Summer Means It's Time to Cruise Over to the Drive-In

One of my friends mentioned that she had been to the drive-in movies recently.

Now I know we used to have a drive-in theater in Montgomery (and I loved it!), but it has been closed for quite some time, much to my dismay. So I asked my friend where she went, and she said the Cascade Drive-In, located in West Chicago. As it turns out, Tuesday night is $14.00 for an entire carload of people, so we loaded up the car and headed to the Cascade Drive-In Movie Theater.

I’ve always liked the drive-in because it is fun to be outdoors. If you bring the kids you can let them play outside during the movies and when they get sleepy  just let them rest in the car. Lucas used to fall asleep before the second movie and stay conked out for the night. Now he stays up for part of the second movie, but it’s hard to stay awake that long. Sammy slept through the second movie.

This week Cascade is featuring X-Men First Class and Bridesmaids. Being the mom of boys, I have become a huge comic book and superhero fan. Just like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this movie explains how Magneto and Professor Xavier learned to use their powers, and how they came to be on one side or the other of the struggle between humans and mutants. Pretty cool.

Bridesmaids was hilarious, but I thought it was a little drawn out. The funny parts are very memorable, and I know people will be quoting this movie for a long time. You’ve gotta love movies starring the SNL ladies; they really know how to make you laugh until you cry.

The facility was clean and the staff was teenaged. (Read: long lines at the concession stand and box office). Also, if you want the $14 Tuesday night carload special, you must ask for it by price. Otherwise they will charge you the normal prices: $9 per adult and $5 per child. You can imagine the eye rolls you get for asking teenage workers for the discount, but it’s worth it for a reasonably priced night out with the family!

The movie was easy to see from any location, which is the great thing about drive-in theaters; plenty of space. You can bring chairs to sit outside of your vehicle, or sit inside the car- it’s up to you. I recommend bringing chairs on a nice summer evening.

The show starts at sundown, which is a little later than the advertised movie time, so plan on a late night. I made it a little later by accidentally killing my car battery. It’s been a while since I used the radio only, and I accidentally left the dashboard lights on- whoops! Good thing my brother was there with his carload of peeps, so I didn’t have to ask a stranger to jump my car at 1:30 am.

I would recommend bringing your own snacks. The food there is typical: hotdogs, nachos and candy. So if you would prefer something healthier or heartier, just pack up drinks and snacks before you roll out.