SCOOPING THE LOOP part 2

       Now, what I'll try to do is give you an idea of a typical Saturday night in Marshalltown. If it was just my best friend Rick and I going to town without dates, we would just drive around. First, we would drive or cruise along Main Street west to 2nd or 3rd Street and turn around and head back along Main Street again all the while checking out the cool cars and, of course, keeping an eye out for the cute girls.

       Then, we would turn north on 3rd Avenue and head past Kim's Drive-In-Diner and drive through the A & W Root Beer Drive-In, head out of there and turn left and go back up to Main Street and do it all over again. All the while listening to our favorite AM rock & roll station. Then, we would occasionally just park on Main Street and just do some watching.

      I told you earlier in a story about Kim's and A & W but, there was also Zeno's that opened in the mid 1950's. That was where I first had pizza with my sister Doris. Sometimes with your date, you could go to a movie at either the Strand or the Orpheum on Main Street. There was also the drive-in out at the junction of highway 14 and 30 that sat just off  the NW corner. The drive-in experience was always special. Either trying to smuggle in extra kids in the trunk or falling asleep after the movie was over.

         Scooping the loop was pretty much a staple in the Saturday night ritual whether you had a date or went to a movie. Just like today!