaurant: The closest restaurant is also the best Italian restaurant for miles around. Cortino’s offer freshly made pasta dishes and homemade deserts. It’s just the kind of little family place that I love to find.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There were a few good choices, but I still got a pretty good deal at the Holiday Inn Express in Weslaco. A mini-fridge, microwave, and Keurig coffee machine in the room made me almost wish I could stay longer instead of another long drive in the morning.

Only in Mercedes: In nearby Hidalgo, Mayor John Franz got the Hidalgo Economic Development Department to spend $20,000 to build the world’s largest killer bee. The 10-foot-high statue still sits in front of the Hidalgo city hall, but they tell me that it’s portable.

Next Stop: Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre, New Braunfels TX.