photo by David Reed from the Carload Flickr pool
It’s Day 78 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. US Highway 76 is twisty enough that it took about an ahour and a half to drive 65 miles between two classic drive-ins, from the Swan in Blue Ridge GA to the Tiger Drive In Theatre in Tiger.
The Tiger opened in April 1954 as a single-screen drive-in that could hold maybe 200 cars. It stayed alive for almost 30 years then went dormant for a couple of decades. Soon after someone offered to buy the lot to use as a cemetary, the daughter of the original owners reopened the Tiger in 2004. With such a small percentage of those original small-town drive-ins still in operation, it’s always nice to see one restored to its former glory.
This classic drive-in serves classic drive-in food plus a lot more. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Philly cheesesteak sandwich at a concession stand. I was so happy to see the drive-in open on a Sunday night that I didn’t mind watching the latest King Kong reboot for the second night in a row. It really does make a great drive-in movie!
Miles Today / Total: 65 / 9436 (rounded to the nearest mile)
Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Kong: Skull Island / 43
Nearby Restaurant: On a Sunday in March, the best choices in Tiger were closed, so I tried Clayton less than three miles away. I chose The Rusty Bike Cafe, which serves breakfast all day. After “The Roadster” country fried steak, eggs, grits, and a biscuit, I was ready to spend the rest of the day waiting for the drive-in to open.
Where I Virtually Stayed: There weren’t any hotels in Tiger, but I was fortunate enough to get one of the refurnished rooms at the Quality Inn in Clayon. There was a fridge and microwave in my room, the wifi worked, and there was enough breakfast in the morning to get me started on another day.
Only in Tiger: There’s this place called Goats on the Roof that has, well, you know. The goats roam from building to building over suspended bridges. Tourists can load feed in a cup on a chain drive, then pedal a bicycle to drive it up to the waiting, forever hungry goats. And there’s nitro ice cream, but only for the tourists.
Next Stop: Swingin’ Midway Drive In, Athens TN.