Category Archives: Missouri

Apr. 13: Moberly Drive-In, Moberly MO

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Moberly Drive-In marquee and screen

photo by Darren Snow, from the Carload Flickr pool

It’s Day 103 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Moberly MO is home to the Moberly Drive-In, part of the Moberly Five and Drive movie cluster. Sitting in north-central Missouri, Moberly really isn’t on the way to any other strings of drive-ins, so I had to swing out of my way to reach it. I had thought to leave it until my west-to-east run through Iowa a couple of months from now, but then I noticed that the drive-in was already open for 7-day viewing. It took four hours to drive from the Barco in Lamar, but I made it in plenty of time for the show.

According to Cinema Treasures, this drive-in began its life in 1950 as the Hi Way 63 Drive-In. The Hi Way 63 persisted into the early 1980s before shutting down, then idled for at least a decade. The owner also owned two downtown indoor theaters, and replaced them all by building a five-screen building on the Hi Way 63 site in 1997 and projecting to the drive-in screen from there.

It had been so long, I couldn’t even remember the last time I was able to watch a movie at a drive-in on a Thursday night. (I looked it up – eight weeks ago.) Even though it was the fourth time I’ve seen The Lego Batman Movie, the last time was exactly two months ago. And it’s a pretty good movie.

Miles Today / Total:  233 / 11295 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: The Lego Batman Movie / 48

Nearby Restaurant: There must be some folks who enjoy having breakfast for dinner more than I do, but I rarely meet them. The right place in Moberly to get a late early start with plenty of friendly attitude is the Funny Pages Cafe. There were plenty of comic book characters all over the walls in this 50s-type diner, but for me, the best part was the biscuits and gravy served with bacon.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Comfort Inn in Moberly was just what I needed after my long drive. My room was clean and comfortable with a mini-fridge, and breakfast was just as nice as I expect from Comfort Inn.

Only in Moberly: Seven miles west of the Moberly Five and Drive is a six-foot ball of string. According to Roadside America, Terrill Mayo’s old obsession sits in the back room of the Huntsville Historical Society’s museum in downtown Huntsville. It’s not the biggest ball of string or anything like that, but it sure is something.

Next stop: Twin Drive-In, Independence MO.

Apr. 12: Barco Drive-In Theatre, Lamar MO

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It’s Day 102 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It’s a short, easy drive (just about a half hour) from the 66 Drive-In Theatre in Carthage MO north to the Barco Drive-In Theatre in Lamar.

This drive-in opened as the Barco Starvue in April 1950, but soon dropped the Starvue from its name. (Barco is short for Barton County.) It’s been in operation every summer since.

There’s a 2015 article at OzarksAlive.com that explains and illustrates the Barco much better than I have room to do here. Butler Felts designed the theater (with an apartment in its screen), managed it from its opening, then bought it in 1968. After Felts died in 2008, the Lamar Community Betterment leased the theater to make sure it stayed open, and that association raised the money for digital projection in 2012.

The Barco is only open Fridays and Saturdays at this time of year, which left me out of luck again on a Wednesday night. Soon, soon the summer will return!

Miles Today / Total:  29 / 11062 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 47

Nearby Restaurant: From the golden fish on the roof, you know what you’re in for when you dine at Cap’s Cabin Restaurant. I’ve had fish and chips in London, and I must say that I enjoyed the hand-battered cod at Cap’s Cabin more. Add a quart of iced tea and a salad to add a little green to my daily diet, and I was all set for the rest of the day.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are some Super 8 motels that are the best hotel in town and would be even if it had more competition The Super 8 in Lamar is one of them. They feature fresh cookies every evening and biscuits and gravy in the continental breakfast. The room was clean, the wifi worked, I had a microwave and a mini-fridge, and my king bed was comfy. I was really glad this hotel was here.

Only in Lamar: A former US president was born in Lamar, and you can see the small frame house where that happened at the thoroughly named Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site. It’s been restored with “furnishings that reflect what a house in western Missouri would have looked like during the time Truman lived in the house.” That wasn’t long; Truman’s family moved north before his first birthday.

Next stop: Moberly Drive-In, Moberly MO.

Apr. 11: 66 Drive-In Theatre, Carthage MO

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66 Drive-In marquee and screen

photo by Mark Goebel via Flickr

It’s Day 101 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Thanks to I-44, it less than an hour to drive from the Sunset Drive-In Theatre in Aurora to the 66 Drive-In Theatre in Carthage.

The 66 was the 66 before Route 66 was cool. It opened in 1949 with a capacity for 500 cars. It was one of two in little Carthage, but the Sunset, which opened about the same time, closed before 1982. The 66 survived until 1985, when it too closed for over a decade.

The 66 was in the news just last month. The Carthage News had the first and probably best story about the McDonald family buying the place from the Goodmans, who brought it back to life in 1997.

The 66 is only open Friday through Sunday at this time of year, so I fell a little further behind in my quest for 200 movie nights in 2017.

Miles Today / Total:  49 / 11033 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 47

Nearby Restaurant: This is going to be my last stop on Route 66 for at least a while, so I wanted to embrace it while I could. In downtown Carthage is a little coffee and eclectic lunch stop called Mother Road Coffee. It’s got what you’d expect – expertly made coffee drinks and lots of Route 66 memorabilia. Everyone told me I had to grab the daily special for lunch, which happens to be their only lunch entree. For this Tuesday afternoon pick-me-up, I got to try the amazing tuna melt. Yum!

Where I Virtually Stayed: One last touch of Route 66 history is where I stayed, the Boots Court Motel. It had been around for 10 years when the drive-in was built, and it’s got its own Wikipedia page. It has been wonderfully restored to its old-fashioned glory, complete with covered parking and lawn chairs. My room was clean and comfortable, the bathroom was small, and wifi just wasn’t an option. A superb retro sendoff to my 66 experience for a while.

Only in Carthage: Marlin Perkins, the host of the old TV nature show Wild Kingdom, was born in Carthage, and there’s a larger-than-life bronze statue of him in Central Park.

Next stop: Barco Drive-In Theatre, Lamar MO.