Surrounded by the Escalante Mountains and canyons in Escalante, Utah, Shooting Star RV Resort is its own private oasis off the beaten path. A 25 acre RV park purposefully stuck in time, guests from all over the world seek out Shooting Star to escape the hustle and bustle of present-day life and instead spend the night reliving a much simpler time.
The Shooting Star RV Resort is the only place quite like it, where guests can watch Some Like It Hot or Cannonball Run from the back of a 1960 Rambler American. With the rigid, rocky canyon towering in the background behind the screen, it's a drive-in that makes the isolated visitors feel like they've been teleported to a retro paradise blocked off from the rest of the world. Underneath the glow of the multi-colored sunset, and the flickering neon signs, rows of travelers in classic cars settle in with some buttered popcorn from the Snack Shack for Viva Las Vegas after a long day of hiking and canyoneering.
“Drive-in movies are so few and far between,” said co-owner Michelle Levandoski. “But people are always excited by the possibility of a drive-in movie. It's that nostalgia. Brings back memories from childhood or teenage years. It's something people seem to miss.”
For people from outside the United States, the concept of a classic car drive-in “fascinates them,” she said. “It's an 'all American experience,' we've heard people say.”
Classic outdoor movie theater area at Shooting Star Resort in Escalante, Utah, featuring 1960s classic cars as seats and wide open space.
And that old Hollywood experience doesn't end with the drive-in. While visitors can bring their own RV or trailer to hook up to a private, expansive RV site at the resort, the Shooting Star also offers vintage Airstream reservations. These tubular, silver 80s trailers are all decorated to resemble the dressing trailer of a Hollywood movie star while they were shooting on location.
Sugar's Shack is outfitted to look like Marilyn Monroe's relaxing haven while she was shooting Some Like It Hot. The 32-foot Airstream features rich, dark colors and leather furniture. Ann's Cabana is Ann-Margret's retreat during her time on Viva Las Vegas' set. The décor features a vibrant L-shaped couch, pink finishing, records, and vintage movie posters. There's also Airstreams modeled after films by John Wayne, Carry Grant and Humphrey Bogart, among others.
“The most recent trailer we decorated was inspired by Elvis' Blue Hawaii,” said Levandoski. “We watched the film a couple of times to get the general feel before designing. It's bright, with leis, maracas, and photographs of Elvis on set with other people who starred in the movie.”
While the interior decorating brings people to a whole different time period, the 80s Airstreams feature all the modern conveniences of a motel, including air conditioning, luxury linens and a private wooden porch for grilling or looking out at the multi-colored evening desert skyline.
Levandoski and her partner Troy Wittusen opened the Shooting Star RV Resort in 2014, inspired by their love of peace and quiet away from the city's crowded streets. Wittusen grew up around RV's, and often lived in motorhomes with his parents. This “fit with his world,” explained Levandoski, who had quickly grown accustomed to the naturistic adventures of RV'ing once she started dating Wittusen.
“We love being outside,” she said. “We just like exploring and finding new places. Having that peace and quiet, being out in nature, that's our thing.”
Shooting Star may be an escape from the loud modern world and its technology-heavy cities, but its unique offerings have drawn in visitors from all over the world - and that has become Levandoski's favorite part of the job. She's met people from Iceland, Russia, China, Australia, Japan, Italy, France and Germany... And she's heard their stories. Learned of their adventures. She loves having those conversations, and learning about different parts of the world.
But when the sun sets at Shooting Star RV Resort it's all about that all-American experience.
Culture, Destinations, Entertainment, RV Parks, Trailers, Utah