I have been itching to get down to the Family Drive-In Theatre in Stephens City, Virginia since I first read about it online a few years back. Having grown up in Texas in the late 70s and early 80s, I remember staring out the backseat window on night time drives down highway 45 and seeing brightly lit screens off into the distance. Those gradually dwindled up until our move to Virginia in 1987. I missed my chance to have an authentic drive-in experience by just a few years.

According to the Family Drive-In website they opened on June 14, 1956 and are the only drive-in left in the Washington, DC Metro Area. As an early Father’s Day gift my parents and I trekked an hour into the mountains with hopes to catch the double-feature of Man of Steel and Fast & Furious VI. The absolute best part about this mountain gem is that they air first-run movies for only $8 per person. They beat you over the head about the slow extinction of drive-in’s nationwide and to visit their concession stand often; as consession sales are a huge part of their business. They are also in dire need to convert to digital and suggest contributions to their digital fund. The place was absolutely slammed on a Saturday night so there is no doubt that they will get their money. Unfortunately Man of Steel was full, but we paid to see Epic and The Internship instead (they have two screens).

Movies start at 9 and run well into the early hours of the morning. Pack warm clothes and blankets because it gets cold up there in the Appalachians.

I plan to go back in late September for the Classic Cars Under the Stars event. Stay tuned!

Another British and European Classic Motorcycle Day is in the books. This was my fourth year in attendance, and while the numbers were small due to rain, I never fail to come across something unique. Like that 1950s Ariel with the Square Four engine and the 1923 Norton with sidecar…absolutely stunning. The owner even fired her up and gave us a tour around the old girl.

Enjoy the photos.

Hey folks,

Trying my best Martha Stewart here, but this isn’t usually my schtick. Short story short – I saw a recipe knocking around the interwebs the other day and thought I’d give it a try. It came out so well that I decided to share it here. It’s called Shakshuka and from what I understand it is a traditional Middle Eastern egg casserole. Easy to make and perfect for brunch at home with the family or around a campfire with friends.

I don’t always follow exact ingredient lists, but this is a general idea of what you’ll need:

-1 dozen large eggs

-1 small can of diced or chopped tomatoes

-1 red pepper

-1 small yellow or white onion

-1 clove of garlic

-1 small container of feta cheese

-1 sprig of cilantro

-1 teaspoon cumin powder

-1 teaspoon chili powder

-1 teaspoon paprika

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Chop up the red pepper and onion. Mince the garlic and then…

2) Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large pan or iron skillet (as shown), and simmer the goods for about ten minutes. You basically want your onions to be transluscent and the peppers soft, then…

3) Incorporate one small can of diced or chopped tomatoes. I went with a private label store brand…nothing fancy. Then add almost the entire container of feta cheese while stirring in your spices, turn off the heat and then…

4) Crack any number of eggs across the surface of your casserole. I ultimately went with 7. Place the pan uncovered in your preheated oven. The original recipe calls for 10 minutes, but I found that it took almost 20. I wanted over-easy eggs without completely nuking the filler underneath. Throw on some sprigs of cilantro and voila (top photo)!

The verdict? This dish came out great as full-on veg, but carnivores might also want to add ground turkey, sausage, etc. I would recommend more chili powder if you like your food spicy. It would also go well with a bit of nan, lavash, or some other form of crusty bread.

Cheers.

Here at RPP we can’t get enough of air shows, and spend a lot of time at small regional and grass-track airports throughout the summer months.

The 2013 Manassas Air Show took place last Saturday (hot on the heels of Cars and Coffee). It turned out to be a beautiful day for wing walking, simulated dog fights, RC demonstrations, and flyovers by some of the ballsiest pilots ever to strap into a metal airframe.

Photos after the jump.

Last weekend I fired up Big Billy and headed out to Katie’s Coffee in Great Falls, VA – site of the weekly Cars and Coffee event. A friend had requested I make an appearance with the truck, and we finally had a decent weather Saturday. From what I understand Cars and Coffee has been around for a number of years in the US, and since have gone global.

I was actually surprised by the turnout – there were some 200 cars present. Mostly exotics, although quite a number of them were extremely rare classics. I stayed for about 45 minutes, had an egg sandwich, and rocked out at 9:00 am. Next time I hope to take the motorcycle.

Photos after the jump.

I’ve never met a pair of shades that I haven’t sat on scratched all to hell lost cracked a lens dropped into a lake watched fall from a ski lift liked.

Over the years I have discovered (the hard way) that real designer shades just don’t fit into my particular lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong – I’d take a pair of McQueen’s Persols in a heartbeat, but I don’t have a need for glasses on the regular. Therefore a good pair of knock-offs suit me fine. Enter Knockaround. I recently ordered two pairs as a gift and couldn’t be happier about the decision.

Oh, and they’re Snoop Dogg Lion approved…

I was introduced to Tilt-Shift photography about a year ago through a photographer friend. She showed me the ins and outs of process and lens types. Now, I loved model making as a kid, and I especially loved all of the intricate diorama displays at the museums. Tilt-Shift creates that illusion – of a simulated scene.

Recently I’ve been playing around with a few free imaging sites that I found online, and have been manipulating some of my own photos. I am not any kind of awesome photographer, nor do I own any super amazing cameras. But I can pretend.

Can’t I?

*Disclaimer – this is a wildly addicting process. More photos after the jump.

1955 Bentley R Type – Oxford, England

Allianz Arena – Munich, Germany

Carnival Destiny Cruise Ship 2005

Champ de Mars – Paris, France

Englise du Dome – Paris, France

Walter Peak High Country Farm – Queenstown, New Zealand

La Seine – Paris, France

Navy vs. Georgia Southern Football Game – September 11, 2010

Ocean Gallery – Ocean City, Maryland

Paris Ooh La La

Roseau, Dominica

Routemaster Double Decker Bus – Oxford, England

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Street Life – Hyderabad, India

Street Market – Hyderabad, India

The London Eye – London, England

TSS Earnslaw – Queenstown, New Zealand

Valparaiso, Chile 2005

Valparaiso, Chile 2005

View from St. Mary’s Cathedral – Oxford, England