Mar. 31: Judy Drive-In, Mount Sterling KY

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It’s Day 90 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, the end of the first quarter. It started with another hour and a half of twisty Kentucky highways (plus a couple of interstates), this time from Stanford to Mount Sterling, home of the Judy Drive In.

The Judy opened on July 4, 1952. It shared much of its life in Mount Sterling with the Hiway Drive-In, which also opened in the early 1950s and lasted about 30 years.

A 2011 article in the Lexington Herald-Leader includes a few quotes from Judy manager Chris Erwin. “The drive-in experience is one that can’t be duplicated no matter what’s on screen, Erwin said. “It’s almost like a festival experience at the drive-in. As long as there is someone that loves the theater and enjoys the theater, there will still be drive-ins.”

After a week of dark screens, it was so nice to get back to an active drive-in. At the concession stand, I had a Judy burger and a funnel cake to celebrate. With only one screen, the Judy didn’t give me a film choice, but Kong: Skull Island was worthy of seeing a third time.

Miles Today / Total:  73 / 10181 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Kong: Skull Island / 45

Nearby Restaurant: In my experience, when I’m hungry, nothing sounds better than a steakhouse. After another day of driving across Kentucky, I was hungry, so I was glad to find the Cattleman’s Roadhouse here. The unlimited salad bar was just what I needed to get full yet save room for a concession stand dinner that night.

Where I Virtually Stayed: That would be the Ramada Limited in town. The room was large and clean. I enjoyed the scrambled eggs and sausage in my breakfast, and I was ready to face the second quarter of my year-long virtual odyssey.

Only in Mount Sterling: Every October, Mount Sterling hosts Court Days, Kentucky’s oldest annual festival. From when it was founded just before 1800, Mount Sterling was the trading center for a vast part of Eastern Kentucky, and its Court Day quickly became the region’s annual trading day for much of Eastern Kentucky. Now over 129,000 people from all parts of the country gather for the four-day event of arts and crafts, food and music.

Next Stop: Bourbon Drive-In Theatre, Paris KY.