
Spring lights to illuminate Battleship NC for the Azalea Festival. Here's when to see it
Battleship North Carolina is ready to get into the N.C. Azalea Festival spirit.
The USS North Carolina Battleship Commission, in partnership with the Friends of the Battleship North Carolina, announced that the Battleship will be lit to impress with spring colors to celebrate the festival, according to a news release.
Here's what to know.
The Battleship's uplighting takes center stage throughout the extended weekend from Thursday, April 3-Sunday, April 6, from 7:30-9 p.m.
The best place to enjoy the uplighting is from across the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington.
Viewers and photographers on the Riverwalk, as well as the hospitality locations in downtown Wilmington, will have prime locations to enjoy the illuminated Battleship.
Look for pops of pink, purple, and yellow to highlight the Battleship's historic silhouette.
"As the official sponsors of the Azalea Festival fireworks, we are honored to contribute extra brilliance for the event series," said Dr. Jay Martin, Executive Director, Battleship North Carolina Memorial, in a news release. "Seeing the uplighting in-person is a memorable experience for both locals and visitors, so we are thankful for our outstanding partners with the Azalea Festival."
Battleship grounds, parking lot, and SECU Walkway are closed every day at 5 p.m. and will be closed during lighting. Saturday's Boom & Bloom Fireworks Bonanza is a ticketed event. No outside parking will be available, with grounds and walkway closed.
Battleship North Carolina is a decommissioned World War II warship, permanently moored as a memorial and state historic site on the Cape Fear River at Wilmington. The Battleship commemorates the heroism of U.S. sailors and soldiers from North Carolina during World War II.
Cheryl M. Whitaker covers community news for the StarNews. Reach her at cheryl.whitaker@starnewsonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Battleship NC in Wilmington to get uplighting for Azalea Festival
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San Francisco Chronicle
35 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Bay Area's best easy hike has shipwrecks, views and a secret beach
When the Chronicle's data team looked at 1.6 million reviews to find the Bay Area's best shorter, more accessible hikes — 5 miles or less, rated easy and moderate — Lands End Trail came out on top. It is not a controversial choice. Lands End Trail feels like the ending to a great story — a 3.5-mile loop through extreme northwest San Francisco but also an exclamation point of sights and sounds for all of the West Coast. The hike features unique views of the Golden Gate Bridge and perhaps the best sunset-watching in the city, emerging through a canopy of cypress trees to a series of elevated perches that scan the Pacific Ocean horizon. But there are surprises, too, including hidden shipwrecks, a ghostly natural soundtrack and a beach detour that feels like a secret hideout from the 1800s. With apologies to San Gregorio State Beach south of Half Moon Bay, Lands End Trail is the best place in the Bay Area to pretend like you're a pirate. Want to go on a guided history-filled hike of Lands End Trail with culture critic Peter Hartlaub and Total SF friends? Sign up here for the Total SF newsletter and look for details in next Thursday's edition. I arrive on a recent morning, feeling cursed. While most of my journey across the city was filled with sunshine, Lands End and the Golden Gate remain stubbornly socked in with fog. But the marine layer just adds to the melancholy and introspective atmosphere, while making the hike more of an audio experience. The route starts at a small stairway north of the massive parking lot, where you choose which direction to walk. Go counterclockwise, and you'll start on the more elevated and paved southern section that is less transportive and a better opening act. Head clockwise, and you'll see the most memorable sights first. I choose counterclockwise and immediately take the first of three wrong turns, but am met with a friendly jogger, who sets me right. 'Am I going to read about this?' he shouts, fading into the fog. This first part of the loop is more urban, passing by parking lots, the Legion of Honor Museum and several Lincoln Park golf holes, which I hear before I see — the 'thwock!' of a golf club followed by muttered profanity. A memorial for the U.S.S. San Francisco appears a quarter mile in, featuring part of the bridge from the Navy cruiser, which was the U.S. flagship in the Battle of Guadalcanal near the end of World War II. Then a wide wooden stairway curves up to the museum, where the statue 'El Cid Campeador' by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington stands high on the hill, rearing up in the fog like a Washington Irving character. With Sea Cliff mansions in sight, take a hairpin turn and drop into comparative wilderness, with windswept trees, isolated paths and the Golden Gate Bridge, unveiled halfway through this hike like a magic trick. If fog has hidden the bridge and Marin Headlands from view, consider it an opportunity to focus on the hike's auditory charms. Foghorns in lower and higher registers seem to be in conversation with one another, and the crashing waves feel like they're syncing with your footsteps. Don't miss the best part of the hike, around the 2-mile mark, where a steep spur trail drops onto an isolated beach. This is where Lands End Trail pushes the harder side of 'moderate,' with some rocky climbs out. The bridge is on more postcards, but the descent into Mile Rock Beach is the trail's pinnacle, especially for locals who may not know it exists. Scattered logs and rocks are stacked in artistic towers on the quiet sand, framed by majestic offshore rock formations. The remains of Mile Rocks Lighthouse are visible about 200 yards in the distance. I climb back up and rejoin the trail, which follows the same path as a long-gone 1800s railway to the Cliff House and Sutro Heights. The occasional promontory with a bench offers a spot to rest and watch for shipwrecks at low tide. (The blocky engines of the Lyman Stewart and Frank Buck tankers are the most common sight.) Soon, I'm back in the 21st century near the trailhead — all the better if you timed your walk to one of the best places in the world to watch a sunset. The winding path drops into the ruins of Sutro Baths, Adolph Sutro's engineering marvel that was once a huge structure filled with indoor pools. Sutro Heights Park is up the hill for anyone who doesn't want the day of exploration to end. People used to come to Lands End at the finish of a very long journey across the U.S., taking a ferry from Oakland or Richmond to San Francisco, then that steam train for a slow rumble to the remarkable ocean views. How lucky that we get to experience this as part of a spontaneous morning.

Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands come to World War II Weekend for ‘genuine experience'
The trip from Tolland to Bern Township isn't a particularly short one. The route from the Connecticut town stretches about 260 miles, down the eastern seaboard to Newark and then west through Allentown. At nearly five hours, it's quite the hike. That's especially true if, like Robert Garabedian, you happen to be a century old. But sitting inside a hangar at Reading Regional Airport late Saturday morning, a steady drizzle tapping on the ground outside, the 100-year-old Army Air Corps veteran was happy he made it. 'I think this is just spectacular,' he said, gazing at the displays honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and other pilots who served during World War II. 'It has to be one of the best events I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot of places in my life.' Saturday was Garabedian's first visit to the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's annual World War II Weekend, an event celebrating its 34th anniversary. For him, the experience — seeing pristine World War II aircraft, watching reenactors clad in military uniforms and carrying rifles, visiting a model of a 1940s French village — sparked a lot of memories. This year's event began Friday and concludes Sunday. A native of Boston, he decided as a teenager to serve his country in World War II by becoming a fighter pilot for the Army Air Corps — the predecessor to the Air Force. After putting in a lot of effort, going through training and passing tests, he finally got his wings and commission in December 1944. He was then assigned to a fighter group that was scheduled to participate in the invasion of Japan, but before he could deploy America dropped a pair of atomic bombs on Japan, effectively bringing the war to an end. 'I finished all of my training and was ready to go over, but they dropped the atomic bombs,' he said. 'I think word leaked out that I was coming, so they gave up. I hate to take credit — I didn't win the whole war.' 'I still have my sense of humor,' he added with a hearty laugh. Robert Garabedian, 100, was training to be a pilot when WWII ended before he was deployed overseas was a guest during the World War II Weekend on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in the Reading Regional Airport. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) Garabedian went on to attend Boston University and met his wife, with whom he would have 12 children. He is still a member of the Connecticut National Guard, serving in a unit that participates in funerals of deceased military members. Garabedian said he was invited to participate in the World War II Weekend by an organization that connects veterans to events like it. 'The interest and attention that we get from people, and the appreciation that they have shown to veterans like me is so wonderful,' he said. 'You know they call us 'the greatest generation.' Thanks very much for saying that, but anyone who puts on the uniform and wants to serve our country deserves the appreciation of all the people who aren't doing that.' Giving that kind of appreciation is exactly why Oliver and Ben Knesl try to make it a point never to miss a World War II Weekend. The father and son duo have traveled from New Jersey to spend the weekend at the event for more than a decade Oliver said his love for history drew him to the event, but the talent and commitment of those who help transport visitors back in time keeps them coming back. 'This is a super show — one of the best in the world,' he said. 'The breadth of the reenactors and the attention to detail that goes into this is just phenomenal.' That authenticity is what inspired them to dress the part themselves. A native of New Zealand, Oliver was wearing a uniform representing the Long Range Desert Group — a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army. Ben was dressed in a uniform worn by the British 1st Airborne Division. Ben, 18, said he loves learning something new each time he comes to the event and that he meets a lot of interesting people along the way. It's an immersive experience, he said. 'A lot of people don't really know about this stuff and this provides a genuine experience,' he said. 'It's like a living museum.' World War II Weekend isn't just a special event for visitors but also for those helping to bring history to life. Tim Kuntz of Ephrata, a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders reenactment group, talks about the unit during the World War II Weekend on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in the Reading Regional Airport. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) Saturday morning a group of 12 of them — reenactors decked out in full uniforms — were stationed under a brown tarp. The actors were sitting around their encampment decorated with items from the era. They were portraying the 7th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which fought in France before being stationed in northern Africa and Sicily. The battalion also took part in the invasion of Normandy. 'We are as authentic as possible,' said Tim Kuntz of Lancaster, who has been a reenactor since 1986. 'We have the rations they would get, the weapons they would use, the uniforms they would wear to show how the soldiers lived, fought and, unfortunately, sometimes died.' Kuntz said he enjoys being able to show a different, perhaps unfamiliar perspective of the war. 'The American and British relationship really grew during the war through mutual defiance,' he said. 'And those close ties they formed then remain to this day.' Most of the members of the reenacting group hail from Pennsylvania and New York and travel around the region for events. 'I like the teaching aspect of what we do,' Kuntz said. 'When I talk to the kids about the alliances that were formed and see the lightbulb go off — that's why I do it.' Laura Adie of Montgomery County is part of the group. She portrays a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army. For several years Britain conscripted women to join the war effort. Unmarried women under 30 had to join the armed forces or work on the land or in factories. 'They did a lot of the behind-the-scenes tasks,' she said. 'I work as a public museum educator so I have always been interested in living history events. 'And it's much more compelling to me to portray the British involvement during World War II because they were so much in the thick of things' she added. 'There was a more immediate threat and impacted their daily lives in a way that Americans did not experience.' Members of the Argull and Sutherland Highlanders reenactment group recreated a scene from Cairo. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) While learning more about the details of World War II is a big part of the weekend, some visitors said they stopped by mainly to check out the cool planes. Becca Burke, an aircraft mechanic from Lebanon County, said she is in awe of the effort it takes to restore them. 'I really love old warbirds, especially those that are still airworthy because there is so much effort that goes into keeping them that way,' she said. 'A lot of the techniques working with fabric wings are just lost to time. So every time I see one of those flying, it's so exciting.' Saturday was Burke's first time at the event, and she said she was hoping the weather would clear up so she could see some aerial demonstrations. 'It's just a really great event,' she said. 'It's so cool.' World War II Weekend concludes Sunday, running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Lexington men find community at White Castle, spinning yarns and downing sliders
It's 9:30 on a Saturday morning at the White Castle on Reynolds Road, and the party is in full swing. Ten men, several wearing caps noting their military service, are gathered around tables that have been pushed together, and the coffee and conversation are flowing. This group of Lexington White Castle regulars, most of whom are in their 80s and 90s, has become like a family, and some of them have made these chats over breakfast part of their daily morning routine for 30 years or more. 'They just cuss and discuss anything,' Randall Dowell joked. 'Mostly yarn spinning.' 'It's a camaraderie thing,' said Ed Parker. 'I come to White Castle for cheap food and fellowship. The food is great and the fellowship is great,' said Jim Atkins. 'Sometimes I come for breakfast and lunch.' Wayne Tullis says he's 'the baby' of the group, at 82 years old. On May 31, they celebrated their most senior member, John Hughes, who turned 99 May 9. There was cake for everyone, and restaurant employees feted Hughes with a pair of White Castle socks, a White Castle gift card and a cookie jar shaped like a slider in the signature blue and white box. 'Ain't everybody got one of them,' an admirer called from the other end of the table. There were blue and gold tablecloths, streamers hung from the ceiling, and a gold crown was placed atop Hughes' cap. 'You're king of the castle today,' said Gail Gurney, a White Castle district manager who has known the men for years. Hughes said he doesn't know how his 100th birthday could top his 99th. 'I'm shocked,' he said of the celebration. Hughes, a World War II veteran, thumbed through old photos of past gatherings with his buddies at White Castle, including one of another birthday party there years ago. 'I was an old man then,' he said. Bob Niles is a 95-year-old veteran who served during World War II and the Korean War. He said he's been eating sliders at White Castle since he was a youngster growing up in Louisville. 'We were really upset in high school when it went from a nickel to seven cents,' he said. Niles said he thinks the sliders still taste the same as they did back then, though. Dowell said he's been coming to the White Castle on Reynolds Road for 'forever... off and on probably 40 years.' He said he used to live in a complex behind the restaurant, but he now drives over from his home in Versailles to visit with his friends. White Castle, he said, is 'welcoming to service people. It has a good feel about it. We know most of these (employees) by name.' 'I don't think there's any subject that's sacred here,' said Dowell. 'We discuss anything and everything: the media, horse racing, farming.' Ray Wedding gives 'the tomato report.' 'Every year I put out 28, 30 plants or more just to have something to do,' said Wedding, showing off a cell phone photo of the tomato plants lining his backyard fence. When his Big Boys and Better Boys are ripe, he brings them in to share with his breakfast buddies. 'They're a friendly bunch and would do anything for you, I think, if they could,' said Wedding, 88. The men's relationships with the employees are as close as their bonds with each other. 'They're special to us,' said Gurney, the district manager. The regulars always order the same thing, and the staff knows what each wants before he says a word. 'As soon as we see their cars pull in the lot, we start making their food,' she said. 'We are all just like family.' Gurney started working at White Castle as a 16-year-old and has been with the company for 37 years now, working her way up to district manager. Dowell told her Saturday he thinks he can remember her first day on the job. 'She is the cornerstone behind all of this,' Dowell said. 'They've watched me go from this store to the other store' across town, she said. When her son had a bone marrow transplant, she said the morning regulars took up a collection to help out, since Gurney had to be off work for six months. 'They wanted to make sure that I was OK to take off work,' Gurney said. 'My customers took care of me.' And she takes care of them too. Gurney said staff members have contact numbers for some of the guys in the back, and if someone doesn't show up for breakfast for a few days, they'll call to check on them. And they make sure the egg on Hughes' bologna and egg sandwich comes with an unbroken yolk, something not just anyone can get at White Castle. Hughes doesn't come in to White Castle every day anymore, Gurney said, so 'it's a special day when he walks in the store.' Hughes still drives, but not as far as he used to. He said Saturday that he usually spends his mornings at the McDonald's on Winchester Road, because it's closer to his home. But the group at White Castle knows he reserves the last Saturday of every month for them. 'We solve all problems,' Hughes said. The makeup of the White Castle regulars group has changed over the years, as some members have died or moved away. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 12 or 15 guys getting together every morning, Tullis said. 'The pandemic got some of them,' Atkins said. But the regulars didn't let even a pandemic keep them from getting together. Tullis said they sat outside during those days, and the staff brought food out to them. 'We were in our cars and trucks,' Tullis said. 'We yelled at one another,' Parker added. How did they all come together in the first place decades ago? 'It was just a couple people, and they had a friend' who they invited, Tullis said. 'It just kept collecting.' Tullis invited Dick LeMaster, 90. 'I'm here every day, six days a week,' LeMaster said. He always gets the same thing: a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee. LeMaster, in turn, invited Mike Blackard. 'I show up about once a week. It's a fun group,' Blackard said. He said he enjoys the wealth of knowledge the men have accumulated over their lives. 'They've done it all,' he said. LeMaster said his granddaughter, a University of Kentucky student, once brought some of her classmates out to observe the group. And what did they learn? LeMaster, who served in the Army and was stationed in Japan during the Korean War, said her assessment was that the guys liked to talk about the past, not the future. His assessment: 'We're social people. We just like to chat and visit., tell the same stories over and over.'