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Story and Photos by Ken Hulsey Yesterday, our family journeyed to New Iberia to spend the afternoon immersed in the captivating Joseph Jefferson House and the surrounding Rip Van Winkle Gardens - undoubtedly one of Louisiana's most beautiful and intriguing destinations. This historic site seamlessly blends the past with breathtaking natural splendor, transporting visitors to a world apart from the remote southern Louisiana setting. Situated on the shores of Lake Peigneur on Jefferson Island, the impeccably manicured gardens brim with lush, vibrant flora, luring the senses and inviting one to lose themselves in the illusion of exploring an exotic foreign locale. 

 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is an Emmy award-winning animated television special based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Directed by Phil Roman and Bill Melendez, the special originally aired on CBS on November 20, 1973 and continues to air annually in the United States around the Thanksgiving holiday.

 Story and Photos By: Ken Hulsey Winston-Salem is a charming small city with excellent dining and a vibrant downtown district. The area is also rich in history, exemplified by the wonderfully preserved colonial-style village and museum of Old Salem. Visitors should be sure to explore the historic dwellings, streets, and sidewalks of this captivating destination, where treasures of the past await around every corner.

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 Story and Photos By Ken Hulsey During my lunch break, I explored the sites where the old Louisiana & Arkansas (KCS) and Southern Pacific railroad depots once stood, just south of downtown Alexandria. These sites were once bustling railroad hubs, but today only their foundations remain, the structures having been demolished. To the casual observer, the sites would appear to be nothing more than an abandoned parking lot or old car dealership - in fact, I drove by the former Southern Pacific depot numerous times without ever noticing it, until a colleague pointed it out to me.

 Written By Ken Hulsey - Photos From My Personel Collection Over the past couple of months, I've shared a few photos from my vast collection of movie and television memorabilia. Starting in October, I've managed to post a total of three photos so far. At this rate, it would take me about 800 years to share the entire collection - far too long for my liking. To speed things up, I've decided to post all the photos I have for the upcoming Svengoolie feature, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Hopefully, this will cut the timeline down to a more manageable 200 years. While one of the stars, Dracula, may be cursed to wander the Earth for eternity, I thankfully have not suffered the same affliction - at least not yet.

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Story and Photos By Ken Hulsey The incredible geological wonder known as Mormon Rocks in Cajon Pass is one of our family's favorite hiking spots. Travelers on Interstate 15 to and from Los Angeles can't miss these mysterious rock formations just off the highway. The area offers numerous hiking trails and the rocks themselves are easy to climb, even for a middle-aged hiker like myself. It's a wonderful place to explore the outdoors and capture stunning nature photography, as evidenced by the photos in this post.

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 Photos and Story By Ken Hulsey This weekend, our granddaughter wanted to visit the newly built playground at the corner of Masonic Drive and Babe Ruth Drive. While my wife and the little one went to play, I decided to take a stroll around the old Bringhurst Field - once the home of the minor league Alexandria Aces baseball team. The once-beautiful ballpark is now just a shell, with most of the brick gone and only the metal skeleton of the old bleachers remaining.

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 Written By Ken Hulsey Tonight's Friday Night Videos features Berlin's 1984 hit "No More Words" from their album "Love Life". This was the first music video I remember seeing on the program, with the band taking on the personas of the legendary 1930s outlaws Bonnie and Clyde during a bank heist. Prior to this release, Berlin had found international success with their debut album "Pleasure Victim", which included hits like "The Metro", "(I'm A) Sex", and "Masquerade".

 Written By Ken Hulsey Lynda Carter will forever be remembered for her four-year run as the Amazonian goddess-turned-freedom fighter known as "Wonder Woman" on prime-time American television. The tall, buxom actress of Native American and Hispanic descent was the perfect fit to portray the character who first appeared in DC comics in the 1940s. As the former Miss World-USA 1973, Carter's presence on the show seemed destined for television success.

 Story and Photos by Ken Hulsey Is it morally questionable for a person to develop an emotional attachment to an inanimate object, such as an old railroad locomotive? Yesterday, I was traveling through McComb, Mississippi on my way to a job site. As I exited the highway, a sign for a "Railroad Museum" caught my eye, pointing to the left. Although my actual destination was to the right, as a railfan, I couldn't resist the opportunity to visit the museum.

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World War I, commonly known as "The Great War," officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France. However, fighting had actually ceased seven months earlier, on November 11, 1918, when an armistice - a temporary cessation of hostilities - went into effect between the Allied nations and Germany. For this reason, November 11th is widely regarded as the end of "the war to end all wars."

Alleghany County: Where your holiday dreams come alive  During the holiday season, the High Country comes alive with festive cheer. Farmers markets, handcrafted art, and vibrant townwide decorations create a cheerful atmosphere. On November 30th, witness Sparta transform into a Winter Wonderland at the Alleghany County Christmas Parade. Then, on December 7th, explore the Christmas Arts & Crafts Show for even more unique gift options. For the ultimate local shopping experience, visit a nearby tree farm to choose and cut your own fresh, fragrant Christmas tree. Find Out More

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In this hilarious Mel Brooks spoof of Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart (Cleavon Little) becomes the first black sheriff of the frontier town of Rock Ridge, which is about to be destroyed to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the townspeople harbor racial biases against their unconventional new leader. However, they warm to Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend (Gene Wilder) after realizing they are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population. This ribald and irreverent classic pokes fun at the Western genre and its tropes, sparing no one and nothing.

 Story and Photos by Ken Hulsey Last month, while driving from Beaumont, Texas to Lafayette, I stopped at the Explore Louisiana Welcome Center – a familiar pit stop where I had previously stretched my legs and used the facilities. However, this time, a co-worker's recommendation of a nearby nature trail piqued my interest. Though I had been to the center before, I had never ventured out to explore the spectacular swamp trail winding around the adjacent lake.