Has the pandemic left you and your family disappointed that you won’t be able to plan a traditional vacation or road trip? You’re in good company; however, there are some fun, safe alternatives—especially if you are an RV’er.
I spoke with Daniel Perry, owner of Cool Breeze Event Cinema & Resort in Springer, near Ardmore. Nestled in the Wichita Mountains, this RV park offers the only outdoor drive in cinema at an RV resort. Visitors vote weekly for their family-friendly movies, and this summer the park also will feature a soon-to-be-released, one-of-a-kind concert series.
You may want to book your stay now, while spaces remain, because this is sure to become a new favorite family summer tradition for RV’ers in Oklahoma and the surrounding region.
How did you get the idea for Cool Breeze RV Cinema and Resort?
The idea was something of nostalgia for me as a kid. My mom would take me and my brothers to the drive-in as kids, and we loved it. The RV park was supposed to be mine and my wife’s retirement and we needed something to make us stand out. The cinema was born!
Could you provide a brief history of the RV park, including when it opened and how it’s run?
We opened in April 2018. We play movies Monday through Saturday night. We post a list of movies for vote on Sunday morning and our 7,000 Facebook followers will vote for what movies they would like to see that week. On Monday evenings, we post the lineup for Tuesday through next Monday. We host nonprofits, school events, churches and nonprofits, as well as host car shows, basketball tournaments, concerts and flea markets.
What are the RV park’s attractions and how many RV's does it accommodate?
The attractions at the park include basketball courts, horseshoes, a korn hole, nighttime movies at our cinema screen, concession stands and a cafe on-site. We also provide free Wi-Fi, water and sewer for our RV guests. We have 56 RV sites.
Where do the majority of visitors come from?
We have had visitors from other states as far away as Arkansas Texas and Kansas. We have had news crews from channel 12 in Dennison, Texas; channel 10 Ardmore and channel 4 in the city do multiple stories on us, as well as do multiple newspapers in the surrounding area.
What security measures do you utilize to keep visitors safe?
Our entire park is covered by security cameras as well as an excellent staff to help monitor the park. We have an excellent relationship with our local sheriff.
What pandemic measures are you taking?
We are following the guidelines for COVID-19. We monitor our bathhouse to make sure that we keep social distancing guidelines to only allow only so many indoors at a time. The rest of our park has enough outdoor space that we can socially distance each car from one another in order to meet the requirements.
What are some of the attractions and sites in the area that people can plan a vacation around?
We sit at the bottom of the mountain of Turner Falls, which is known nationally. There are multiple zip line companies near us, as well as multiple beautiful lakes, including Lake Murray State Park. The world's largest casino, WinStar, is less than a 30-minute drive. We are within a 10-minute drive to some of the best shopping in southern Oklahoma. We also have multiple golf courses, public and private.
Could you provide us with a brief background on yourself?
I am a happily married man; my wife, Munira “Muni,” and I have three children: Jacob, 20; Denver, 7; and Eliiah, 2 months. I am 42 years old and was born in Fresno, California, but have lived in southern Oklahoma all my life. I had a brief stint in the Army, and when I got out, I went straight into the oil field, roughnecking. By the age of 25, I started my first company, Wooden Pallets. By the time I turned 30, that company morphed into a staffing company, and by the time I turned 35, it turned into one of the largest industrial maintenance companies in this area. Building this RV park was supposed to be our retirement. It's been keeping us really busy.
Do you have any special events scheduled for this summer?
This is the most exciting part for me. This summer, we will have exclusive concerts with some of the biggest names in the music industry. We have signed contracts with large entertainment companies to provide us with one-time-only concerts that can only be seen at drive-in theaters across the United States. Visit their website for details.
Cool Breeze RV Cinema & Resort
580.798.4957
16653 US-77 Springer, OK 73458