Silver Moon Drive-In Theater, Cabana Bay Bowling, & That's All For Florida Folk's!

Thursday night of our Florida Trip, or "Holiday 1960" as it has become known around here, We loaded up and drove an hour from Orlando out to Lakeland Fl to spend an evening at the famous "Silver Moon" Drive-In Theater! This glorious alter of of the silver screen opened April 14, 1948.

This was one of my dream things to do in Florida, come to THIS Drive-In, and for special reason.

  (Concession stand built in 1952)

The Silver Moon is one of the Florida Drive-In's that Larry Baker modeled the fictional setting of "The Flamingo Drive-In" in his book "The Flamingo Rising". In 2011 Hallmark Hall of Fame made a movie based on the book, which in turn sparked my love for Drive-In Theaters at age 11. This was a DREAM COME TRUE to get to take in a movie here!

I just love the two tone colored yellow and blue flashing neon on the marquee!

In 1985 a second screen was added to the Silver Moon so they show two movies at once! We saw "Guardians of the Galaxy" this particular night. NO trip to the movies would be complete without a stop by the concession stand.

And as an added treat, they still have most of the original speakers in the park!

(Cindy & Me! Or Shelly & I.Q. from Hairspray!)

We had a fabulous night under the stars! It was everything we'd hoped it would be!

Cabana Bay Bowling!

Up on the mezzanine of the hotels lobby lies a 10 lane bowling alley the Galaxy Bowl, during our leisure day (and before going to the Drive-In) Our group checked out what the lanes had to offer!

The decor on the lanes was just as nifty as the rest of the resort!

 

We brought our own trophies they complimented the Starburts and Boomerangs that were all over the place!

(Even on the ceiling! I want these in my house!)

(And these turquoise booths in my kitchen!)

The neat thing about the Bowling Alley, is that a person can play per game, or by time. Our group paid $15.00 per person (shoes included) for 90minuets of lane time. There were five of us, so however many games we could bowl in that hour and a half is how many we got to play.  We squeaked in with three games just as we ran out of time. Another neat feature of the bowling alley is you can order sit down food to eat while you play. (vs the food court line style) Patricia had a hot dog and I got a club wrap with fried and avocado ranch dipping sauce BOTH were delicious! Patrica, Cindy, Margaret and Jordan had to keep me under watch so I couldn't suddenly burst out into this...

(Adrian Zmed I am not...quite.)

After bowling, we headed off to the Drive-In, but i've already told you that story!

That's All Folk's

 (Needless to say, I did not go quietly...)

 Check out time on Friday morning was at 11:00A.M. before then I had hit the gift shop, walked the entire hotel snapping last minuet photo, had breakfast, and even managed some pool time with Patricia before we had to leave. The week had come and gone to fast, but it was the trip of a lifetime!

I really do hope I get to take a trip like this, with my amazing friends, again sometime soon!  Maybe in a few years, and definitely with a "park hopper" pass so we can go all over.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I am glad we stopped to take everyone one of them on this trip.

-Mick-