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!

June 30: Route 34 Drive In Theatre, Earlville IL

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It’s Day 181 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. When I was putting together this leg of the trip, I saw that the Route 34 Drive In Theatre in Earlville IL would be open from the previous Friday through the Tuesday Fourth of July and somehow mistook it for a seven-day schedule. That’s why I took a two-day detour to northern Indiana for my Wednesday and Thursday night shows, and why I needed a three-hour drive from Knox IN to the Route 34 for to rejoin my previously planned route.

The Route 34, then owned by Charles Dyas, opened as the Dyas 34 in June 1954. He kept it running until selling it to Ron Magnoni Jr. in 1994, which is probably when the drive-in’s name changed. That’s Ron above in an excellent 2015 YouTube video, extolling the virtues of a rural drive-in with its lack of ambient light.

That video interview comes in the middle of the conversion to digital projectors. In a 2014 article in DeKalb Daily Chronicle, Magnoni talks about raising funds for the new system, replacing film projectors “made of a combination of parts from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘70s.” He also said business improved a few years after he bought the 34 when stopping showing R-rated movies and lured in more families.

In the video above, Magnoni talks about the preparation work he had done to modernize the projection booth. About switching away from film, he said, “All my friends (in the business) tell me they hated it at first, then they loved it. Well, I don’t think I’m going to love it.”

Then an April 2016 article in the La Salle NewsTribune, Magnoni announced that the Route 34’s transition was almost complete. “I should be able to play anything from any film company now,” he said.

Tonight marked my second consecutive night of Despicable Me 3, which was nothing compared to my Cars 3 marathon. The concession stand sells fried chicken, which I think is a terrible food to bring in but a real treat to eat when it’s freshly cooked. (Not to mention that it’s much better to support the concession stand whenever possible.) Life is good!

Miles Today / Total:  164 / 23001 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Despicable Me 3 / 97

Nearby Restaurant: For some surprisingly complex and flavorful Italian food in the middle of a small Illinois town, you’ll want to go to Francesca’s Restaurant. I enjoyed some baked spaghetti for lunch, and I almost wish I’d come back for some cod in the Friday night fish fry.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There aren’t any hotels in Earlville, so I had to take US 34 to I-39 for Mendota IL’s Comfort Inn. I’ve been so spoiled by in-room mini-fridges at similar chain hotels that I was surprised by its absence in my king bed room, which was otherwise everything I needed, including wifi and a coffeemaker. Breakfast in the morning was up to the typical Comfort Inn standards. Just another typically great night.

Only in Earlville: Every September they hold the Fiber in the Park festival in Shabbona Park here. “Bring your projects or your spinning wheel, and spend the day listening to live music, far from the city.” Plus they have alpacas.

Next stop: Skyview Drive-In, Litchfield IL.

June 29: Melody Drive In Theater, Knox IN

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNSldBDtMo&t=86s

It’s Day 180 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. This was an easy drive down straight highways, less than an hour from the 49er Drive-in Theatre north of Valparaiso IN to the Melody Drive In Theater south of Knox.

In the YouTube video I embedded above, owner Fred Heise says he has owned the Melody since 1970, “bought it from my father that year.” That video was uploaded in 2010, but Heise’s comments indicate that it was shot in 2006. A short note from WKVI FM about Opening Day this year confirms that Heise is still around.

The South Bend Tribune wrote in a 2013 article that the Melody opened in 1949. Heise and his son, Fred Heise II, told the Tribune about the switch to digital projection. “They’d have run for another 50 years, if you took care of them,” the elder Heise said of the old projectors. “Hopefully this (new) stuff will last 10 to 20 years without a problem, but we don’t know.” His son agreed: “That’s our major concern here. This isn’t a $1,100 computer, it’s a $60,000 one. … We don’t know how long they’re gonna last.”

A different problem hit earlier in 2013, when a storm blew down one of its two screens. As WNDU noted later, the Melody ran on one screen for just a short time before they could fix the second.

I was so glad that the Melody managed to get Despicable Me 3 on the Thursday night before it opens across the country. It gave me a break from all those viewings of Cars 3, but now I’m wondering how many times I’ll watch DM3 over the next coupld of weeks.

Miles Today / Total:  43 / 22837 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Despicable Me 3 / 96

Nearby Restaurant: In between towns, on South Toto Road, is an unusual place called Richard’s of Toto. It’s got a giant fiberglass Indian, a discount store, and most relevant to us, The Toto Cafe. I enjoyed the Thursday meatloaf special with mashed potatoes and gravy. It felt just a little odd to find such a large restaurant in the middle of miles of farmland.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There is a hotel in town, but 71% of TripAdvisor reviewers rated it Terrible, so I looked elsewhere. I knew the next leg of my odyssey would be due west, so I took the safest choice – a place I already knew. I caught the Comfort Suites in Rensselaer during its first month of operations in July 2016, and it was still just as fresh and good a year later. My room had a fridge and good wifi, breakfast was a little better than standard Comfort fare, and the price was great.

Only in Knox: The first episode of the PBS children’s series Postcards from Buster was filmed at a farm near Knox. Buster learns about the farm kids’ chores including feeding the cows, taking out the garbage, cleaning the house. He also learns that some of the chores include riding horses, driving forklift tractors and showing their pigs off when the County Fair is in town.

Next stop: Route 34 Drive In Theatre, Earlville IL.

June 28: 49er Drive-in Theatre, Valparaiso IN

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49er Drive-In marquee

photo by Ron from the Carload Flickr Pool

It’s Day 179 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Even though this night will mark my 27th consecutive active movie night, I’m still a little behind the pace for my goal of 200 movies during this year-long trip. That’s why I’m zigzagging a little, trying to hit the weekend-only drive-ins on weekends, and spending Wednesday nights like this one where the place is open. All of which is a long-winded way of explaining why I’m putting Illinois on hold for a couple of days. Meanwhile, it took only about an hour and a half to circle Chicagoland and drive to the 49er Drive-in Theatre in Valparaiso IN.

The 49er, named for its proximity to Indiana Highway 49, opened in May 1956, to the Shauer family, according to my reference books. The Shauers ran the place, with a single screen and a capacity of 500 cars, until selling it to Bruce Shinabarger in the mid to late 1980s. Shinabarger kept it going until selling to Steve and Mike Cotton in 2000. The Cottons kept most elements of the drive-in but completely revamped the concession stand. I especially like the pinball machines they keep in there.

According to The Times of Northwest Indiana, a December 2010 blizzard knocked down the 49er screen, but the Cottons got it back up in May to open for the 2011 season. That screen had been there when the Cottons bought the drive-in, and they weren’t sure just how old it was. “The original screen, made of wood, blew down as well, … while a film was being shown.”

There are a few YouTube clips of the 49er, especially when they play the 1958 novelty song Beep Beep before the show starts, encouraging patrons to honk along. And the sound system is a hybrid – working in-car speakers for nostalgia, and digital stereo FM for audiophiles.

So. Much. Cars 3. Ninth. Viewing. Like Lightning McQueen, I want to decide when I’m done. I just want to make it to Friday and hopefully some new releases.

Miles Today / Total:  87 / 22794 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Cars 3 / 95

Nearby Restaurant: I had a remarkable meal at the Industrial Revolution Eatery & Grille, starting with the namesake “Revolution” pizza, cooked in its brick oven. Then there was the sampler of local beers so I could pick my favorite. And it was all in an atmosphere of brick buildings and welded steel pillars. Neat!

Where I Virtually Stayed: Once again I found myself at the Hampton Inn, this time in Valparaiso. I especially appreciate any business that plugs the local drive-in on its web site. There’s not much more to say, except that everything was up to its usual Hampton quality including a room full of everything I wanted and a hot breakfast that was a lot like every other Hampton breakfast. It’s just a really safe bet for a good night’s stay.

Only in Valparaiso: The city of Valparaiso commissioned a statue of one of its most famous former residents, Orville Reddenbacher. According to an article in The Times, the sculptor relied heavily on images from the time the popcorn king guest-starred on Hee Haw.

Next stop: Melody Drive In Theater, Knox IN.