Aw---what memories!!!! Recently, two things have happened to remind me of a couple of my high school hang-outs. First, I got an email from someone I had never met--who had googled about the Country Boy Drive-In in Big Stone Gap, VA. The google search led him to my original blog, since I had mentioned this old hang-out in a previous blog which I wrote in 2007. We enjoyed sharing memories from my hometown of Big Stone Gap, VA. Isn't the internet wonderful for finding information, and meeting people?
The other incident happened just this week when I was talking to one of my blog friends about another old hang-out called Carmines. SO---because I have obviously been reminded of these hang-outs recently, I decided to share them with YOU.
Above (on the right) is a little restaurant called Carmines. Carmines was located in downtown Big Stone Gap ---and it was the 'place' where teens hung-out for many years!!!! What I remember most about Carmines was the FOOD... (So what else is new??? ha).. I used to buy two of the best chili buns (no wiener in them; just delicious home-made chili) in the world in Carmines along with a coke all for a whopping 25 cents!!!! My my--wonder what 25 cents would buy me now? A piece of bubble gum maybe!!!??? ha ha... WELL---there are many other things I remember about Carmines including the pinball machine in the back. My friend Susan even mentioned getting in trouble for playing the pinball machine. Overall, I just remember Carmines being a neat place (and safe) for teens to gather!!!! Do you have a favorite teenage hangout???
Secondly, the picture below was another hang-out---once we all could drive!!! This drive-in was called the Country Boy. Susan remembered that she and Johnny would 'back' in---and watch all of the people go by. I don't remember the food there, but I do remember it being a very special place for all of us kids to be!!!!!
This is an old (and not very good) picture of the Country Boy Drive-In---where all of us teens would meet and just hang-out!!!! Friend Jim said that he thinks the car in the foreground was his old '49 Buick Dynaflow.
Memories???? Aren't they great??? I especially am so glad that I had the privilege of growing up in such a great little, mountain town in the southwestern corner of Virginia. Neither Carmines nor the Country Boy Drive-In are there anymore. Wonder where kids from BSG hang-out these days????? Now share your special places!!!!
Hugs,
42 comments:
Wonferful memories and really nice pictures. I can't believe how much you could get for a quarter back then. Aw, to be young again. If even for just one day.
Great memories Betsy! Remember the drive-in movies?
I love hearing about your hangouts and seeing those photos! Carmines looks like a place I would've liked! We had a burger place (that also had a drive-in) called Daly's - we kids thought we were going to a cool place like our parents must've "in their days" - ha,ha! P.S. Thank you for the good wishes today - we are going to wait till this afternoon to decide whether to drive up to the cabin. This weather is messing up my plans!! Hugs! Shelley
What fun to remember. I enjoyed the pics you provided. I am hungry for a chili dog now though!
The world needs more places like Carmines and Country Boy. Somewhere for teens to have good clean fun. My own hangouts tended to be whereever the cross country or track team was having its meet, or whatever county fair was having a parade that my drum and bugle corps was participating in. I ran the mile, two mile, and three mile races for Lockport Senior High School as well as being a bell player for Shawnee Indians Drum & Bugle Corps in Sanborn, New York.
We hung out at the root beer stand. It was a round building with a huge mug of root beer on top that revolved. There was also a Frisches and Jerrys that had speakers outside and curb service. We used to drive back and forth between the two of them. Great post. This did bring back some memories.
We hung out at the Sonic and then cruised the mall!
Now wait a minute... downtown Big Stone Gap is the same as the outskirts of Big Stone Gap. :) Seriously, it's really good to share memories like this. When I read your blog it brought back memories of my childhood. We didn't hang out anywhere (didn't have time) but it brought back memories nevertheless.
I love your pictures and stories. As a teen, in Los Angeles in the 1970's, my friends and I hung out at Bob's Big Boy on Van Nuys Blvd.
This is so great and so wonderful you were able to locate pictures too!!!
I moved so much as a teen, that I missed out on some of the regular hang outs. I did love the skating rink as a young girl though.
It's nice to revisit memories. as I lived out in the country, not a "townie" girl i didn't hang out. I rode the school bus and that was a hangout of it's own. We had some favorite hot dog places but sadly, I don't think I have any pictures of it back then. Although it still exists under a new name now!.. (50 years later!)
Hey Betsy! I grew up in northern VA but spent time down in the southwestern corner as well. Love the old pictures.
The Dog-n-Suds was the hang out in my days. It was across the highway from the bowling alley. The Wal-mart parking lot was a big to-do too!
So cute!
We used to "cruise the boulevard" and park at the mall. UGH. I hated it!!! Cheap dates.
Great memories. I especially like the 25 cent meal.
I don't have any particular hangout memory, maybe because I lived in the New Orleans area after age 16, and big cities have too many options.
My boys growing up in the Salt Lake area had a place in the mountains where everyone met for campfire cookouts, called, quite originally, "the spot!" My son proposed to his best girl (now wife) there, so he obviously considered it very special.
I had a high school hang out too! You made me wonder what kids do today?
Memories.I think God allows us memories to help us enjoy this day.After all we are making memories today,which we will remember in the future.
Blessings,Ruth
I enjoyed this a lot--love it when you and George share your memories.
How neat to have such memories. I got married so Dang young that my teenage memories are of being married. We did go to a drive-in called The Chuckwagon and I always got the Wagon Wheel Special because it had tomatoes on it.And then on Friday nights we always went to the car races and on the way home from work Dave would stop at Zips Drive in and get their Friday night special of 10 burgers for one dollar. I find that hard to write--it seems impossible.
'Memories are made of this'
MB
In my teenage years, the place to hang out was Bowen's Dairy Bar. My sister and her husband owned and operated it and in the summers I worked there, flipping hamburgers and making milk-shakes, etc. Hey, I might have to save this to blog about someday!
Thanks for the memories! At the age of 15, between school, after school and week-end job at the children's hospital and church youth group,there was no opportunity to 'hang out'. My immigrant family had no car until after I was married and had moved away. I couldn't spend my own money, because dad had had a heart attack and my earnings were needed for the family budget.
My favorite place to 'hang' was with the church youth on Sunday evening after the worship service. We talked with our friends until the wee hours of 9:45 p.m. because I had to be home by 10:00! Somehow no one rebelled at all this and we became upstanding citizens with a strong sense of responsibility. We had a great time and wonderful memories! Close-knit friendships to this day!
Thanks for you memories and for jarring mine. Mostly I worked at one of the drugstores in my town. When I could hangout it was the A&W Rootbeer stand where you didn't go to drink rootbeer but see who was there. Or the record store where you could buy 10 45's for $1.00! I let Mystery Train by Elvis slip right through my fingers because my girlfriend and I both chipped in .50 and split the package. Now the original is worth about $3,000.00!
What fun to hear your memories and those in the comments here. 10 burgers & 10 45's for a buck!! Wow! I only remember 4 45's for $1, but that was as a teen in the
60's. When I was really young (up til around 5th grade) we used to get to go to Gerard Murray's soda fountain. They had a jukebox and our baby sitter used to talk to her friends about how dreamy Elvis was!! I liked to drink vanilla soda mixed at the fountain.
I tried to explain the concept of drive in restaurants to my son a couple months ago. He was amazed that a waitress would actually come out to your car and take an order.
That really IS great memories! I have to admit that I got into too much trouble when I was a teen, but we hung out at "Video Arcade" & played video games.
I miss places like that: wish there were more, and still there. Everything is a franchise now. Of course you won't find me dissing McDonalds. I think it still has some of that old spirit in it, and it's evolved with the times. That being said, I'll take a "Country Boy" burger any day.
Loved this post! I loved hearing about and seeing your old haunts. Being a child of the 60s, I was big on cruising drive-ins and hangning out. In my town the local A&W hosts a classic cars night in the summer - I go with my 65 pony, but they don't have car hops. Too bad!
I use to have to ride the city bus home from high school, so I had to walk downtown to catch it.
We sent to the local soda fountain my girl friend and I almost everyday to hang out. She had a crush on the waiter.
My main memory of the place was a gazillion pieces of gum stuck under the tables in the booths and trying to avoid touching them. yuck. ha ha!
Betsy,
What a great post of your memories of the past.. love the pics.. I think we actually had that same car in front of Country boy..the one with the white top..ha ha so funny!
Betsy,
I love those pictures! The Country Boy Drive-In looks like a fun place! I know it was fun recalling those memories because it was fun for me to hear them! I love hearing my mom talking about the Midway Cafe where they all hung out and danced in the 50's...and boy can they dance those 50 dances too!
I loved the trip down memory lane for you!
Have a great weekend!
Tammy
Betsy: What great memories from your youth. We had McDonalds and the Big Boy Drive-in.
My wife and I had food from our home town for our 65TH burthday party.
We hung out at the local DQ. Who could imagine I would end up owning one years later? Or, it owned me--not sure which sometimes.
A lot of the old hang outs no longer exist. That's progress for you!
My husband works in MN so I only get to see him every other week end. It sucks!
Hey, Betsy, I've really enjoyed your last few posts. We have a few West Virginians up here in our local congregation and they say a lot of the things you've written down. I grew up in Homer City, PA and say some of the things on your list.
As teenagers we used to hang out at the Fox Pizza on our main street and then still at one of the few drive-ins that were left in our area. Great blogging!
BTW, I'm a snapdragon, too!
Hi Betsy,
I have nominated your great blog for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Please stop by my blog at http://geneadiva.blogspot.com/
and pick it up.
Thanks,
Margaret
Hi Betsy,
For a minute I thought you had been in my home town. The first pix looks like the restaurant where mom use to go & I always had trouble getting the ketchup out of the bottle. She always got corned beef hash. She must have liked it a lot or maybe that was the least expensive on the menu.
Back then there wasn't much money to be had. Sometimes I think back how hard she must have had it & I almost cry. When we get older we understand things a great deal more.
Thanks for the memories.
Hi Betsy! I have something for you & George on my page! Stop by & check it out!
Wonderful memories and great you had photos to go with... Michelle
Thanks for coming to see my old 'hang-outs'... If I had your email---I responded to most of your comments.
We were gone all day today--so I haven't caught up yet... But--I do appreciate your comments and want you to know it.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy
P.S. Please give me your email. Send to betsyadams@mac.com. Thanks!!!
Old photos can bring back some of the best memories. Thank you for sharing them. :)
You reminded me of 2 times I got in trouble. First when I was about 15 I went to the Varsity close to Georgia Tech with a girlfriend and her 'older' boyfriend. There is a Varsity close to University of Georgia too. The one I got in trouble for going to can now be seen as you travel on the interstate straight through Atlanta. So I kinda relive that one a couple of times each year.
Having not learned my lesson at 18 I went to the local drive-in. That time I was on a double date with my older brother. He was driving and I got in trouble. Go figure!
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Quentin Collier here. I remember Carmine’s and Country Boy Drive In. I use to hang out at Carmine’s and the chilly dogs were good along with a Cherry Cola. Carl Murphy the owner and his wife were wonderful people and he was mayor of Big Stone. Another place down the street from Carmines was the Corner Cafe. Aww s the good ole days.
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