Author Archives: mrdrivein

A Drive-In Photographer’s Cross-Country Odyssey

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The Daily Mail of the UK pointed me this weekend to a story that I had overlooked. Photographer Lindsey Rickert, inspired by her memories of attending drive-ins as a young girl, launched a successful Kickstarter campaign then set off on her own drive-in odyssey to take remarkable pictures of living and dead theaters. She shot 28 drive-ins across 32 states in 65 days, driving 12,022 miles on a cross-country round trip. The result was a serious coffee-table book, Drive-In America, published in 2015.

In her travel blog, Rickert describes the glorious and the mundane details of her trek, such as her complaints about the weather. “I probably should be doing a photo book about storm chasing since it seems that is what I have been doing this entire trip,” she wrote. “While the rain has delayed me a few times, I’m not about to let it hold me down.”

Her story was picked up by Atlas Obscura a few weeks ago, which I’d guess was how the Daily Mail noticed it. Rickert said she started her planning by looking for standing, dead drive-ins. “I placed a large map on my wall, where I placed thumbtacks everywhere I found interesting locations, and the route started to form,” she said. “There was always the possibility that the remnants had been demolished before I could get there — luckily that only happened once.” Promising live drive-ins were added along the way.

I wish I could post some of Rickert’s amazing photos, such as those you can find in the Daily Mail and Atlas Obscura articles, but in addition, I urge you to visit the drive-in section of Rickert’s own web site. There’s even a link to buy the book at a much lower price than Amazon’s showing now.

I’m so impressed by these photos, and they strum a personal chord for me. Around that time, I had thought of shooting a coffee table book of (active) drive-in photos. Since then, I’ve started my own drive-in-a-day cross-country odyssey. (It’s only virtual, but I included Canada and I’m already over 16,000 miles.) It’s an amazing gift to actually view the spectacular output of my road not taken.

May 20: American Dream Drive-In, Powell WY

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Drive-In screen showing an advertisement for the American Dream Drive-In

photo from the American Dream Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 140 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Driving to my fifth state / province in as many days, it was another hour and a half hours to go from the Silver Bow Drive In just west of Butte MT to the only active drive-in in Wyoming, the American Dream Drive-In just south of Powell.

According to Cinema Treasures, the American Dream opened as Paul’s Drive-In in 1948, probably built by Paul McCalmon. It was renamed Vali Drive-In in 1976, and renamed American Dream Drive-In in 2004.

The Casper Star Tribune profiled the American Dream in 2013, just after it installed a digital projector. Scott and Kathleen Heny bought the drive-in in 2004, “fearing the property it stands on would be bought and the screen torn down.” Paul’s was the first drive-in in Wyoming, and now the American Dream is the last.

Kathleen Heny said of running her drive-in, “I call it a hobby. It has to be a hobby, because if you think you’re going to get rich on it, you’re not. To me, I guess this is my childhood. Part of my childhood is lost if this goes away.”

A Los Angeles Times story, picked up by the Las Vegas Sun, explained why the Henys renamed the Vali.  “It really is the American dream to be your own boss,” Kathleen said. “And there aren’t that many female small-business owners in Wyoming.”

It had been almost a month since I last saw Beauty and the Beast, so seeing it for the third time this year wasn’t so bad. I was just glad that the drive-in was open for me.

Miles Today / Total:  286 / 16551 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Beauty and the Beast / 63

Nearby Restaurant: I’m glad that Uncommon Grounds stayed open long enough for me to drop by for a late lunch after all that driving. I find that local coffee shops in smaller towns like this often offer interesting food choices as well as a welcoming atmosphere and most importantly, plenty of coffee. A bagel sandwich had me ready to face the afternoon and get ready for the American Dream’s concession stand at night.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There’s not a lot to choose from in Powell, and I chose the Super 8. My room had a fridge and microwave, a comfy bed, and pretty good wifi. The breakfast was pretty good for a Super 8, with biscuits and gravy along with all the coffee and juice I wanted. After that, I was ready to return to Montana.

Only in Powell: Just west of Powell, halfway to Cody, are the ruins of the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center, an World War II Japanese-American internment camp. The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation runs the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, which includes photographs, artifacts, oral histories and interactive exhibits about the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans, anti-Asian prejudice in America and the factors leading to their enforced relocation and confinement.

Next stop: Amusement Park Drive-in Theatre, Billings MT.

May 19: Silver Bow Drive In, Butte MT

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Concession stand window reflecting sunset clouds

photo from the Silver Bow Drive-In web site

It’s Day 139 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Driving to my fourth state / province in as many days, it was another five hours to go from Grangeville ID to the Silver Bow Drive In just west of Butte MT.

The Silver Bow was built by the Hansen Family in 1977, and it’s been owned and operated by them ever since. It began with a single screen, then added a second in 1980. In 2004 the second screen was rebuilt and expanded. The Silver Bow shows just a single movie each on those two screens.

The concession stand and projection booth, built by Jens Hansen I, were moved by the Hansens from the Rustic Drive-In of Deer Lodge MT when they built the Silver Bow. A 2003 article in the Montana Standard suggested that Silver Bow is really just the Rustic relocated.

That article mentioned the long history and determination of the Silver Bow and the people who ran it. “In late August 1992, six inches of snow blanketed the Butte area. (Operator Mark) Hansen was undaunted. ‘You could see the picture in the snow,’ he said.”

With a choice of two movies, I didn’t have to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for a fifth time. (I have a feeling that sentence should end with “yet”.) Instead, I chose the other feature, the R-rated Mothers Day comedy Snatched. Goldie Hawn was amazing in Laugh-In; I really believed she was a ditz as I watched that show live when I was too young to know any better. Good to see her still getting work at 72.

Miles Today / Total:  284 / 16265 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Snatched / 62

Nearby Restaurant: After seeing it on Man vs. Food, I had to visit the Freeway Tavern, home of a Butte tradition. The Wop Chop pork chop sandwich is a whole pork chop deep-fried, covered with mustard and pickles, and served on a bun. Fight that tasty grease with a cold beer for a balanced, albeit unhealthy, one-of-a-kind meal.

Where I Virtually Stayed: It’s hard to go wrong at a Hampton Inn, and the wifi here was especially peppy. I splurged an extra $9 on a larger room; sometimes it just feels better to be able to swing my arms. In addition to a comfy king bed, the “study” had a fridge and microwave. Breakfast was the standard, solid Hampton fare. In a week of long drives, my stay was a dose of predictability, in a good way.

Only in Butte: One of the most historic places in Butte is the Dumas Brothel Museum. According to Wikipedia, the Dumas was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 while it was still an active house of prostitution. When it closed in 1982, it was the longest operating brothel in the United States, having operated for 92 years, long after prostitution was outlawed.

Next stop: American Dream Drive-In, Powell WY.