photo © Charles Michael Rinehart, from the Carload Flickr pool

It’s Day Four of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and it’s the first day with any serious driving time. Starting from Palm Springs, it took almost four hours to reach the Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre in Ruskin on the other side of Florida.

The Ruskin is just … nice. The snack bar prices are reasonable, they put an emphasis on good behavior, and they take pride in their history. According to the Ruskin web site, its first movie when it opened on April 16, 1952 was Singin’ In The Rain, a fact that makes me a little sad to think of the recent passing of Debbie Reynolds. IMDB says that film release date was just five days earlier; it’s surprising that in those days any drive-in could get a big first-run release so quickly.

With only one screen, I got lucky this time. The Ruskin had a great family-oriented double feature, Moana followed by Sing. Trivia: nine characters is only three more than the shortest double bill I’ve ever seen.

Miles Today / Total: 195 / 266 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Moana / 3

Nearby Restaurant: I passed a McDonalds and a few others in just a mile and a half to reach a place with solid eats – The Dog House and More. I couldn’t bring any fresh catches for its “hook and cook” special, but the homemade chili and amazing cheesecakes made up for my lack of fishing.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There aren’t a lot of choices in Ruskin, so I picked the Comfort Inn almost six miles away on I-75. It’s a standard Comfort Inn, decent price and an acceptable place for a night.

Only in Ruskin: According to Wikipedia, Ruskin was founded in 1908 as a utopian socialist colony inspired by 19th century English art critic and social thinker John Ruskin. It remains an unincorporated place in Hillsborough County and is home to the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve.

Next Stop: Fun-Lan Drive-In Theatre, Tampa FL

photo from the Swap Shop web site

It’s Day Three of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and I arrived at Palm Springs’ version of the Swap Shop, a south Florida institution. Some places, including the Swap Shop web site, like to call it the Lake Worth Drive-In, but it’s west of the city of Lake Worth. Google Street View from May shows the sign as Swap Shop Flea Market & Drive-In.

The differences between yesterday’s Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale and this one are extreme. Where Lauderdale was an indoor-outdoor shopping complex with up to 14 active drive-in screens, Palm Springs is a flat lot with two screens, although it does have a secondary parking lot for flea market customers. On a Tuesday, there wasn’t much activity.

With two screens, I only had two movie choices. I just saw Rogue One, so I was stuck with Why Him followed by Office Christmas Party.

Miles Today / Total: 39 / 71 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Why Him / 2

Nearby Restaurant: Since I don’t count McDonalds, I drove just a little past it to the Chicken Grill House for a Peruvian take on one of my favorite meats. It was only about a mile away.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The second-closest hotel was the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach. Since I can’t afford that even virtually, I settled for the closest hotel, Woodspring Suites Lake Worth. It’s an extended-stay place and nothing like a resort, but $89 a night beats $649.

Only in Palm Springs: When a freeze hit Palm Beach County in 2010, folks thought their green iguana problem might be over. No such luck. By 2013, the iguana population was growing again, according to a report by WPTV. The spiny, sharp-clawed critters tear up yards, attack pets, and can sicken humans who touch them or their droppings. So if you see one, don’t grab it.

Next Stop: Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre, Ruskin FL

photo from the Swap Shop Theater web site

It’s Day Two of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, and I arrived at Fort Lauderdale’s version of the Swap Shop, a south Florida institution. Since Google Maps called it that way, I have this place listed as the Thunderbird theaters. Do I need to fix that?

Fort Lauderdale’s Swap Shop is the drive-in theater heavyweight champ with up to 14 active screens. (When I checked today, there were “only” 9 unique movie start times, so perhaps they give some of them a rest on weeknights.) What’s just as impressive is the everyday swap meet, farmers market, video arcade, car museum, and optical center that runs during the day. It’s so big that there’s a second parking lot south of busy Sunrise Boulevard, connected by an overhead walkway, all just for the Swap Shop. Concentrated raw commerce and all-day entertainment!

As I mentioned, I had several movies from which to choose, but I need to catch up on the latest Star Wars story so I can stop worrying about spoilers.

Miles Today / Total: 32 / 32 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Rouge One: A Star Wars Story / 1

Nearby Restaurant: Since I don’t count the KFC across the street or the many choices inside the Thunderbird / Swap Shop, I’ll go with some authentic Jamaican at The Dutch Pot two miles away in Plantation.

Where I Virtually Stayed: There are some frightening choices closest to the drive-in, so I’ll drive 10 minutes to the Hampton Inn that’s in neighboring Tamarac by the Florida Turnpike.

Only in Fort Lauderdale: In October, a 350-pound man was accused of stealing two televisions from the Fort Lauderdale Walmart, according to The Smoking Gun. He was identified because the perp’s pants, containing his ID, fell off as he ran away through the parking lot.

Next Stop: Swap Shop, Palm Springs FL