photo by Norman Plant via Cinema Treasures

It’s Day 89 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took about an hour and a half to drive 60 twisty miles from Greensburg KY to the Stanford Drive In Theater in Stanford.

The Stanford opened in 1952 and has stayed in operation since then. For its first 24 years, it was known as the Davis Drive-In, then changed its name to the New-Lynn. That name didn’t last long; it was listed as the Stanford by 1982. According to Cinema Treasures, the Stanford’s screen was replaced in 1996 after it was destroyed by a tornado. The drive-in switched to digital projection in 2015.

The Stanford, which only operates on weekends, won’t open until some time in April. Since I was there on a Thursday night anyway, it wasn’t as disappointing.

Miles Today / Total:  60 / 10108 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: It’s country cooking plus a buffet, so of course I knew I was going to like the Kentucky Depot. Even though it was hard to avoid such temptation, I saved room for a slice of one of their great pies.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The most appropriate hotel for the classic Stanford Drive-In is the Sunset Motor Lodge, which is also about the only hotel in town. The vintage neon sign out front is the best part about the Sunset, but the rooms are nicely renovated with a mini-fridge and good wifi, so it would have been a good choice even without that wonderful sign.

Only in Stanford: Although Stanford is one of the oldest cities in Kentucky and has the L&N Railroad Depot on the National Register of Historic Places, TripAdvisor reviewers say that the best place to visit in Stanford is a “cute little shop” downtown, Kentucky Soaps and Such. (Be sure to “ask for a tour of the soap making facility.”) As the Central Kentucky News put it, “Everything in the shop is made in Kentucky, down to the goats that produce the milk that go into the soap and lotion.”

Next Stop: Judy Drive In, Mount Sterling KY.

photo by Norman Plant via Cinema Treasures

It’s Day 88 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It doubled back a ways on the Cumberland Parkway to drive a little over an hour from Somerset KY to the Skyline Drive-In northwest of Greensburg.

When describing drive-ins, the question of its home city comes up surprisingly often. In this case, the Skyline is really in Summersville, but that’s not legally a city or town, just a “census-designated place and unincorporated community” according to Wikipedia. So its official address comes up Greensburg, an actual city of a couple thousand people.

They tell me the Skyline opened in 1956, though it’s in the 1955 Theatre Catalog. Then it closed some time in the 1980s and reopened in 2002. It’s been operating ever since, but a November 2016 Facebook post suggests that it had a management change earlier that year.  “We started this venture this year not knowing what to expect with a lot to learn,” it read. “We are looking forward to opening in the spring for our second season with bigger and better ideas.”

The Skyline’s web site says that it will be open in April. Too bad I can’t wait around that long.

Miles Today / Total:  70 / 10048 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: Oh my. The closest restaurants to the Skyline are in Greensburg, and almost all of them are chains, and not my favorites. Thank goodness that the Longhunters Coffee and Tea Company stays open for lunch! I enjoyed a Longhunters Hot Brown, turkey breast on a corncake with bacon. And of course, the coffee was great too.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The closest hotel was 13 miles away on the west side of Campbellsville, and the Holiday Inn Express is probably one of the best choices around here anyway. A mini-fridge in the room and a nice buffet at breakfast gave me less to think about as I planned my day.

Only in Greensburg: The oldest courthouse west of the Allegheny Mountains stands at the center of the Downtown Greensburg Historic District. According to Wikipedia, the courthouse was built by five men between 1802 and 1804, and was used for 130 years, ceasing to be an active courthouse in 1931.

Next Stop: Stanford Drive In Theater, Stanford KY.

photo by Norman Plant via Cinema Treasures

It’s Day 87 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It took took two hours on the Cumberland Parkway to drive from Lafayette TN to the 27 Drive-In in Somerset KY.

According to Cinema Treasures, the 27 Drive-In opened in 1967 as a single screen drive-in. It added a second screen in 1980.

In a 2011 article by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Harry Roaden, the 27’s owner, said that the general drive-in downturn started in 1984 when cable TV news stations started broadcasting news reports during prime time, keeping people at home instead of at the drive-ins. “TV has stolen two hours of our prime time,” he said. “If they would never have done that, there would be a drive-in with maybe 10 screens.”

The 27 started to bounce back in 1991. “We probably grossed about $20,000 that year,” Then in 2000, the drive-in began showing only first-run movies. “It was a new era for the drive-in theaters,'” Roaden said. “Now, if a movie does big, we do big. If it don’t do as much, we don’t do much either.”

This is also another of the drive-ins that has its own annual Fourth of July fireworks display. I love those.

The 27 only shows movies Fridays and Saturdays this time of year, so no movie for me on a Tuesday night.

Miles Today / Total:  120 / 9978 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 44

Nearby Restaurant: I’ll admit that I came to Culver’s at least partly for the frozen custard, but the rest of the meal was also great. A good old ButterBurger with all the trimmings, plus a salad, because I’m eating healthy. And the frozen custard flavor of the day was Turtle, like the chocolate nut candy, not the terrapin.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are a plethora of choices considering Somerset’s size, but I rarely turn down the opportunity to spend the night at a Hampton Inn. A nice sized room, good wifi, and a solid continental breakfast in a familiar setting make the rest of the day easier.

Only in Somerset: Somerset is home to the Somernites Cruise classic car events. No “motorcycles, semis or lawnmowers” are allowed.

Next Stop: Skyline Drive-In, Greensburg KY.