Monthly Archives: May 2019

Outdoor Movies in DC Area

If you are looking to enjoy a movie outdoors this summer, there are lots of local options to consider.

DC Outdoor Films website offers a very comprehensive list which includes locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Here are a few popular ones:

Golden Cinema Series
Golden Triange BID offers outdoor movies Friday nights through July.

Movies on the Potomac
National Harbor offers movies Thursday and Sunday nights through September 30.

Screen on the Green 
Outdoor movies on the National Mall in DC

Drive-In Movie 
Don’t forget about Bengie’s Drive-in Movie Theater in the Baltimore area. It’s a good hour drive from most of our cluster, but well worth it for the experience if you’ve never been to a drive-in movie. Check out my blog post about Bengie’s Drive-in.

Drive-In Movies

Have you ever been to a drive-in movie? Drive-in movies are outdoor theaters where the movie is projected on a large screen and you watch from your car. There were once over 4,000 drive-in theaters in the U.S., now only a few hundred remain.

One of those still operating is right here in Maryland, in the Baltimore area.  Bengies Drive-In has been in business since 1956.

It is about an hour drive from most parts of our cluster, but since they are the only one left in the entire state of Maryland, that doesn’t sound so far.

If you have never been to a drive-in movie, you should definitely check it out!

Drive-In Movie Tips for First Timers:

  • You pay one price whether you stay for 1, 2 or all 3 movies. *Cash only for admission*
  • The drive-in is only open Spring-Fall.
  • You may stay in your car or bring chairs to sit in in front of your parking space.
  • If you go in the summer and plan to sit outside, bring insect repellent spray or bug bracelets.
  • If you go in the fall when the weather is cool, bring blankets.
  • You cannot bring in outside food or drinks, unless you purchase an outside food permit. I recommend you buy your snacks there. They have some interesting options that you don’t see at a regular movie concession stand and that’s part of the full experience.
  • Before you go, read the information on their website about headlights. You need to know how to disable your headlights when you are inside the movie.
  • You also need to figure out how to turn your vehicle to the “accessory setting” with your key. This will allow you to listen to the movie without draining your battery. VERY IMPORTANT
  • There is a note on their website about how to enter their address with GPS.  There address is listed as “Middle River” not Baltimore on GPS.

If you give it a try, let me know how you like it!

Dealing with Problems or Poor Service

I received a suggestion from a host mom whose au pair had encountered numerous problems at the MVA.  The mom suggested that I share some tips with au pairs on how to deal with problems like these.

Places like the MVA and Social Security office can be challenging for Americans, so I can understand how difficult it could be for an au pair to run into problems there.

If you encounter a problem in one of these situations or at other places like college enrollment,  a store, bank, etc, here are some tips:

  • Remain calm and polite, even if the person you are dealing with doesn’t. You don’t want to be viewed as being unreasonable or out of control, because that will not help your situation.
  • Ask to speak with a supervisor, if you are being told something that goes against the procedure you have been told (by your counselor, host parent, Au Pair in America or a previous encounter with the office you are visiting.)
  • Ask for the name of the person you are dealing with. It is a reasonable question and can help if you need to reference this conversation later. It also adds some accountability for the person giving you the answer.

If the supervisor is still unable to help you, please discuss the problem with your host parents and/or your community counselor. Maybe there has been a change in the procedure. If there has not been a change and you just got unlucky with the person with which you were dealing, you may find success going back another day.