The Mendon Twin Drive-In With the Chevy Traverse

Today we have a guest post from Cheryl from The Life of LilMisBusy.  She is another Chevy driving mom who is totally diggin' her Traverse this summer.  

The Chevy Traverse parked in reverse with liftgate open ready for the movies!

For many years now, our family has been going to the Mendon Twin Drive-In in Mendon, Massachusetts. My husband and I first found out about it when it was just the two of us, and have gone at least once a summer for the last eight years. For the cost of just $20 per vehicle, you get to see two movies. Now that our children, ages seven and three, come along with us, we usually see a kid-friendly movie first, and something more adult follows. Since they can't show the movie until it's dark out, it's a pretty late night for the kids, and in recent years we haven't stayed to watch that second movie. But when we're cozily wrapped up in our Traverse, you don't even notice how late it's getting!

We've had our Traverse for just over a year now, and this was its second trip to the drive-in. Before we left, we packed up the car with the essentials: blankets and a sleeping bag, the kids Pillow Pets, water bottles, and most importantly for me, bug spray. The kids love their captain's chairs in the second row of the car, which give them enough personal space for all their belongings. The drive-in is about a 45 minute drive from our house, but we like to leave on the early side and be sure to have a good parking spot for the movie. When we arrive, we're given a menu for the snack bar (more on that in a minute!) and a trash bag. At the end of the evening, all of your trash is left by your parking spot in that bag, so the clean-up crew isn't forced to collect litter all over the giant parking lot. Parking spots are delineated by the white poles that used to hold up speakers to hear the movie, but these days you use your car's own radio and speaker system.

The kids love their captain's chairs!

After backing into our space, so that the trunk of the car faces the screen, attendants pass out ropes to tie down the back hatches of the larger vehicles. This helps to ensure people behind you can see over the roof of your car with an unobstructed view. We usually bring a couple of folding chairs, but some families have fairly elaborate set-ups. Then we get down to the real business of analyzing the snack bar menu. "Snack bar" is really a misnomer, because this is our dinner, not just a snack. You're not going to find the healthiest of options here, but it's a fun summer treat (I recommend the jalapeno poppers!). One of us will get the food while the others spread out the blankets and fold down my seven year old daughter's seat for a little extra space, since her booster is easily removed. It's so easy to put down the seats in the Traverse, that she was able to do it all on her own!

Dinner!  

The kids love eating dinner in the rear of the Traverse, getting such a kick out of doing something we don't usually get to do. After dinner and before the movie starts, things can get a little crazy. My three year old loves climbing all over the car, and spends lots of time hanging out in the front seat pretending to drive. Many families bring balls for games of catch or soccer, sometimes joining up with the random family in the car parked next to them! We usually make one more run to the snack bar for an ice cream cone just as it's starting to get dark, and then we all stake out a position for watching the movie. This time around, my daughter and I were able to lie in the trunk together, with my son making occasional visits. That's the great thing about going to the drive-in - if your kids have a hard time sitting still or being quiet while watching a movie, they're unlikely to bother anyone else as you have lots of room in to roam in your own car!

The drive-in can't be beat for a great family evening, and even a bit of nostalgia with their 1950's theme and commercials** (move ahead to about 3:15 to see the hot dog jumping in the bun!)

The Chevy Traverse is roomy and comfortable that it's the perfect pick to take you there. We can't wait to go again soon!