Doing Summer Differently

Have you been to the drive-ins yet this summer? I’m not just talking about a regular drive-in where you sit in your car and watch a classic showing of “ET” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” No, the trend these days during these COVID-19 times is to go and be a part of the show. You can go to a country music concert as in the case of one of the many listed in this Billboard story (which also includes rock and other genres), groove to an electronic music and light show by Mark Rebillet or hear some good stand up comedy like some folks recently did when they attended Jim Gaffigan’s first drive-in stand up show. With your car or flatbed pickup, you have more opportunities than ever to show your enthusiasm–think flashing lights, gyrating windshield wipers and a cacophony of horn tooting. Of course you can also shout, clap, sway and sing along to your heart’s delight whether sitting within the comfy interior of your vehicle or lounging on the hood of your rig. It sounds like a blast and it’s not just happening at old drive-ins; all kinds of parking lots and fields are being converted into showplaces all over the country, allowing for lots of social-distancing fun on these warm summer nights. In Paris, they’ve even created a movie theater where you can watch a film on a boat floating on the river Seine. Not surprisingly, it’s called a float-in instead of a drive-in. Mais oui!

Some regular movie theaters have even started offering drive-in movie experiences. Big Picture Café Theatre in Mad River Valley, Vermont, is one such example. Isn’t it nice to be able to choose two different ways to watch a good flick?

Every day The Map Geek hears about new and increasingly innovative ways to have fun. All it takes is a little out-of-the-box thinking and that’s exactly what folks are doing all over the world.

What’s happening in your town or county? The Map Geek has rounded up some highlights from a handful of Discovery Map destinations around the United States. Know that these are just a sampling of the expressions of creativity that abound. Let them inspire you and if so inclined, please share some of the ways that summer is being celebrated differently in your area. TheMap Geek is sure that this trend will continue into the fall, so that should give us time to put up a couple more posts on this theme.

Amy Newman, owner of the Narragansett/Block Island and Providence, Rhode Island maps, writes that La Dolce Vita feel of Federal Hill, Providence’s Italian neighborhood, has been enhanced this summer with expanded outdoor dining (and wine sipping!) areas that have been designated primarily as pedestrian only. “They strung lights across the streets and it maks you feel like you’re eating in an Italian square the likes of which you’d find in Rome or Venice,” Amy says. That comes as no surprise because in Providence you can even book a Venetian-styled gondola ride for a tour along its waterways.

A pedestrian-friendly scene has also been created in Durango, Colorado on their historic Main Avenue. Half the street has been closed to traffic and lines were repainted, so that lots of great outdoor gathering spaces could be created for shoppers and diners. Nearby Telluride, Colorado has done something similar as have many small and big towns across America. The views from these main streets, however, are among the best in the West! Oh yeah, you’re sure to conjure up some images of the cowboy and miner’s life here as you sip your cold and frosty. Also in Telluride, you can partake in one of their Sunset Stroll-Happy Hours on Thursday and Friday evenings in Telluride Mountain Village. Known as one of the music festival capitals of the world, the cancellation of its big concerts and summer Sunset Concert Series has prompted the town to organize a different type of musical happening where attendees walk about – perhaps with a drink in hand – and listen to live music being played in a socially-distanced setting.

Mary Sauerbrey, owner of the Sun Valley, Idaho map, shared how the largest admission-free symphony concert series in the United States is adapting to the pandemic. The Sun Valley Music Festival, which begins July 27, has established very safe guidelines so that attendees can maintain proper social distancing on the Pavilion Lawn (while also enjoying the cool mountain air, of course). The Lawn has created socially-distanced pods that accommodate groups of two, four or six people. They’ve also installed an additional big screen and speakers to augment this terrific concert-going experience. And there’s good news for all classical music lovers: You can enjoy these wonderful performances online as well. There’s nothing like listening to live music, even if it’s on the Internet.

And what about reverse parades? They’re also the new thing. We saw quite a few of them – big and small – over the Fourth of July weekend. Instead of standing in a crowd, organizers arranged for people to walk or drive by floats and/or attractions. This took place in the lovely little seaside town of Bar Harbor, Maine early in July. Part of the Mount Desert Discovery Map, this whole area becomes inundated with crowds during the summer and this was sure one creative – and very patriotic way – to manage them. The Map Geek hopes there were lots of red, white and blue masks.

Now it’s time to break out the sunflowers and other cheery motifs. Don’t you love your new fashion accessory? Just like with how you celebrate summer, the most important thing is to stay safe with your mask and have fun wearing it.