Goodbye to the big river
Restaurant decor Texas style - crystal chandelier and Texas Longhorn
We have been cruising along, crossing over, and generally in the neighbourhood of the Mississippi River since early September. I can’t remember how many times we have crossed back and forth. Monday we crossed over for the last time, leaving the river and Baton Rouge behind - westbound. I-10 from Baton Rouge to the Texas State line is unquestionably the worst highway we have ever been on. The roads in Quebec are as smooth as glass by comparison. We kept wondering how much stuff we were breaking as we chattered our teeth and jiggled our bones down that highway. God forbid that they should ever have frost heaving!!! When we arrived in Beaumont, Texas our satellite antenna system was haywire but after cycling it numerous times it settled down and finally worked properly. After visiting a sitting of the Louisiana State Legislature on Sunday and watching a whole lot of nothing going on, we thought of e-mailing and suggesting that they spend a few bucks on the highway system.
You can tell where you are on the Gulf coast by listening to which hurricane the locals are talking about. Here in Texas it’s Rita. They got hammered! We drove from Beaumont to Port Arthur on the coast and saw the usual damage patched with blue tarps and plywood. Very, very sad. Nothing is immune: businesses, hotels, homes, you name it. On the coast, we crossed to “Pleasure Island” on a very high bridge from which we could survey the surrounding countryside. Oil refineries to the horizon in both directions!! The Dupont plant in Maitland could be a lawn ornament at some of these Texan facilities. It is easy to see how an incoming hurricane can affect the price of refined oil.
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