Dive In at the Drive-In!
Schools are out which means SUMMER is officially here. What are your plans?
We love cars at Santa Fe Tow, as you can imagine… and where better to find all kinds of cars and the people watching that comes with it… than at the drive-in. Personally, I used to go to this drive-in a lot as a high schooler, then I took a long break, then I had kids and suddenly the drive-in was a perfect solution for weekend entertainment for all of us… once again.
There are not many actual drive-in theaters left nationwide and we’re fortunate to have one right here in Kansas City. It brings back a nostalgia I didn’t even know I had. The Boulevard Drive-In at 1051 Merriam Lane, Kansas City, KS (913) 262 2414. You can’t miss the brightly lit up marquee arrow pointing you down a winding tree lined driveway to the entrance of your evenings entertainment. Many features and benefits of The Boulevard are still the same as they were when it began, unknowingly taking you back to a simpler slower paced time. We could all use a little of that these days.
Wes Neal has owned and operated this drive-in for several decades now. You can find him during showtime either sitting in the permanent theater seats in front the concession stand or driving up and down the rows of cars, in his low-lit golf cart. Make sure you say “Hi” and he’ll probably want to visit for a little bit… which makes this experience even more delightful.
The concession stand is bluntly, a bit of a pit, but the food/drink prices are out of the 70’s! Perfect… we’ll put up with the dirt for that. Better yet, we tend to throw some sub sandwiches in a cooler, along with ice cold beverages for all ages. Then we toss in the back seats our coziest blankets, pillows and a few light weight aluminum chairs so we can sit outside of the car if we choose. We’ve seen some folks bring a pickle barrel filled with ice and use pull their drinks from there… kind of brilliant. Whatever you do, make sure you pull your vehicle in backward, if you have a door in the rear or some way to kick back and enjoy the show as if from your own couch at home. And yes, we’ve seen actual couches in pick-up beds… also on the verge of brilliant.
For you technically inclined people, know that The Boulevard Drive-In was the first one in the nation to install digital sound (DTS) on it’s field speakers… for clearer, crisper and a rattless sound. PLUS, you can dial in with your car stereo to 89.7FM and enjoy the movie through your own rock’n system. That alone makes our little Kansas gem feel a bit coastal. Nice trend you set Mr. Wes Neal.
This year, pricing goes as follows: $8 for adults, $2 for children age 5-11 and kids 4 and under are free. Not to mention the ridiculous low prices for drinks, candies, popcorn and the like at the concession stand or the crazy low price of bringing your own meal to nosh on during the movie. You’d be hard pressed to find that kind of deal with an indoor theater charging $10 per adult and $6 for a child (sorry to call you out like that AMC) plus triple that for beverages and snacks. Yikes!
We are particularly fond of this experience because it’s always friendly place, the movie-goers are excited, we can see first run movies, there’s very rarely any kind of disruption or trouble and it’s about as wholesome as Midwest living can get. Go early, bring a frisbee or football to toss around before showtime and make some memories with your friends and family this summer… roll back time and dive in at the drive-in!
The clear photos are courtesy of www.americaswonderlands.com and the fuzzy one’s are provided by moi’, the author.