Category Archives: 2017 Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey

This is the virtual tour that will imagine what it would be like to visit every North American drive-in theater in 2017 by visiting one or two every day. While the drive-ins, restaurants, and hotels are real, all the events in this section are fiction. But it’s fun to dream!

Mar. 15: 411 Twin Drive In, Centre AL

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411 Drive-In sign

photo by Lamar, from the Carload Flickr pool

It’s Day 74 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It was a nice, easy drive of less than an hour to get from Boaz to the 411 Twin Drive In of Centre AL.

According to its web site, the 411 was built in 1953 by Emory Johnson. (The 1955 Theatre Catalog lists Glover Johnson, his father, as its operator.) It was renovated and reopened in 2001, and is now operated by Rex and Carl Johnson, the sons of Emory Johnson. They added a second screen in 2008 and converted to digital projection a few years later.

For a lot of drive-ins, I have to do some detective work to guess the opening date. The 411 may be the only active drive-in that leaves me wondering when it closed. My references show its first life continuing through 1987 at least, but Cinema Treasures says it closed in 1983. When I asked the 411 folks, they agreed with 1983, so I guess those reference books just didn’t notice for awhile.

The 411 is only open Friday through Sunday at this time of year. Once again I found myself wishing that every night was a Friday night.

Miles Today / Total:  34 / 9231 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 41

Nearby Restaurant: The Centre Fuel City BBQ (formerly a Shell station) served up what it easily the best barbecue I’ve ever picked up at a gas station. Great baked beans, green beans, and a tater tot casserole made a very filling lunch. I guess you could call Fuel City a filling station.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Days Inn here is very basic, but there aren’t a lot of choices in Centre. My room was clean, there was a little something for breakfast, and the low prices leave enough in the budget to splurge later elsewhere.

Only in Centre: I could talk about the three 10- to 12-foot high outdoor fish statues in front of the Weiss Lake Lodge (“crappie capitol of the world”), but that’s so commercial. Instead, we’ll turn to John Pratt Memorial Park, aka Pratt Cemetery, the final resting place of John Jonathan Pratt, who invented the pterotype, an early form of typewriter.

Next Stop: Henagar Drive-In Theatre, Henagar AL.

Mar. 14: Sand Mountain Twin Drive-In Theater, Boaz AL

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It’s Day 73 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. I returned to Alabama for the first time for the first time in almost two months, driving two hours from Estill Springs TN to the Sand Mountain Twin Drive-In Theater in Boaz AL.

The Sand Mountain Twin opened in 1996. It was purchased by Frank’s Entertainment a decade later. Digital conversion came in around January 2015. Unlike most drive-ins, the Sand Mountain always charges admission by the carload. According to Tieka’s Blog, it offered a free meal ticket to every customer for its all-night Halloween bash in October 2015.

In a 2010 article on AL.com, manager Michael Morrison said that little towns have the lower land prices that make drive-ins possible. “Alabama has a lot of rural areas that aren’t gobbled up by the cities, and (drive-in owners) can afford to buy land,” Morrison said. “If this land here were in the middle of Huntsville, they couldn’t afford this property.”

The Sand Mountain is only open Friday through Sunday at this time of year, so after two nights in a row of getting to see a movie, I had to retire early.

Miles Today / Total:  101 / 9197 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 41

Nearby Restaurant: Good thing I got here in time for lunch, because that’s about the only time that The Mill Street Deli is open. Everyone raves about their sandwiches, but I was contrary enough to order a chef’s salad with buffalo chicken strips instead. Part of me thought I was eating healthy, but another part knew I was saving room for dessert.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Econo Lodge in Boaz has the chain’s usual low price, but it happens to be one of the best Econo Lodges anywhere. It certainly felt like one of the newest. My room was clean and comfortable, and I got just enough breakfast to get started in the morning.

Only in Boaz: Just up the road is Albertville, home of the Mueller Company, which makes fire hydrants. As documented by the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Mueller’s one-millionth hydrant has been nickel-plated and is on display near the Albertville Chamber of Commerce, celebrating the city’s reputation as the “Fire Hydrant Capital of the World.”

Next Stop: 411 Twin Drive In, Centre AL.

Mar. 13: Montana Drive-In, Estill Springs TN

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photo from the Montana Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 72 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Even though the drive was only an hour, I took a fast-forward ride from possibly the oldest drive-in in Tennessee, the Hi-way 50 Drive in, to the newest, the Montana Drive-In, about halfway between Tullahoma and Estill Springs TN.

The Montana was built by Ray and Beth Rhoton, who named it for their daughter. This modern three-screen drive-in opened in November 2004. The concession stand and second-floor projection loft are at the center of this little complex, and it looks a lot like a house from the outside. Pretty nifty!

It was so nice to have three sets of movies to choose from, on a Monday night in March no less! I hadn’t seen the latest King Kong, but I expect it’ll turn up on a drive-in screen down the road. Instead, I chose Get Out, a horror-comedy with a lot of good buzz.

Miles Today / Total:  41 / 9197 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Get Out / 41

Nearby Restaurant: The restaurant that always has a full parking lot of locals is usually the place to eat, and the Sample Family Restaurant is no exception. Although I’m happy with broasted chicken, I was really glad to be able order breakfast for dinner. I had an omelet with a side of biscuits and gravy, and I was full for the rest of the day.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There aren’t any hotels in Estill Springs, so I went the other way to Tullahoma and the Hampton Inn there. Although it had been nice to try different hotels, it was nice to get back to the comfortable uniformity of Hampton. It was also within walking distance of several restaurant chains and a large grocery store, but I was still full from Sample’s. Good thing I got a room near the front, away from the trains that pass by near the back.

Only in Estill Springs: The town takes its name from the Frank Estill family, which donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. According to Wikipedia, The combination of mineral waters and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town. Oscar Meyer was appointed the first mayor of Estill. Later during Prohibition, Estill Springs was home to prominent bootlegger Parker Jones, who took advantage of the heavily wooded terrain to distill booze and hide from the law.

Next Stop: Sand Mountain Twin Drive-In Theater, Boaz AL.