Author Archives: mrdrivein

Mar. 29: Skyline Drive-In, Greensburg KY

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It’s Day 88 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It doubled back a ways on the Cumberland Parkway to drive a little over an hour from Somerset KY to the Skyline Drive-In northwest of Greensburg.

When describing drive-ins, the question of its home city comes up surprisingly often. In this case, the Skyline is really in Summersville, but that’s not legally a city or town, just a “census-designated place and unincorporated community” according to Wikipedia. So its official address comes up Greensburg, an actual city of a couple thousand people.

They tell me the Skyline opened in 1956, though it’s in the 1955 Theatre Catalog. Then it closed some time in the 1980s and reopened in 2002. It’s been operating ever since, but a November 2016 Facebook post suggests that it had a management change earlier that year.  “We started this venture this year not knowing what to expect with a lot to learn,” it read. “We are looking forward to opening in the spring for our second season with bigger and better ideas.”

The Skyline’s web site says that it will be open in April. Too bad I can’t wait around that long.

Miles Today / Total:  70 / 10048 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: Oh my. The closest restaurants to the Skyline are in Greensburg, and almost all of them are chains, and not my favorites. Thank goodness that the Longhunters Coffee and Tea Company stays open for lunch! I enjoyed a Longhunters Hot Brown, turkey breast on a corncake with bacon. And of course, the coffee was great too.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The closest hotel was 13 miles away on the west side of Campbellsville, and the Holiday Inn Express is probably one of the best choices around here anyway. A mini-fridge in the room and a nice buffet at breakfast gave me less to think about as I planned my day.

Only in Greensburg: The oldest courthouse west of the Allegheny Mountains stands at the center of the Downtown Greensburg Historic District. According to Wikipedia, the courthouse was built by five men between 1802 and 1804, and was used for 130 years, ceasing to be an active courthouse in 1931.

Next Stop: Stanford Drive In Theater, Stanford KY.

Mar. 28: 27 Drive-In, Somerset KY

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It’s Day 87 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took took two hours on the Cumberland Parkway to drive from Lafayette TN to the 27 Drive-In in Somerset KY.

According to Cinema Treasures, the 27 Drive-In opened in 1967 as a single screen drive-in. It added a second screen in 1980.

In a 2011 article by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Harry Roaden, the 27’s owner, said that the general drive-in downturn started in 1984 when cable TV news stations started broadcasting news reports during prime time, keeping people at home instead of at the drive-ins. “TV has stolen two hours of our prime time,” he said. “If they would never have done that, there would be a drive-in with maybe 10 screens.”

The 27 started to bounce back in 1991. “We probably grossed about $20,000 that year,” Then in 2000, the drive-in began showing only first-run movies. “It was a new era for the drive-in theaters,'” Roaden said. “Now, if a movie does big, we do big. If it don’t do as much, we don’t do much either.”

This is also another of the drive-ins that has its own annual Fourth of July fireworks display. I love those.

The 27 only shows movies Fridays and Saturdays this time of year, so no movie for me on a Tuesday night.

Miles Today / Total:  120 / 9978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: I’ll admit that I came to Culver’s at least partly for the frozen custard, but the rest of the meal was also great. A good old ButterBurger with all the trimmings, plus a salad, because I’m eating healthy. And the frozen custard flavor of the day was Turtle, like the chocolate nut candy, not the terrapin.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a plethora of choices considering Somerset’s size, but I rarely turn down the opportunity to spend the night at a Hampton Inn. A nice sized room, good wifi, and a solid continental breakfast in a familiar setting make the rest of the day easier.

Only in Somerset: Somerset is home to the Somernites Cruise classic car events. No “motorcycles, semis or lawnmowers” are allowed.

Next Stop: Skyline Drive-In, Greensburg KY.

Mar. 27: Macon Drive-In, Lafayette TN

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It’s Day 86 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took only about 45 minutes of driving through the Tennessee hills to get from Franklin KY just north of the border to the Macon Drive-In northwest of Lafayette TN.

The Macon opened in 1950, according to a few references I trust, and it has operated every year since. (Its For Sale listing says it was built in 1965, but it’s listed in the 1955 Theatre Catalog.) Every description of the place includes “rural.” As the great photo embedded here suggests, the lack of light pollution makes it very easy to see the screen.

According to an old Project Honda press release, the Macon has been owned by four families, including GW and Paulette Warner as of 2013. “The Macon Drive-In was declared a historical landmark in our community on June 23, 2003,” said Paulette Warner.

The good news is that the Macon is still operating, having opened for the 2017 season just this past Friday. The bad news is that it’s for sale. The fact that it only shows movies Fridays through Sundays is only a little unfortunate compared to that.

Miles Today / Total:  35 / 9978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: It’s amazing to me how any meal gets better when it starts with chips and salsa. That works for me at Chili’s, and it worked at the Agave Grill and Cantina. Even though it’s supposed to be an appetizer, the fresh fried rabbit and those chips had me plenty full by the time I left.

Where I Virtually Stayed: They told me that if I was staying in Lafayette, I needed to stay at the Hearthstone Inn, and they were right. My room had a mini fridge and microwave with water and popcorn provided – wasn’t that nice! There was danish and coffee waiting for me in the morning, and I was ready to move on.

Only in Lafayette: The city of Lafayette was founded in 1843 as a county seat for the newly created Macon County. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, of Revolutionary War fame. Then-President George W. Bush visited Lafayette on February 8, 2008 to tour areas that had been damaged by tornadoes a few days earlier.

Next Stop: 27 Drive-In, Somerset KY.