It’s Day 158 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. I drove from Spirit Lake near Iowa’s northern border to the center of the state. The trip to the Valle Drive in in Newton, just east of Des Moines, took about three and a half hours.

The Valle is the oldest drive-in in Iowa. It opened in 1948 (says its web site) or 1949 (says its Facebook page), and still uses its original concession stand, popcorn machine, and in-car speakers. (There’s also a radio broadcast.)

As shown by the above 2014 YouTube video from KCCI, Des Moines’ News Leader, Jim Mertz, who bought the place from the original owners in 1976, was happy about successfully changing over to digital projection.

The summer before, Valle manager Katie Pletcher had told USA Today that the movie studios were getting serious about cutting off film to theaters. “They keep pushing back the deadline, but we think they might actually mean it this time,” she said.

“The drive-in will always be there. It’s going to last longer than I do,” Mertz said.

Wonder Woman is a fine drive-in movie, so I didn’t mind seeing it two nights in a row. Heck, it’s great to be able to see anything on a Wednesday night. The concession stand at the Valle had something close to one of my favorite treats from the drive-ins of my youth – frozen chocolate malts. The weather was perfect, starting in the low 70s and descending during the show. What a great night to be outside!

Miles Today / Total:  217 / 20464 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Wonder Woman / 74

Nearby Restaurant: Another small town, another diner. I’m really glad that the Midtown Cafe in Newton was still open for lunch when I arrived. Since it was Wednesday, I had the Wednesday lunch special – meat loaf. Great comfort food, served up by a true downtown diner, topped off with a slice of great diner pie!

Where I Virtually Stayed: Once again, I was back at a Super 8 motel, and this one’s a Pride of Super 8 award winner. Once again, I got a remodeled room with a mini-fridge, a microwave, and solid wifi. Breakfast included waffles, yogurt, and all the carbs and coffee I wanted.

Only in Newton: Just a few miles southeast of Newton, there’s a 60-foot high statue created from over 200 steel wagon wheels. It was built over 20 years ago by Leonard J. Maasdam when he was 90 years old.

Next stop: Falconwood, Bellevue NE.

It’s Day 157 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. Thanks to I-90, it took me just a little over an hour to drive from Luverne MN to the Superior 71 Drive-In Theater just south of the border in Spirit Lake IA.

The Superior 71 is a single-screen (55 by 90 feet), 21st century drive-in with a capacity of about 360 cars. It might accommodate another couple hundred in nearby grassy areas when they’re dry.

As described by a fine video from KARE, Minneapolis’ News Leader, Gaylord Kemp built the place in 2008 after he pried 10 acres of farmland away from a corn grower, convinced local officials to change the zoning, and found an intact screen eight miles away at a drive-in shuttered for nearly 40 years.

“We began looking for land in 2005,” Kemp told the Sioux City Journal this week. He found this 10-acre cornfield in Superior Township just before land prices went up. He found his screen practically next door on Highway 9, where the old Chief Drive-In stood, abandonded, west of Estherville. Kemp built a two-story projection, concessions and restrooms building.

“It’s a perfect retirement business,” Kemp said. “The drive-in creates an atmosphere everyone enjoys. What kind of job can you work at where people come in and they’re all happy because they can relax and watch a movie?”

I was really happy to find a Tuesday night drive-in movie, and it’s great to be making progress towards my goal of 200 live nights this year. This was my fifth active night in a row, the first time that’s happened since February. More than all that, I was happy to finally get a chance to see the Wonder Woman movie that has been getting so much buzz. It’s a really good movie, especially for drive-ins.

Miles Today / Total:  76 / 20247 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Wonder Woman / 73

Nearby Restaurant: I love finding comfort food, and even the name Family Diner just, well it doesn’t scream, but it quietly assures you of comfort food. Where else can you get a good hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy except at a true diner? And don’t get me started on the huge slices of meringue pie!

Where I Virtually Stayed: Another small town, another Super 8 motel. I guess I’m racking up a lot of virtual Wyndham Rewards points so I can stay at even more Super 8s for free when I’m done with this odyssey. Anyway, the Spirit Lake Super 8 had freshly remodeled rooms with mini-fridges, microwaves, and solid wifi, plus there’s that carb-packing Super 8 continental breakfast (with biscuits and gravy!) to get me on the road in the morning.

Only in Spirit Lake: Just a little south of the drive-in is Arnolds Park Amusement Park, which has been in operation in one form or another since 1889, when Wesley Arnold built a 60-foot tall tobaggan-style waterslide. It includes the Legend roller coaster, built in 1930 and one of the oldest wooden coasters still in operation.

Next stop: Valle Drive in, Newton IA.