Category Archives: 2017 Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey

This is the virtual tour that will imagine what it would be like to visit every North American drive-in theater in 2017 by visiting one or two every day. While the drive-ins, restaurants, and hotels are real, all the events in this section are fiction. But it’s fun to dream!

Jan. 31: Fiesta Drive-In, El Paso TX

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It’s Day 31 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, the end of Month 1, and it marked a visit to an unusual drive-in. There are only two Fiesta Drive-Ins in the US, and they happen to sit just over two hours apart. Yesterday was the three-screen Carlsbad NM version. This one was the Fiesta of El Paso TX, the one that shows adult movies.

According to CinemaTreasures, this Fiesta is not the Fiesta Drive-In that operated in El Paso from the 1950s until the early 1980s. Its commenters suggest that the adult version opened before 1999, and that it has switched to digital projection.

More clues come from a 2015 article in the University of Texas-El Paso newspaper, The Prospector. The author said she interviewed Fiesta manager Lee Wilson, who said that the movies change every night and that the theater has “two large outdoor movie screens, a projection booth and a concession stand.” But every other source I’ve seen says the Fiesta has only one screen, and the overhead view from Google Earth shows only the one obvious screen with its back to US 62. The official Facebook page mentions “an 80ft outdoor screen,” so I’m guessing that the UTEP reporter misread a note.

Unlike most drive-ins, the Fiesta encourages patrons to bring their own refreshments. “The theatre is BYOB, meaning bringing your own beer, booze, babe, burger, barbecue, etc,” Wilson said.

That Fiesta Facebook page, which lists the business’s start date as 1981, sometimes lists its movies, but the service is pretty spotty. Previously shown titles include Superstars Open Wide and Registered Nurse . Because Registered Nurse 1 and 2 left so many unanswered questions.

Miles Today / Total:  146 / 3754 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: not counting this one / 21

Nearby Restaurant: I can’t visit a place this close to the Mexican border without trying some authentic Mexican food. The L & J Cafe downtown provided that plus plenty of cold beer in a sports bar atmosphere. I’ll bet this place is great on weekends, albeit even more crowded.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Call me crazy, but I thought the closest place to stay was a great bargain. Sure, the Value Place is the kind of chain that features long-term, no-frills lodging near military bases, but it gave me a full kitchen, a decent TV and a full-sized bed for the lowest price I’ve paid all month. And it was the only hotel close to the Fiesta.

Only in El Paso: With all this talk about the border between the US and Mexico, few think deeply about what that border really is. In El Paso, it’s the Rio Grande, but rivers can shift over time. One chunk of land used to be on the Mexican side, then shifted to the US after the Flood of 1864. The Chamizal National Memorial commemorates “the harmonious settlement of a 100-year border dispute” as it provides a peaceful urban park.

Next Stop: Glendale 9 Drive-In, Glendale AZ.

Jan. 30: Fiesta Drive-In, Carlsbad NM

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It’s Day 30 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it’s the first where I return to a drive-in that I visited in real life. The Fiesta Drive-In in Carlsbad NM, a two and a half hour drive from Midland TX, has three screens, some wonderful neon, and a great setting.

According to CinemaTreasures, the Fiesta opened with a single screen in 1948. (It’s listed in my 1949 Theatre Catalog that way.) It closed in 1970, but was completely rebuilt in 1989 as a three screen drive-in. By 2010 the Fiesta had closed again, but it was reopened in 2012 and seems to be doing okay now.

In fact, the Fiesta was just ramping up, hiring help and finishing a satellite dish installation before the opening of the 2017 season this Friday. Just like my other visit, there was no movie for me to watch, but this time I missed it by four days instead of one.

Miles Today / Total:  147 / 3608 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 21

Nearby Restaurant: When it’s open, it’s hard to beat the Red Chimney Bar-B-Que. Pecan smoked marinated chicken. That’s just a great phrase, and it’s even better when it comes with barbeque beans and cold beer.

Where I Virtually Stayed: It’s the closest hotel to the national park, and it’s not far from the Fiesta, but I picked the Hampton Inn for a reliable stay with great service. Have you noticed that newer hotels have plenty of power outlets on the walls in the room?

Only in Carlsbad: Have you been to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, just south of town? You’ve probably heard of it. Especially growing up, I must have toured a dozen caves, but none were anywhere close to Carlsbad Caverns for size and history. Those other caves were formed by rainwater, but the Carlsbad Caverns were carved by sulfuric acid. Carlsbad isn’t very close to anywhere, but if you’re ever in the neighborhood, you really must visit!

Next Stop: Fiesta Drive In Theatre, El Paso TX.

Jan. 29: Big Sky Theater, Midland TX

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It’s Day 29 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it started with another two hour drive, this time from Lubbock TX to the Big Sky Theater in Midland. I never actually complained about all those half-hour hops out east, and I’m looking forward to more of them when I reach California this Thursday. But in between, it’s going to be a week of long hauls.

I know you read this yesterday, but the Big Sky is another pioneer of 21st century drive-in operation. It opened in 2005 with two screens and radio sound. A third screen came soon afterward.

Not only are their histories similar, the concession stand menu for the Big Sky was also a pretty close match to the Stars & Stripes the night before. That specialty tortilla sandwich was there, called simply the Chihuahua, and the corn fritters, burgers and pizza all looked good. I especially liked the idea of ordering 50 spicy chicken wings, which would have been great if I’d had someone around to split them with. I might need to do something about that.

Yesterday, I said that I expected to watch A Dog’s Purpose pretty soon. I was right. Of the three early movies available, that was the only one I hadn’t seen.

Miles Today / Total:  131 / 3461 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: A Dog’s Purpose / 21

Nearby Restaurant: As I continue my quest for authentic German-style experiences here in the states, I was happy to find the Midland Beer Garden just a mile down the road. The large glass steins full of cold beer and the haphazard-looking food trucks reminded me a lot of the serve-yourself style I saw in Berlin. (Although I wonder whether typical German beer gardens include a jalapeno cheddar corn dog.)

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a lot of hotels in Midland, and there are quite a few near the Big Sky. I tried something different with the Hawthorn Suites just up the road. A full-sized refrigerator and good guest laundry facilities made me almost wish I had more time to stay here.

Only in Midland: The first airplane built and flown in Texas was built in Midland in 1911 by John V. Pliska, a blacksmith, and Gray Coggin, a chauffeur and auto mechanic. It had a wingspan of 33 feet and was made of wood, piano wire, and canvas. When Pliska’s blacksmith shop was torn down in 1962, his kids donated the plane to the city, and it now hangs suspended above the baggage claim area in the Midland International Airport Terminal Building.

Next Stop: Fiesta Drive In Theater, Carlsbad NM.