Category Archives: Texas

Jan. 25: Brazos Drive In, Granbury TX

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Brazos Drive-In screen and marquee

photo by Rob Sneed, from the Carload Flickr pool

It’s Day 25 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and although the distance from the Coyote in Fort Worth to the Brazos Drive-In of Granbury TX was about the same as the distance I’d driven the day before from the Coyote in Lewisville, it felt very different. I went from vibrant modern multi-screen urban theaters to an old-time classic single-screen.

According to CinemaTreasures, the Brazos opened in 1954, although Preservation Texas puts the date at 1952. For what it’s worth, my 1952 Theatre Catalog doesn’t include the Brazos in its drive-in census, but my 1955 version does. That Preservation Texas listing, which included the theater in its Most Endangered Places list for 2010, said the Brazos was built “with local materials by businessmen to lure people into town.” Some commenters at CinemaTreasurers added that the theater converted to digital projection by 2014, but was up for sale on eBay that November. Still, the Brazos endures.

I had a run of seven straight movie nights snapped by the Brazos, which is still closed for the season. One goal for this Odyssey is to catch at least 200 active movie nights in the 365-day year, about 55%. Picking up seven in a row in January has got to help my chances there; so far I’m at 72%.

Miles Today / Total:  40 / 2978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 18

Nearby Restaurant: I do love that fried chicken, and Granbury has an excellent example of the farmhouse-style chicken restaurant: Babe’s Chicken Dinner House. Babe’s is a small regional chain, and it reminds me of metro Denver’s White Fence Farm – a comfortable, family-friendly setting, an emphasis on fried chicken, and all the green beans and sides you care to eat.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Not only is Granbury’s Hilton Garden Inn full of the usual HGI amenities, it’s got a superb view of the Brazos River. It’s a real bonus when the view from the hotel room window isn’t just a grassy field, the building next door, or somebody’s back yard.

Only in Granbury: According to KTRK, former Hood County Sheriff Gene Mayo, freshly defeated in a 2009 re-election bid, was criticized for writing “lost election/fired” on his application for unemployment benefits. A spokeswoman for the Texas Association of Counties said, “When you are elected, you are elected for a certain amount of time. That term ended.” A Texas Workforce Commission spokesperson said that serving as an elected official is not considered “employment”.

Next Stop: Graham Drive In Theatre, Graham TX.

Jan. 24: Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth TX

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A couple with blankets watching the drive-in screen

photo from the Coyote Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 24 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, time again for the occasional oddity of consecutive nights in theaters of the same chain. The drive took less than an hour, from the northeast corner of the DFW metroplex to the heart of Fort Worth TX, but it was also a trip back to the start of a new era in drive-in theaters, the era that began when the Coyote Drive-In opened.

It’s an exaggeration to say that the Coyote in Fort Worth spearheaded the drive-in renaissance, but only slightly. Since it was built from scratch and opened in May 2013, we’ve seen others reopened and others created or planned. And of course there are the two newest members of the Coyote family in Leeds AL and Lewisville TX. Jimmy Buffett performed here in June 2014 concert that was syndicated to other drive-ins, a great example of the possibilities created by the switch to digital projection.

The menu here was pretty much identical to the Coyote in Lewisville, right down to the note that “Taxis are available.” Considering that a “small” fountain soft drink is $5.50, a $5 pint of domestic beer looked like a real bargain. But instead of the footlong corn dog, I switched to the buffalo chicken pizza.

There were four double features playing, yet I had a tough choice. I had already seen three of the early movies, and the fourth was one of those creepy types I wouldn’t ordinarily choose. But desperation and some good buzz about Split led me there for the night. If you see it, don’t tell anyone about the ending!

Miles Today / Total:  37 / 2938 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Split / 18

Nearby Restaurant: I was in heaven again. I didn’t expect that the closest restaurant to the Fort Worth Coyote would be another authentic German place. This unassuming small standalone building next to a gas station, Little Germany, had the best spaetzle since New Braunfels at least. Are there good German restaurants everywhere, but I just didn’t notice before I visited Munich?

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Coyote is close enough to downtown Fort Worth and its intersection of interstate highways that there are plenty of hotel choices. The very closest was a safe choice, the TownPlace Suites Downtown. With a full-sized fridge in the room, weeknight evening reception and a good breakfast, I wish I could have the extended stay this place is made for.

Only in Fort Worth: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram had the headline of the year last January: “Fort Worth firefighters respond to elevator fire, find man juggling flaming batons”. The details were that it was a grain elevator, it was around 7 on a Saturday evening, and “the man didn’t have a reason to be there.” The torches were quickly extinguished, and it appeared that no arrests were made.

Next Stop: Brazos Drive In, Granbury TX.

Jan. 23: Coyote Drive-In, Lewisville TX

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photo from the Coyote Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 23 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and I must confess that I almost missed this one. When I started planning this trip last fall, the Coyote Drive-In in Lewisville TX hadn’t opened. I almost zipped through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex without checking it out! Instead I drove over an hour, through downtown Dallas, to get to one of the newest theaters I’ll visit this year.

The Lewisville location became the third Coyote drive-in when it opened in late October 2016. The second was in Leeds AL, which I visited just a couple of weeks ago. The first was in Fort Worth, and that’s where I’ll stop tomorrow night.

I’ve got to love any concession stand where half the menu is made up of alcoholic beverages and the caution, “Taxis are available.” Considering that a “small” fountain soft drink is $5.50, a $5 can of craft beer looked like a real bargain. Add a footlong corn dog, and I had everything that I needed.

The movie choice I made the night before paid off. Of the five early movies available, two were creepy, two were movies I’d already seen, and the fifth was xXx: Return of Xander Cage. So now I’ve seen that once, and I wonder how many more viewings I’ll get.

Miles Today / Total:  56 / 2901 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: xXx: Return of Xander Cage / 17

Nearby Restaurant: Lewisville Lake is a lot closer to the Coyote than any decent restaurant. Fortunately, Tierney’s Cafe and Tavern was the closest I could reach without getting on the tollway. Since the weather outside was in the 60s, I enjoyed the patio of the remodeled house while eating meatloaf. It felt like someone’s mom would come out at any minute and ask how I was doing.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Although it’s a little pricey compared to its neighbors, I treated myself to the Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville. Since I’m a Hilton HHonors gold-level member, I get the excellent HGI breakfast buffet for free.

Only in Lewisville: According to The Lewisville Texan Journal, the City of Lewisville jumped in with both feet on the Pokemon Go craze last year, co-sponsoring two free rallies at Wayne Ferguson Plaza with Freaks and Geeks of Denton. The Texan Journal wrote, “Attendees will be able to chase, capture and potentially train Pokémon.” Fergson, a former mayor and city council member, was credited as the man behind the 121 Bypass.

Next Stop: Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth TX.