A French Girl in Connecticut: First Drive-in experience, Vintage 50s Diner, & Old Sturbridge Village

[@jimmymapes3411]

I LOVE that you are seeing the real America. Not just the typical tourist sites. Welcome to Connecticut.

[@scottw5315]

What you are doing is so important. You help Americans see our country with new eyes. Most of us don't appreciate what we have. Thank you for this...

[@aaaht3810]

I agree. So true.

[@Sirala6]

Wonderful memories of the Drive-Ins that have vanished over the years, and praise for those which survive.

[@spaceshiplewis]

Drive-in movies are so cool. They're very rare these days. But there's something very American driving into the parking spot in your favorite car. Then, tuning your radio to the movie frequency. Then maybe you lay on a quilt in the bed of a truck, recline the seats of a convertible, or sit on the roof of a station wagon and watch the movie with friends and snacks.

[@jrs4ex]

I've been going to Shady Glen as long as I can remember. I love time capsules like this that never change.

[@PJKaszas]

I grew up in Connecticut and lived in the area near the drive in for a while! So glad you got to experience that!

[@ThomasSlodzinski]

Yes I grew up in Southington Connecticut

[@pigs18]

I saw the first Inside Out at Mansfield Drive-In!

[@alexius23]

Drive in movies (passion pits) were once very common in the 1950’s, the 60’s & part of the 70”s. Those movie sites began to be swallowed up housing or office space requirements. Today only a small number still exist. Glad you had the experience of seeing a film in such a place.

[@PeteO-v4y]

They reopened a couple during the pandemic.

[@mikes3827]

Mon ami, aren't drive-in theaters the best?! Almost nothing beats a drive-in watching a good movie under the stars during the summer!! VERY "Americana" type iconic experience. Glad you got to experience it :)

[@tking747]

I love the fact that you are exploring real America and not just the 'hot spots'. There is a lot more to the USA than just a few states!

[@jafquist27]

Wow! I grew up in Sturbrudge! It was cool seeing you visit. The icing on the cake was the drive in, because my daughter, just last year, lived above the store at the drive in entrance, and I saw it in your video! Drive ins are really neat.

[@paulalexandredumasseauvan2357]

DRIVE-INS! WOW! those were the days, my friend... 😁 LOVED your video! 👍☺

[@user-David-Alan]

It's fun for me watching you enjoy yourself here in the USA. Stay well and be safe.

[@iambecomepaul]

Another charming video! It really does give Americans a chance to breathe and remind us of things we don’t often see. When YOU are experiencing them, it makes me really proud. For whatever problems we have (and Lord we have some problems), it is wonderful to see our country through your eyes and hope we have hosted you well. I’m proud of our communities. I hope you like them, too. Well done, madam!❤

[@williamscoggin1509]

We used to go to the drive-in movies a lot back in the 1960s and 1970s. Lots of fun especially when you're young. 😊

[@seattlewa8500]

Back then as a kid, I loved their snack bars.

[@bassbahnson]

A few years ago, the drive-in 30 miles from my house had a film festival featuring local independent movies. I'm lucky to be one of the few people in the world to be able to say I've seen myself on a drive-in screen!

[@burnout_2017]

Hi marie, just another awesome video. Im so glad you got to experience the drive-in, its a disappearing experience for many americans and that is sad. As always, safe travels to you ❤❤❤❤ from fla usa

[@stephaniemccarthy1676]

My home state! Grew up there from 5 years to 56 years old. Now living in lovely Oklahoma. Great place.

[@Trifler500]

Very cool! I've never seen a multi-screen drive-in theater.

[@b.slocumb7763]

I’ve been to Old Sturbridge (Massachusetts) and it was packed with people- you got there at a good time and not so crowded. I love how they teach about all the different things, too.

[@skipperson4077]

I've met several Frenchmen who came to the US to work in various aspects of the wooden barrel industry serving the American wine and whiskey industry. I assume they had worked in the French wine industry. Great video as always!

[@tootalazaaz]

Marie another delightful video. Yep there's not many drive-in's around anymore. I always had a great experience at them.

[@rhondapease8516]

You need to go to Mystic Seaport and Mystic Seaport Village in Connecticut. Sturbridge Village is fun, but it is located in Massachusetts. Gillette's Castle State Park is also pretty, especially in the Fall.

[@rickc661]

Yea. there are old ship replicas in Plymouth , Mass ( the Mayflower, Pilgrims ) and in Boston , the US constitution. I think maybe the oldest still working registered ship. both amazing.

[@paulhalton1543]

Well it should be noted that Olde Sturbridge Village is in Massachusetts, but no harm done.

[@al06906]

I was kind of mad. As 99% of this video was about mass not my home state of ct. Americans hate their state being mislabeled.

[@JamesMowery]

@@al06906 Put on your big boy/girl pants. You'll live. :)

[@Blackdog06019]

​@@al06906 I'm just happy someone came to New England and didn't spend the whole time in Boston lol (fellow CT native here)

[@dennisstafford-cq2xz]

Drive-ins! Many memories.

[@AW11-e4h]

Drive in’s were a lot of fun 🇺🇸

[@gregcrawley2668]

Wow. Marie got to go to a drive in theater. I've been a few times here in Tennessee but that was back in the 70's. Wish we still had them.

[@theeldritchfox]

I couldn't help but laugh at the winged cheeseburger. I've never heard of such a thing, and it looked so weird! 😂

[@MichaelMansi-is4pc]

If you ever get back to Connecticut please visit the eastern shore. Mystic ,stonington and Essex are very charming.

[@williamhamilton6643]

I spent a wonderful weekend racing sailboats in Mystic and Stonington when I was in grad school way back in the early 70s. It's still one of my best memories on the water. Beautiful scenery and the locals treated us very well (we drove down from Wellesley, MA). We finished second on the day and they treated us like we'd won the whole thing. They really know their sailing and appreciated a good race. I wish I could do it again today!

[@MichaelMansi-is4pc]

@@williamhamilton6643 oh wow! Thank you for your response and thank you for your great story!

[@traveldoc1234]

And get a pizza! 😅

[@MichaelMansi-is4pc]

@@traveldoc1234 by all means go to New Haven for pizza!

[@richardkint6531]

Grew up in the Drive-In era. brings back memories watching Disney and family movies on a cool summer night in my parents station wagon with the windows rolled down!🥰

[@maawdawg]

I went to Mansfield drive in pretty often during summers in high school and through college. That entire parking area plus a side road and another lot turns into a a giant flea market every week on Sundays too. I wish you had got to hit Bidwell Tavern while you were in that area, it is probably less than 10 minutes from the drive in. Great bar/dinner spot that has been open since 1822. Shady Glen is definitely a little time capsule of a place.

[@bradleycegelsk804]

You made another awesome video. I'm so glad you had a chance to experience the drive-in. They are almost extinct in the USA. I loved the reenactment village. The people are so dedicated showing and telling you how people lived in days past.

[@Chris_oak80]

Welcome to Connecticut hope you enjoy your stay.

[@Blaydedge]

Too cool! There was nothing like going to the drive-in when I was young, especially for a double or even triple feature! Who knows how much longer they'll be with us. And Old Sturbridge!!! You hit the ball out of the park with this video, again!

[@nikolatesla5553]

When I was a child in the 1960s my parents would pack up all 6 kids in our big station wagon and go. We would pop a huge bag of popcorn and a lot of other goodies. We also would bring folding director's chairs and set them up in front of the car. And as a teenager, my girlfriend and I would go to the drive-in to make out. I have a lot of nostalgia around Drive-in theaters. Sadly, they have mostly disappeared.

[@johnniekight1879]

Glad you got to go to a drive-in. The one I went to closed but the one you went to is just as close to me.

[@keithm9966]

Fun video Marie! Makes me want a cheeseburger with crazy cheese on it! Looks excellent! Movies under the moonlight sounds super fun! Enjoy your travels!!! :0) 🐺

[@doncarlton4858]

I lived in the Town of Sturbridge, Ma for ten years. Each citizen of the town gets a free annual pass to Sturbridge Village.

[@bryanparsons7207]

So cool seeing someone from so far away exploring the town I live in. Mansfield drive-in is such a good time

[@JesseOaks-ef9xn]

Back in the 1950's and 1960's we had a drive in theater in my hometown of Hannibal, MO. I remember when the drive in had a "Buck Night", everybody in the car got in for a dollar, later it went up to $1.20. Our whole family would get in the car and have a double feature. I would fall asleep during the second feature.

[@bodog63]

Hi Marie. I live in Manchester, Ct. and less than10 minutes from Shady Glenn. Wow, can't believe You were here back in June. I've been to Old Sturbridge Village a few times. Mansfield Drive -in is 1 of a few that are still in existence in the State. Hope You had a good time here. I'm sure You went down to Mystic Seaport and Aquarium.

[@ritayprice3510]

We have a local drive in here in the Midlands of South Carolina. I think there are several around our state. It takes me back to my childhood.

[@ctort9516]

Hope you enjoyed Connecticut. I've been here for almost 20 years after living in several different cities/states in the Northeast. Definitely not as exciting as NYC or Boston, but it really is a nice place to live.

[@Yesquire0]

As a young lad, my family visited The Lakes drive-in theater just east of downtown Brighton, Michigan. What fun! And admission was by the car, not per person. The Lakes had a great playground down in front of the giant screen. And pony rides!!!! All free for the price of admission. We saw "Cleopatra" there. When that scene arrived where Elizabeth Taylor was stretched out face down on sort of a massage table, with a skinny strip of white cloth covering her butt crack, and wearing nothing else, both my Mom and my sister frantically scrambled to save my immortal soul by covering my eyes with their hands. They failed to achieve their goal, but I acquired some new goals of my own to pursue.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I sat in the way-way back, so it was hard to reach back to cover my eyes. I saw a lot more than they thought, but they also assumed I fell asleep back there. That lo-fi speaker was so staticky that it was a white-noise generator. It could put you to sleep.

[@Yesquire0]

@@argonwheatbelly637 Right now, I feel you and I are kindred souls. Alas, I never found that girl with a great ass, big melons, and violet eyes.

[@burningbeard9478]

woohoo...born and raised in Connecticut .....now Oregon is home

[@OldMan_PJ]

That's cool, the last drive-in I went to was to see Star Wars: A New Hope a long time ago, in a galaxy far away.

[@Trifler500]

I don't live on the east coast, but I read years ago that they started replacing the speakers you place on your window in the car with a very short range radio transmitter, so you can tune your car radio and listen using your car speakers for surround sound, rather than mono. :) So I see here that's what they did at the drive-in she went to. They still haven't done it at the drive-in near-ish to me on the west coast.

[@quentinmichel7581]

I worked overnight Museum Security at OSV for several years during the early-mid -1990’s ... fun place to work and always interesting. Their collection of vintage paintings and period gadgets and gizmos is extraordinary.

[@Marcus-p5i5s]

Drive-in theaters are the bomb. Especially when one is a teen

[@radioflyer68911]

Sturbridge Village is cool. It's like going back in time.

[@sikusuyu]

My state, i never thought you would visit, although i think theres more to do in the Fairfield county area,/new haven.

[@Lunarmech]

Wow, everyone skips Connecticut it seems on travel trips; I'm so happy to see you visited this little state and got to visit some of our sites!

[@bob_._.]

My hometown still has its drive-in.

[@aaronburdon221]

Same. We have 2 of them actually on opposite ends of town. The one on the east side is not very good but the west is pretty good. East is basically just a field. The west is a parking lot with a snack stand and all that.

[@edwardimhoff3106]

Kansas Grandpa Checking in. I lived 26 years in New England. Mostly in New Hampshire but some in Connecticut and some in Massachusetts. I've been to Olde Sturbridge Village a number of times. It would have been my Ideal Occupation . I'm a story teller. I would have been a good Church Pastor in those by gone days. I'm a Bible kind of man. I'm glad you got to see the Village. I grew up going to Outdoor Movie theaters. Madison Wisconsin had two. The Badger and the Big Sky. The town I live in now, Wichita Kansas, has one like the one you saw, with 4 screens. I'm glad you had a Good time. No Mustangs in this post. Well I am fond of Jeeps the way you are of Mustangs. Marie, I wish for you, all good things.

[@FrenchTasticExplorations]

There is a Mustang in the video!

[@ct6852]

I haven't been to a drive in in so long. Didn't know they were still around to be honest.

[@phillipdaltun3779]

Ayyyy , Marie what's buzzin ' cuzzin , Oh Happy days 😎 🚘 📽️ 😋 "Burn one , Take it through the garden & pin a rose on it " That's a Tasty 🍔 & 🍟 , Scoop up the Joy 🍨 Ice cream the Dessert that keeps on Giving , Life's better with Sprinkles on Top. The Vintage museum was something different. Have you ever seen so many fancy 🕰️ , they do bring an air of elegance wherever you place them. My Grandma had one , you get used to the tick tocking. I couldn't tell if they were on time or not , who's going to wind up all those faces. It's Great that there keeping History Alive in Sturbridge Village & encouraging guests to try there hands at things learning the various skills you needed to survive. Your guide was well versed when it came to wool weaving , the drum must have made a big difference as a labor saving device rolling out more knitted like sweaters for those chilly nights , we'll be needing them before to soon. It was lovely seeing all the Animals 🐮🐓🐷 & the Beautiful Stream. I like that it's not just for tourists but appears to be a working farm with a saw mill put to good use. It looks like there's plenty to do & that it's fun & interesting to immersive yourself in. People really worked together to Prosper back then. The Drive-in flicks were so 🆒 under the 🌙 light , they need to make more of a comeback. Outdoor Screenings in parks around Europe are popular but it's just not the same cozy vibe as being with the one you love in your own hot rod. I guess the speakers sound better now there wireless. I'm surprised they didn't show Grease with it being summer , they always do near me. I'm Glad you experienced something so Americana & hope you do visit more drive-in countrywide preferably in a super mustang , a wish come true. Check out wide open country online for the best 30 drive-in theater's across America. Merci beaucoup Marie , liked the country & groovy music , looking forward to what delights await us next. It's been a blast , see you later alligator. Take care Au Revoir 🏡💕 📻✌️

[@dougthebigdp314]

I love the Drive In experience. A few years ago my brother and his family of girls came out and none of the kids had been to a drive in, so....we went. They loved it for the unique experience. So happy you got to do this too.I gotta say you seem to have, mostly, the best experiences!

[@Parker-rl9ou]

We have a couple of drive in movies near me in southwestern Pa. The last time I went was to see It part 2. A couple of years ago.

[@bbtank3000]

Oh man I wish I knew you were here! Shady Glen was one of my regular go-to breakfast spots when I was growing up.

[@mokokawi]

we love ❤️ going to drive-in growing up....we had several around Georgia...we still have one that I want to go to

[@joshuacordero8163]

I wish I knew when you were going to be in my neck of the woods. Thank You for not skipping Connecticut on your tours, we are a small state, usually ignored by most Americans, let alone foreign travelers. When ever you return to Connecticut or New England I hope to see and maybe help guide you on your tour. Welcome to the Nutmeg State!!

[@johnhaller5851]

I love Sturbridge Village, we visited several times while I was a kid, and took my family there once.

[@Carlos559Caps]

It really bums me out that drive-ins are mostly extinct. My hometown in California and where I currently live still have functioning Drive-Ins. Love them!

[@Kennymac8251]

Back in my youth (50+ years ago) there was nothing better than going to the drive-in with your girl. Not to watch the move but to "Neck" LOL

[@ralphnaylor]

I went to Sturbridge in the 70’s with my parents. My Father had a long conversation with the cooper because my Father had worked with a barrel maker during WW2.

[@tommarks3726]

As a kid in the 70's , we too as a family would go to Sturbridge Village ( up from Conn. coastline) on summer vacation. I am 58 and still remember clearly. We would be waiting in restaurant for our food to come, A soon as my dad would light up a cigarette, the food would come. Back in the day when they could smoke inside. lol

[@ralphnaylor]

@@tommarks3726 I was working for IBM ln Kingston, NY when my parents came to visit from Miami, OK. We took in Mystic seaport the next day.

[@alanflor703]

Marie, I think you would really enjoy The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry Ford amassed quite a collection of objects from all over besides things to do with Ford cars. The museum also has the very first Mustang in its collection. Put it on your to do list for the future!

[@jeffjohnson9911]

Funny that they feel the need for multi screens. I seldom went to the Drive In to watch the movies anyway, lol.😂🤣

[@tinahairston6383]

The drive in movie was a nice surprise. If you ever visit Virginia come to Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown and you'll experience colonial days in the same manner as Old Sturbridge. Since Jamestown was the first established English colony so there's lots to see here including Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, George Washington's home Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery and so much more.

[@antaine1916]

My hometown in NJ had a Drive In Movie Theater until it was shut down and bulldozed in the late 1990s. I got to see two movies there. I only remember that the last one was Crocodile Dundee 2. I also dated a gal in CT and went to Old Sturbridge Village once.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I remember going to the drive-in movies one town over from mine in NJ back in the before time.

[@georgetouliatos5972]

It's been 58 years since I went to a Drive-in. I didn't know they still existed.

[@andrewtheworldcitizen]

Jesus!! Well, it's been 160 years since I last rode on the stagecoach....

[@ik7578]

There's less than 300 in the US. There were aprox 4k in the 50's

[@wiseoldman53]

We have one in Milford, New Hampshire. It's two screens (Two movies for each screen). Drive-Ins are fantastic. I'm glad you got to experience one.

[@DrVVVinK]

I'm from Connecticut. They are pretty common in small towns in New England. They are all family owned. Not really business but they are run more like hobbies for the community and summer tourists.

[@aaronburdon221]

@@ik7578 Hell, apparently my town is old fashioned as hell because we have 2 of them.

[@Chris_oak80]

Hope you get a chance to visit the Air Museum in Windsor locks, since you were in Manchester.

[@itgaeta1]

🇺🇸🇫🇷🐑🐓🍿🚗 Now you know something about drive-ins that are a part of a lot of older movies. They were a culture all by themselves. I see they are bringing them back in some towns. I’m glad you went in the right way - and didn’t try to sneak in inside the the trunk of the car (a traditional teen prank in all those movies!). 😊😊😊

[@davedove67]

The Shady Glen is on the Hamburger America list for its winged cheeseburger.

[@Rofyle-e4v]

There's a drive-in near where I live. They play old concession stand commercials from the 70s and 80s in between the movies. On Halloween night they have an all night horror movie fest that lasts from dusk till dawn. They play like five or six classic horror movies back to back. I saw the original Star Wars there in 1977 when I was six.

[@briangreen9677]

Marie, it looks like you had an amazing time regardless of the heat! It's great that you're getting more comfortable with dipping your feet into the water when you need to cool down. Drive-in theaters are what I grew up with. I was over 8 years old when I saw a movie inside a building. It's more of a rural thing. I hope you had an amazing time. Take care and keep smiling!

[@williambranch4283]

Americana. I went to a drive-in 50 years ago with my father.

[@davidneel8327]

My last trip to a drive in was in college. Saw Downhill Racer with Robert Redford.

[@413TomaccoRoad]

I grew up in CT and Old Sturbridge Village was a 5th grade school destination at the elementary school went to and many other elementary schools in New England. It's very surprising to see you in CT and Western MA. 😮

[@simonforester424]

There used to be a Drive-in in the town I live in. The one you went to looked exactly like it. Sadly these appear to be disappearing as time goes on, so luckily you had the chance to experience one. Hopefully this won't be your one and only opportunity. See you Saturday! 🍻🌞✈️🌎🇺🇸

[@jamesbrynildsen4844]

Thanks!

[@FrenchTasticExplorations]

Thank you very much 🙏🥳

[@kkarllwt]

France had thousands and thousands of water powered mills and factories, The runoff of the mountains provided a lot of power. As far back as Roman times.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

After missing the Wilderness Theater near Chattanooga, its nice to see you finally got to go to a drive-in.

[@RichardLBanville]

Shady Glen mom loved that place. Welcome to Connecticut.

[@warrenwarburtonesq.6884]

One distinction that drive-in theaters have is that many, many, many, shall we say, 'love babies were conceived in drive-in theaters.

[@scottski51]

Most of us Boomers went to drive-in movies during our youth. Those posts all around the parking area had a (crappy) wired speaker insided a metal box with a lip at the top. You pulled it inside your car, rolled up the window and hung the lip over the top of the glass. Voila !! A single weatherproof speaker of sound to go along with your movie!! The fun part of visiting the drive-in theater was, if they charged by the person... you hid friends in the trunk and under blankets in the back seat! Later they just charged by the car! Also... esp. during the 50s and 60s, when cars had bench front seats... you took your honey to snuggle up with. Might even have watched the movie, too !!! Fairly, AWEsome !!

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I had bench front seats in the 70s, too. In fact, my '78 LeSabre's front seat reclined into a 'V' shape. You could use that thing as a bed.

[@JackW467]

We need Bench Seats to come back 🥲 pleease 🌙

[@hardtackbeans9790]

Drive-in theatres are kind of cool. Too hot in summer when most of them are opened unless you turn on the A/C.

[@davidcook9246]

Great videos. The editing is awesome! sound, music, color, and texture. At first, I wanted more commentary, but now I really appreciate the minimal background descriptions and just experiencing what you saw and did.

[@FreezyAbitKT7A]

This is the first time I've seen anyone visit Connecticut

[@jdanon203]

Yeah it's not exactly a tourism destination. Maybe if you like looking at highways and traffic that's your spot. Connecticut and Delaware must be the two least visited states, but two of the most driven through states because of their strategic locations you have to go through to go places you actually want to be.

[@burningbeard9478]

its overlooked....much of Connecticut is forest, rivers and lakes once you get off the shithole coast

[@mongo64071]

@@jdanon203tell that to the New Yorkers who cross over from Westchester and invade my Connecticut town beach every weekend in summer!! I guess you’ve never been to Rehobath Beach in Delaware either.

[@mythra7174]

@@jdanon203 Connecticut has a lot of cute little towns, and a lot of countryside. It's more than just highways and traffic. Edit: And Delaware has some nice beaches.

[@FreezyAbitKT7A]

@@mythra7174 I agree. Many states have hidden holes of beauty and fun. Some are topography challenged like the planes states.

[@Realgrande]

When I was a teenager some Drive-ins had a $1.00 per carload special on some weekends and we would fill the car and trunk also with wild teens. Sometimes the movie was not the most important event at the Drive-in; more babies were conceived in back seats which was an unforseen problem.

[@carolmartin4413]

So many places have this small town feeling...a sense of living in a limited area, self-contained existence where every need to met within this community. In the 🇺🇸..the towns reflect a time gone by...slower, basic, satisfied. Kind of miss that. Glad you enjoyed it

[@Macdelaven]

When I was young, we would wear our pajamas, load the back of the station wagon with pillows and blankets and my parents eould take us to the drive in. In those days, the speakers were mounted to poles and you could hang them on your car window. Usually the youngest were asleep by the end of the movie. Thank you so much for the reminder of wonderful childhood innocence.

[@amhoffman6252]

Sturbridge Village. Every New England kid's field trip. They have nice winter/holiday events. Mansfield Drive-In! One of the few left.

[@alexius23]

Connecticut a.k.a. “The Nutmeg State”. Massachusetts & Connecticut were leaders in the American Industrial Revolution. When water powered machine began to use machines to make cloth. It began a lot of social changes that changed life in America.

[@piratetv1]

I go to that drive in all the time. It's so much fun. I had a school trip to Sturbridge Village when i was in school. I drive past shady Glen every morning. Im glad you came to visit

[@keithier1958]

Neat!!

[@emilyb5307]

Ohh hey! I'm not sure how I missed you visiting CT! Cool, glad you enjoyed! Sturbridge is one of my favorites.

[@barrykeleher2659]

You were at Shady Glen?! I eat there all the time! there’s nothing better than their burnt cheese cheeseburgers. I hope you are having the time of your life !!!

[@quicktastic]

Drive-in movies were very common growing up and always fun IMO. Perfect for a date night.

[@Knightowl1980]

Omg old Sturbridge village. Takes me back to elementary school field trips, I remember my friend got stung by a bee right outside that red building .

[@russellrofe4849]

I lived there for a while in the early 90's. The country is beautiful. The city traffic is horrible.

[@pigs18]

When the farm that produced the cheese for the Bernice closed, Shady Glen conducted a nationwide search to find a cheese that would toast like the original so that customers would get the same experience that they've had for the past seventy years. There's something comforting walking into a place where you can have the same experience that you had when you were a kid.

[@fyrekrystaal27]

I remember going to the drive in and making popcorn to bring in along with other snacks and drinks in the late 1970's