At sundown it's action for classic drive-in theater
HONOR, Mich. -- There's a lot to attract vacationers to the Sleeping Bear area of western Michigan: beautiful beaches, crystal clear lakes, funky little towns.
I look forward to getting outside -- and seeing a movie.
While land values have killed off most of the outdoor theaters around Chicago, the Cherry Bowl Drive-In presents a blast from the past. Opened in 1953, it retains the ambiance of an earlier era.
My teenage son and I were peeking into the window of the projection house recently before the start of a double feature when the projectionist, Cherry Bowl owner Harry Clark, beckoned us in. He proudly schooled us on the theater's vacuum tube amplifier system that powers the car-side speakers (though viewers also can tune into the sound track through their car stereos.) The night's film offerings -- the Pixar cartoon "Up" and the "Night at the Museum" sequel -- were loaded onto an enormous platter about the size of a patio table top. Other theater parts from deceased drive-ins from across the country had been scavenged, refurbished and given new life at the Cherry Bowl, Clark said.
As the sun sets, vintage concession ads play across the screen -- "Northern Michigan's largest.'' And while I've had better hot dogs, there's something special about popcorn made in a 50-year-old popper.
The movies always are family fare, and alcohol is prohibited (workers scan the lot with flashlights during the films to police the policy.)
Just buying the tickets is a trip: the cashier is either presenting performance art -- or maybe people in these parts are just that preternaturally perky.
The Cherry Bowl is at 9812 Honor Hwy. Call (231) 325-3413 or go to cherrybowldrivein.com.
Andrew Herrmann