Aug. 12: Summer Drive-In, Plymouth MI

It’s Day 224 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. From suburban Toledo OH to suburban Detroit took only an hour. My destination was the Summer Drive-In in Plymouth MI.

According to stories catalogued by Water Winter Wonderland, the Summer got its start in 2004 as the Slap Shot Drive-In Theater. Then as now, it was set up with three screens in the parking lot of what was then the Compuware Sports Arena parking lot. That arena was home to the Detroit Whalers (then Plymouth Whalers) of the Ontario Hockey League, a junior league.

In 2007, the “Sports” was taken out of the arena name to emphasize its other uses. By 2008, the drive-in was being called the Compuware Arena Drive-In. In 2015 the USA Hockey Foundation purchased the arena, renaming it the USA Hockey Arena, and the drive-in became the Summer.

Most of the arena facilities are available to drive-in patrons, particularly a full menu at CJ’s Brewing Company, which has a golf cart to deliver food to cars.

The video of the day comes from Metro Parent. It shows off how the place looked in 2012, which is pretty much how it still looks today.

Once again I had the choice between The Nut Job 2 and Dunkirk. (A third screen was showing Despicable Me 3, which I had already seen nine times, so that wasn’t much of an option.) I picked Dunkirk for the third time, since I remain convinced that I’ll be subjected to The Nut Job 2 often enough over the next few weeks.

Miles Today / Total:  65 / 27101 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Dunkirk / 138

Nearby Restaurant: It’s time for another regional restaurant chain. Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is centered around Kentucky and Ohio, stretching over to Missouri and up to Michigan, but not too much farther. Their honey-dipped, pressure-cooked chicken is moist without so much grease. Interesting sides such as green beans and red beans and rice make a good thing even better.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a few really nice choices in Plymouth, and I chose the Comfort Inn. Everyone seemed happy to see me. My room had the full set of amenities, and the breakfast was a little better than some Comfort Inns with eggs and meat. The price was great. Just another good night.

Only in Plymouth: At the Plymouth Historical Museum, there’s yet another one of Robert Wadlow’s old shoes. Sure, there’s also a large collection of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia, and the history of Plymouth itself, but after sighting Wadlow shoes in Cuba MO and Billings MT, I’m starting to wonder whether every city with a drive-in has one lying around somewhere.

Next stop: Ford Drive In Theatre, Dearborn MI.