Life List Item #109 Completed: Go To A Drive-In

I LOVE roadside attractions. I will make Rory drive 20 miles out of our way if it means we might get to see a good mystery spot or play 18 holes of Biblical mini-golf. If I have my choice of two routes, I'll take the longer of the two if it passes a large fiberglass eyesore of any type (the route I currently take to school takes me right by these two eyesores, "the world's largest bats", TWICE... on the way there and back).

But despite this love affair with kitschy Americana, I've never been to a drive-in. That all changed last night, when Rory and I crossed the river to go to the drive-in theater in Georgetown, Indiana.

We saw "Ironman" which was OK, but the movie could not compete with the festive atmosphere. We had an absolute blast. I enjoyed being able to mock the movie out loud in the privacy of the Jeep, and I liked that I got to bring my own blanket. I'm always cold, so any activity that encourages you to bring your own blanket is alright with me.

We got there early, and there was definitely a fun, family picnic-type vibe. Getting there early also gave us an opportunity to peruse the snack bar at length, and this topic nearly deserves a separate posting of it's own. Rory and I normally eat really healthy (hello, grad-school degree in Nutrition), but sometimes you just see something in your travels that at least in the name of science demands to be tried. So here are our picks of the exceptional: the chili dog, the deep-fried Twinkie, and the deep-fried Snickers bar.

The chili dog in and of itself was not exceptional, until I noticed that you applied the chili yourself out of this big pump that probably hasn't been cleaned in the last ten years. I myself didn't eat this item, so you'll have to email Rory for a final verdict.

Next up, deep-fried Twinkie vs. deep-fried Snickers bar. Both items were coated in a batter and served up on a stick a la fair food, but the Twinkie was the definitive winner in this culinary smack down. The cakelike texture of the Twinkie allowed it to absorb far more delicious trans fats than the weak Snickers bars, which just got all melty and nasty looking. Rory also gave props to the Twinkies "toasted marshmallow kind of flavor", but to me it tasted like a really greasy donut. At any rate, I'm not the sweets eater in this marriage, so I did the curiosity bites and Rory dispatched with the rest.

All in all, it was a great time and we will probably go again. A really good value too at $8 per person for a double feature.

And while I'm on my Americana theme, I'll recommend one of my favorite websites: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ . Even if shoe trees, giant messiahs, and funny water towers don't blow your skirt up, this is a highly entertaining and well documented site.

And while I was uploading my drive-in pics, I found these old, but funny Homer pictures. He's a good little dog, but also a weird little dog as one of his favorite things is to be held like a baby...