Jan. 30: Fiesta Drive-In, Carlsbad NM

Posted on by

It’s Day 30 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it’s the first where I return to a drive-in that I visited in real life. The Fiesta Drive-In in Carlsbad NM, a two and a half hour drive from Midland TX, has three screens, some wonderful neon, and a great setting.

According to CinemaTreasures, the Fiesta opened with a single screen in 1948. (It’s listed in my 1949 Theatre Catalog that way.) It closed in 1970, but was completely rebuilt in 1989 as a three screen drive-in. By 2010 the Fiesta had closed again, but it was reopened in 2012 and seems to be doing okay now.

In fact, the Fiesta was just ramping up, hiring help and finishing a satellite dish installation before the opening of the 2017 season this Friday. Just like my other visit, there was no movie for me to watch, but this time I missed it by four days instead of one.

Miles Today / Total:  147 / 3608 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 21

Nearby Restaurant: When it’s open, it’s hard to beat the Red Chimney Bar-B-Que. Pecan smoked marinated chicken. That’s just a great phrase, and it’s even better when it comes with barbeque beans and cold beer.

Where I Virtually Stayed: It’s the closest hotel to the national park, and it’s not far from the Fiesta, but I picked the Hampton Inn for a reliable stay with great service. Have you noticed that newer hotels have plenty of power outlets on the walls in the room?

Only in Carlsbad: Have you been to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, just south of town? You’ve probably heard of it. Especially growing up, I must have toured a dozen caves, but none were anywhere close to Carlsbad Caverns for size and history. Those other caves were formed by rainwater, but the Carlsbad Caverns were carved by sulfuric acid. Carlsbad isn’t very close to anywhere, but if you’re ever in the neighborhood, you really must visit!

Next Stop: Fiesta Drive In Theatre, El Paso TX.

Jan. 29: Big Sky Theater, Midland TX

Posted on by

It’s Day 29 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it started with another two hour drive, this time from Lubbock TX to the Big Sky Theater in Midland. I never actually complained about all those half-hour hops out east, and I’m looking forward to more of them when I reach California this Thursday. But in between, it’s going to be a week of long hauls.

I know you read this yesterday, but the Big Sky is another pioneer of 21st century drive-in operation. It opened in 2005 with two screens and radio sound. A third screen came soon afterward.

Not only are their histories similar, the concession stand menu for the Big Sky was also a pretty close match to the Stars & Stripes the night before. That specialty tortilla sandwich was there, called simply the Chihuahua, and the corn fritters, burgers and pizza all looked good. I especially liked the idea of ordering 50 spicy chicken wings, which would have been great if I’d had someone around to split them with. I might need to do something about that.

Yesterday, I said that I expected to watch A Dog’s Purpose pretty soon. I was right. Of the three early movies available, that was the only one I hadn’t seen.

Miles Today / Total:  131 / 3461 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: A Dog’s Purpose / 21

Nearby Restaurant: As I continue my quest for authentic German-style experiences here in the states, I was happy to find the Midland Beer Garden just a mile down the road. The large glass steins full of cold beer and the haphazard-looking food trucks reminded me a lot of the serve-yourself style I saw in Berlin. (Although I wonder whether typical German beer gardens include a jalapeno cheddar corn dog.)

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a lot of hotels in Midland, and there are quite a few near the Big Sky. I tried something different with the Hawthorn Suites just up the road. A full-sized refrigerator and good guest laundry facilities made me almost wish I had more time to stay here.

Only in Midland: The first airplane built and flown in Texas was built in Midland in 1911 by John V. Pliska, a blacksmith, and Gray Coggin, a chauffeur and auto mechanic. It had a wingspan of 33 feet and was made of wood, piano wire, and canvas. When Pliska’s blacksmith shop was torn down in 1962, his kids donated the plane to the city, and it now hangs suspended above the baggage claim area in the Midland International Airport Terminal Building.

Next Stop: Fiesta Drive In Theater, Carlsbad NM.

Jan. 28: Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre, Lubbock TX

Posted on by

It’s Day 28 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, starting with a two and a half hour drive from Abilene TX to Lubbock, home of the Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre.

This place is a pioneer of 21st century drive-in operation, opening in 2003 with two screens and radio sound. A third screen came soon afterward.

The Stars & Stripes concession stand is set up like a 50s themed cafe, and that’s not the only unusual part. The specialty of the house is a sandwich they call the Ay Chihuahua, with chili, cheese and other stuff between two crispy corn tortillas. The soda and popcorn prices are reasonable, and I have a weakness for corn fritters.

For the first time in weeks, I had a choice between two early-show movies I hadn’t seen yet. A Dog’s Purpose just came out this weekend, so I went with Monster Trucks, which has been around longer. That dog will probably show up again in the next week or two.

Miles Today / Total:  172 / 3330 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Monster Trucks / 20

Nearby Restaurant: Isn’t it nifty when the only really close choice happens to be really great? The Shack dishes up the kind of barbecue that overcomes a humble, out-of-the-way setting and gets patrons lined up to get a table before they run out of food. Definitely recommended!

Where I Virtually Stayed: Most of the hotels in Lubbock are along the highways on the southwest and east sides of town. The closest hotel to the Stars & Stripes, northwest of town, is the Best Western Plus Tech Medical Center Inn. It’s a pretty new place, and I always like having a mini-fridge in the room.

Only in Lubbock: There are prairie dog towns around plenty of cities in the western US (I know of several within a 30-minute drive from Carload World Headquarters in Denver), but only Lubbock has the Prairie Dog Town. The official Lubbock web site gushes, “Of all Nature’s wild creatures, none is more appealing and entertaining to watch than the Prairie Dog.” PDT was established in the 1930s and has grown and relocated a couple of times since. It even has its own Goodwill Ambassador, Prairie Dog Pete.

Next Stop: Big Sky Theater, Midland TX.