A Little Piece of Americana

What to do on a hot and humid summer night? Well, we decided to go old school and hit the Cottage View Drive-In, one of the last remaining drive-in theaters in the greater Twin Cities metro, possibly the entire upper Midwest. I can't claim to know if this is actually true, but I did feel like I was taking a cruise in the way-back, Marty McFly time machine, ala the Delorean from Back To The Future fame.

It was pretty darn cool. Mr. Oz and I grabbed the pup and shoved off round about dusk. The theater's website warned us to get there early in order to avoid getting one of the bad spots right up in front of the screen. This would cause unnecessary neck crankage and, no doubt, partial paralysis and tremors. Shivers. No thank you. Of course, on our way we stopped to pick up a few snacks -- Twizzlers and Mike & Ike's. Isn't that standard drive-in movie fare? We also packed a cooler full of soda. Loads of high fructose corn syrup and bug spray in tow, and we were off.

Fortunately, we arrived in time to secure a respectable spot in mid-range of the screen yet adjacent to the concessions and restrooms. $8 per person for a double feature. Those are like 1978 prices, right? After some puppy play time and always fun people watching, the sun set and the movies began. Now, I remember back in the day you'd get these wonky sound boxes that attached to poles so you could hear the movie playing. Not anymore. Today's drive-in is much more modern. Just tune your car radio into a specific station and turn it up. It's not Dolby surround sound, but it does the trick. I also recall going to the drive-in with my parents and hiding out under a pile of blankets in order to smuggle a few extra bodies in for no charge. Nice example my parents set, eh? It was kinda thrilling, in a 007 spy thriller sorta way. Mr. Oz and I did not do that on our trip to the movies. We paid. Maybe next time :)

For those of you who might live near a drive-in, I highly recommend adding a visit to your Summer to-do list. Something about it felt timeless and classic, dripping with nostalgia and hearkening back to an almost forgotten era. A little slice of Americana. I have to think that in the not to distant future, the drive-in theater will be no more. We'll all be watching downloads on our Smartphones or accessing films via a direct comm link surgically implanted in our cerebral cortex. Drive-in's don't strike me as a money making venture, but rather a way to cling to a small glimmer of a past where, in retrospect, life seemed easier, more tranquil and far less complicated. Who knows, maybe they are or will make a comeback. What's old is new again. Whatever happens, I'm glad I got to experience it one more time.