#554 World's largest library at sea

Cunard's floor plan of the Queen Mary 2 shows the library overlooking the bow of the ship.  

"Settle down with a novel, or study to your heart's content in this peaceful sanctuary. Elegant, lit bookcases, thick carpets and comfortable seating provide a sumptuous setting for the over 8000 volumes contained here."

That does sound nice.  But wait?  What does that say?  "8,000 books are for loan in the library, said to be the biggest one at sea?"

NOT SO, I declare.  Over on the MV Explorer, you'll find the Semester at Sea  library collection is 9,000 strong.  It's true we don't have the fancy bookcases, the thick carpets, or the comfortable seating, but we are pleased to call ourselves the world's largest library at sea.

Or the world's largest floating library, if you prefer.

Yours in library boastfulness,
Mary

#553 Reading ocean travel books

What to read?  What to read?

Our fall includes voyages on two magnificent ocean liners (the Queen Mary 2 and the MV Explorer).  So to prepare, I'm on the lookout for some good nautical fiction.

Using one of my favorite subject headings, "ocean travel - fiction", I search libraries for nautical novels. I'm particularly interested in books that are set on board ocean liners.  So while Life of Pi is a terrific story that rightfully belongs in this subject heading, I'm looking for stories on the big ships.  I also scouted these web sites:

• Nautical fiction at Boat-links
• Cruise and sailing mysteries from Springfield library
• Shipboard murder mysteries from Criminal Element
• Novels set aboard the Queen Mary 2 from Good Reads
• Cruise and sailing mysteries from Oshkosh Public Library

After my nautical reads earlier in the year, I picked up a copy of The Vices by Lawrence Douglas and I loaded my Kindle with The Transatlantic Lady Carlsbrooke by Gary Nicholson.  I'm eager to read these stories set on the Queen Mary 2.

What's your recommendation for ocean liner fiction? 

And you can bet, I'll be scouting out those magnificent shipboard libraries!

Yours in setting the mood,
Mary

#552 Reading road trip books

I've always enjoyed a good long road trip.

And in the past few years, I've grown passionately fond of good long ocean trips.

William Least Heat-Moon said, "...when life gets this way or that way, and we're not really happy with it, what do we do?  Put a kit bag over one shoulder and head out for the road because that's where solutions might lie.  Somewhere out there is an answer to why a life is as it is." 

Philip Caputo said, "...one of the things I got out of this particular journey was running into people who will change your perspective, who will change the way you looked at things...One of the things that happens on the road is that you leave behind a lot of your own inhibitions, your own baggage.  And if you let yourself, you become more open to these encounters and these experiences, and you can really learn something."

It strikes me that these two authors not only know a lot about road travel, but also ocean travel as well.  But, of course, they're really the same thing.

Yours in reading road books to prepare for ocean travel,
Mary

#551 Vacation Virginia Drive-Ins

Drive-in theaters are a fragile business, with only 357 remaining in operation in the US today according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.  We are lucky to have 9 operating drive-in theaters in Virginia  today - Abingdon, Christiansburg, Goochland, Keysville, Lexington, Marion, Moneta, Norton, Stephens City - all in the western half of the state. 

We like to use a trip to the drive-in as a pretext to visit a part of the state we might have otherwise missed.  So far, we've visited these four Virginia drive-ins: 

Sandy Hook - Goochland Drive-in
Opened: 2009 with a 40' x 80' screen
Ticket price per person for a double feature: $8
Digital projection: converted to digital in 2012
Thumbs up:
+ closest to home
+ the 2nd newest drive-in in the US
+ smoke-free outside the designated smoking area
+ enthusiasm shown for Goochdogs

Lexington - Hull's Drive-In Theater
This is our favorite Virginia Drive-In, so we've visited twice this summer to see Man of Steel and The Lone Ranger.   On the 4th of July, we watched The Lone Ranger in view of Lexington's fireworks and Mother Nature's lightning and we even got to fulfill my dream of watching an outdoor movie in the rain!  If you miss the good old days of the Fork Union drive-in, then this theater is for you.
Opened: 1950
Ticket price per person for a double feature: $7
Digital projection:  converted to digital in 2012
Thumbs up:
+ the nation's only non-profit, community-owned, drive-in theater
+ grass field rather than a gravel parking lot
+ tall parking levels, so no problem seeing over the car in front of you
+ no smoking in the first two rows
+ lots of locals hanging out before the show
+ can reach up and make bunny ears in front of the projector
+ beautiful setting

Keysville - Keysville Drive-In
Opened: 1952
Ticket price per person for a double feature: $7, can buy online
Digital projection: not yet converted
Thumbs up:
+ all grass field
+ casual attitude toward parking rows since there are no traditional pole speakers
+ long season, open April through November
+ bounce house for pre-show fun

Stephens City - Family Drive-In
Our weekend in the Winchester area included seeing Star Trek Into Darkness in Stephens City.
Opened: 1956
Ticket price per person for a double feature: $8, can buy online
Digital projection: will convert to digital on August 5, 2013
Thumbs up:
+ the only 2-screen drive-in theater in Virginia (240 cars and 144 cars)
+ open 7 days a week

Baltimore - Bengie's Drive-In
Technically (and geographically!), Bengie's is not in Virginia, but it is within driving range for us so we include it here.  When EVERY drive-in theater in Virginia is showing Iron Man 3, we decide a road trip to Baltimore is in order to watch '42' on the giant screen.  Bengie's Drive-In was made famous by John Waters (the director from Baltimore) in the film Cecil B. Demented.
Opened: 1956
Ticket price per person for a double feature: $9, but can vary
Digital projection: converted to digital in June 2013
Thumbs up:
+ the biggest movie theater screen in the US, 52' x 120
+ everyone stands outside their car for the national anthem

We haven't been able to visit the 5 theaters in southwest Virginia (Abingdon, Christiansburg, Marion, Moneta, and Norton) yet and we're keeping our fingers crossed that they're able to convert from film to digital so we can visit next summer!

Yours in enjoying open-air cinema,
Mary