Mar. 28: 27 Drive-In, Somerset KY

Posted on by

It’s Day 87 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took took two hours on the Cumberland Parkway to drive from Lafayette TN to the 27 Drive-In in Somerset KY.

According to Cinema Treasures, the 27 Drive-In opened in 1967 as a single screen drive-in. It added a second screen in 1980.

In a 2011 article by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Harry Roaden, the 27’s owner, said that the general drive-in downturn started in 1984 when cable TV news stations started broadcasting news reports during prime time, keeping people at home instead of at the drive-ins. “TV has stolen two hours of our prime time,” he said. “If they would never have done that, there would be a drive-in with maybe 10 screens.”

The 27 started to bounce back in 1991. “We probably grossed about $20,000 that year,” Then in 2000, the drive-in began showing only first-run movies. “It was a new era for the drive-in theaters,'” Roaden said. “Now, if a movie does big, we do big. If it don’t do as much, we don’t do much either.”

This is also another of the drive-ins that has its own annual Fourth of July fireworks display. I love those.

The 27 only shows movies Fridays and Saturdays this time of year, so no movie for me on a Tuesday night.

Miles Today / Total:  120 / 9978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: I’ll admit that I came to Culver’s at least partly for the frozen custard, but the rest of the meal was also great. A good old ButterBurger with all the trimmings, plus a salad, because I’m eating healthy. And the frozen custard flavor of the day was Turtle, like the chocolate nut candy, not the terrapin.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a plethora of choices considering Somerset’s size, but I rarely turn down the opportunity to spend the night at a Hampton Inn. A nice sized room, good wifi, and a solid continental breakfast in a familiar setting make the rest of the day easier.

Only in Somerset: Somerset is home to the Somernites Cruise classic car events. No “motorcycles, semis or lawnmowers” are allowed.

Next Stop: Skyline Drive-In, Greensburg KY.

Mar. 27: Macon Drive-In, Lafayette TN

Posted on by

It’s Day 86 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took only about 45 minutes of driving through the Tennessee hills to get from Franklin KY just north of the border to the Macon Drive-In northwest of Lafayette TN.

The Macon opened in 1950, according to a few references I trust, and it has operated every year since. (Its For Sale listing says it was built in 1965, but it’s listed in the 1955 Theatre Catalog.) Every description of the place includes “rural.” As the great photo embedded here suggests, the lack of light pollution makes it very easy to see the screen.

According to an old Project Honda press release, the Macon has been owned by four families, including GW and Paulette Warner as of 2013. “The Macon Drive-In was declared a historical landmark in our community on June 23, 2003,” said Paulette Warner.

The good news is that the Macon is still operating, having opened for the 2017 season just this past Friday. The bad news is that it’s for sale. The fact that it only shows movies Fridays through Sundays is only a little unfortunate compared to that.

Miles Today / Total:  35 / 9978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: It’s amazing to me how any meal gets better when it starts with chips and salsa. That works for me at Chili’s, and it worked at the Agave Grill and Cantina. Even though it’s supposed to be an appetizer, the fresh fried rabbit and those chips had me plenty full by the time I left.

Where I Virtually Stayed: They told me that if I was staying in Lafayette, I needed to stay at the Hearthstone Inn, and they were right. My room had a mini fridge and microwave with water and popcorn provided – wasn’t that nice! There was danish and coffee waiting for me in the morning, and I was ready to move on.

Only in Lafayette: The city of Lafayette was founded in 1843 as a county seat for the newly created Macon County. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, of Revolutionary War fame. Then-President George W. Bush visited Lafayette on February 8, 2008 to tour areas that had been damaged by tornadoes a few days earlier.

Next Stop: 27 Drive-In, Somerset KY.

Mar. 26: Franklin Drive-In, Franklin KY

Posted on by

It’s Day 85 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. With interstates available most of the way, it took me just an hour and a half to drive 89 miles from the Pink Cadillac Drive In just northeast of Centerville TN, through Nashville again, and just barely across the border to the Franklin Drive-In in Franklin KY.

The Franklin is a literal stone’s throw from Tennessee and less than 40 miles away from Nashville. It has been family owned and operated since 1969, currently by the Prices and their families. This Franklin began its life as the 31W or 31 West Drive-In, since that’s the highway that it’s on, and changed its name to the Franklin some time after the demise of the original Franklin Drive-In, which operated on Russellville Road from 1960 until some time around 1980.

The Franklin’s web site is down, but its Facebook page assured me that it’s only temporary. The drive-in only shows movies on Fridays and Saturdays this time of year, darn it, so I was out of luck again. I’m going to need some steady weeks of movies to catch up to my goal of 200 movies this year.

Miles Today / Total:  89 / 9943 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: I was hoping to try the Wildfire BBQ joint, but it was closed on Sunday. So I settled for TripAdvisor’s only Certificate of Excellence award winner in Franklin, the Cracker Barrel. The comfort food and cozy ambiance make every location in this chain a guilty pleasure for me.

Where I Virtually Stayed: Since I was relying on TripAdvisor awards, I went with the greenest hotel in Franklin, the Super 8. I got the usual amazingly low price, plus wifi and a mini-fridge in the room. Breakfast was a little spartan, but I could spend just a little of the money I saved by visiting the Waffle House next door.

Only in Franklin: The line between Kentucky and Tennessee was supposed to be straight, but the imperfect surveying available in the late 18th century turned the border into a scissor cut. Franklin sits in a particularly obvious triangular flaw known as the Simpson County Offset. For example, the entrance to the Franklin Drive-In is both 1500 feet due east of Tennessee and 1850 feet due west of Tennessee.

Next Stop: Macon Drive-In, Lafayette TN.