Allow me to paint the picture of a horrible time at the movies: A screaming baby is sitting behind you. There, that should just about do it. So imagine my predicament when I had both a 4-week old newborn and a wife who absolutely had to see the final Harry Potter flick. What's a GeekDad to do? I could send her off to the movies by herself (depressing) or I could round up the family and probably ruin everyone's time at the theater (rude). Instead, this was a perfect reason to take a trip to the drive-in movie theater.
Yes, there is still a drive-in movie theater within a reasonable distance to my house. And while these establishments might invoke visions of grindhouse double-features or fogged up windows, it actually turned out to be the perfect family night out. It was cheap ($8 per person for two movies), we were able to pack our own food and the privacy of our car meant that our youngest family member did not disturb anyone when she needed a quick diaper change or a feeding. Best of all, she never had to leave the car once, which gave us the peace of mind necessary during a time that many first-time parents won't even leave the house with their baby.
For many areas of the country, these establishments have gone the way of the Dodo, but more of them might exist than you think. The best place to start is driveinmovie.com, which provides a national listing. Our local theater, the Delsea Drive-in, is the only one left in NJ, so families here tend to make a trip out of it. We arrived early to nab a good spot, but we also noticed many families having picnics and playing catch in front of the screens before the lot filled up. Seeing the experience that these others were having ensured that we'll be returning to the drive-in again and again as we get older, or at least as long as the drive-in is around.
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