July 7: Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre, Plymouth IN

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Tri-Way screen 2 projection booth and screen

Photo from the Tri-Way Drive-In Facebook page

It’s Day 188 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took just a bit over an hour to drive from Wabash IN to the Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre, north of Plymouth IN.

According to its history page, the Tri-Way opened its doors with one screen in June 1953. The name of the theater, selected from public suggestions, was based on its location on what was U.S. 31, between U.S. 6 and 30. Janet Combs, who submitted the name, received a year’s family pass to the theater.

In a August 2015 article in the South Bend Tribune, owner Dave Kinney said he’s operated the Tri-Way since 1985. He said that summer had been rough, “either it’s been way too rainy or way too warm for crowds, and ticket sales are down”.

Despite the downturn, Kinney was committed to buying digital projection systems for all four screens. “It’s a rough business, especially because we’re only open six months of the year,” he said. “The only thing that keeps me going is the love of the drive-in. It’s just in your blood.”

I had written about the Tri-Way just a couple of months ago. Back then, Kinney was asking for more patrons to come by and purchase more stuff from the concession stand so he could pay off those digital projectors.

The Tri-Way has a really nifty mini-golf course, a full restaurant, plus four screens – superb for me trying to find something fresh to watch. The latest Spider-Man movie was on one screen, but I expect I’ll get another chance to see that soon, so I picked the less family-friendly Will Ferrell movie, The House. As a result, this marked the third straight night of seeing a movie for the first time this year. That hadn’t happened since January. Woohoo!

Miles Today / Total:  64 / 23888 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: The House / 104

Nearby Restaurant: I’d never seen so many beers on tap at a deli as I saw at Opie’s Deli downtown. But since it was a deli, I went for the reuben sandwich, which came with chips and a pickle just as you would expect at a deli. It was humble, tasty food at a good price, leaving plenty of cash for more beer.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Another Indiana night, another Holiday Inn Express. This one was freshly renovated. I needed to pay a little extra for a suite to get a fridge and microwave, but I’ll bet the wifi was that good throughout the place. The standard very good HIE breakfast topped off another nice HIE stay.

Only in Plymouth: According to Roadside America, local car restoration hobbyist Calvin Bailey converted Bob’s Towing to a 1950s era Mobilgas service station, complete with a dial pay phone in a phone booth, an old style police car and fire truck, and some mannequins to give you a better idea of what things looked like back then.

Next stop: Sunset Drive In Theater, Hartford MI.

July 6: 13-24 Drive-In, Wabash IN

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It’s Day 187 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took just a little over an hour to drive from Monticello IN to the 13-24 Drive-In, just northeast of Wabash.

According to a 2003 article at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Truman Rembusch built the 13-24, named for US 24 and state highway 13, in 1949. It probably opened in 1950. Truman and his son Mike Rembusch owned and operated the drive-in through the decades to that 2003 story.

The next big change came after a For Sale sign went up on the 13-24 marquee. As they put it on a local insurance and risk management firm’s blog, “When the movie theater was in jeopardy of closing its doors in 2011, INGUARD’s CEO, Parker Beauchamp joined forces with his wife Katie, parents and the Honeywell Foundation to keep movies reeling on the silver screen.”

Now INGUARD, a fine company with too many capital letters, sponsors free admission for all kids 12 and under, and the non-profit foundation runs the 13-24, complete with digital projection and other upgrades, thanks to Beauchamp’s charitable deep pockets. A PRNewsChannel release said that the reaction has been great. “It was so well-received and people were so floored, I think it almost has more Facebook likes than the entire Honeywell Foundation, which has been around since the 1940’s,” said Beauchamp. “It’s been really wild and humbling, and that just makes you feel good.”

In the 2016 YouTube video I found the embed above (from WIWU, Grant County’s News Leader), they’re celebrating the same occasion I got to experience this year. For Retro Reels Thursday, the 13-24 showed the original family-friendly extravaganza, The Wizard of Oz. It made me wonder whether that movie ever landed on any drive-in screens when it first came out. There were fewer than 20 drive-ins open in August 1939, but after watching it again, I can verify that it makes a fine drive-in movie.

Miles Today / Total:  58 / 23824 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: The Wizard of Oz / 103

Nearby Restaurant: In addition to the historic Eagles Theatre downtown and the 13-24 Drive-In, another touch of Wabash nostalgia is the B-K Root Beer stand, open seasonally since the mid-1940s. I enjoyed a classic Spanish dog, some cheese fries, and a root beer float in a glass mug. It’s not health food, but it makes a great warm-up for the drive-in.

Where I Virtually Stayed: I was back to the safe conformity of the Holiday Inn Express in Wabash. My clean, comfortable room had the full set of amenities, and the HIE breakfast might be the best of any of the chain hotels. Just another nice night to get me ready for the weekend.

Only in Wabash: On March 31, 1880, four 3,000-candle electric lamps were suspended from the top of the Wabash County courthouse. Two telegraph wires ran from the lamps to the courthouse basement, where they were connected to a threshing machine to provide power. As a result, says Wikipedia, Wabash is notable for claiming to be the first electrically lighted city in the world.

Next stop: Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre, Plymouth IN.

July 5: Lake Shore Drive In, Monticello IN

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It’s Day 186 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. For the second straight day, it took 101 miles to drive from place to place. This time, the lack of interstates meant I was on the road a little more than two hours to get from Gibson City IL to the Lake Shore Drive In in Monticello IN.

The Lake Shore opened as the single-screen Monticello Drive-In in 1949, according to Cinema Treasures. At that point, or very soon after, it was owned by Al Taylor and Clifford Rickey, who were listed with it in the 1952 Theatre Catalog. In 1961, they sold the Monticello to Marc Brazee of Greenwood, and my references show Brazee running the place deep into the 1980s and possibly beyond.

From there, we pick up some Herald Journal accounts; all agree that Earle and Phyllis McLachlan bought the place in 2000 and added a second screen in 2003. An article from 2004 said that when McLachlan bought it, “the entire facility was in fading condition and bordering on the out-of-date. A major restructuring, which added a new sound system and just last year a second film screen, was necessary in order to bring the operation up to par.” I’m guess that’s when the name changed.

In a 2006 article, McLachlan said the Lake View was doing well despite Indiana joining Daylight Saving Time. In a 2014 article that misspelled his name, McLachlan was happy about his digital projection system and “the new screen,” suggesting that the main screen was replaced during the previous off-season. It looks newer now, and less nostalgic, than in the 2009 YouTube video embedded above.

Not only did I get the treat of a new, different movie, but a darned good one for drive-ins. Baby Driver has the action and car chases to keep anyone awake on any drowsy late evening in July.

Miles Today / Total:  101 / 23766 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Baby Driver / 102

Nearby Restaurant: The best dam catfish in town has the be at the Oakdale Dam Inn. In the converted mess hall of Oakdale Dam workers, filled with quirky decorations, I had to have the catfish dinner, since bottom feeders and dams just go together. Add in a full bar and lots of dessert options, and it was just a great place to visit and have a bite.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Since I gravitate to chains, I stayed at the Best Western Plus Brandywine Inn. I snagged a kitchenette suite with a hot tub and a king bed, a great combination to melt away stress from the road. Instead of a fitness room, there was a full fitness club with a racquetball court and steam room. Good wifi, good breakfast, it all make me glad I spent a little more on a greay place to stay.

Only in Monticello: The Indiana Beach Amusement and Water Park opened as a beach in 1926 and expanded to include roller coasters and other amusement park rides. Its ownership changed hands a couple of times over the past 10 years, but recent TripAdvisor reviews suggest that it’s a nice place to visit again.

Next stop: 13-24 Drive-In, Wabash IN.