The South

San Antonio is not as colorful during the day. Like Las Vegas, the city is prettier at night. In the daylight you can see the all of the buildings and land around you. The yards of houses are dry and sandy. Most place don't even have a patch of grass. Your mom makes breakfast as you hop on the freeway. You aren't able to see the Alamo this time, maybe next time.

When you get half way to Houston the everlasting yellow and brown desert holds back and gives way to thin green prairie grass and bushy trees. There may be a small cactus here and there, but they are green. As you get closer to Houston some of the trees in lower lying areas have water marks from the flooding earlier in the year. Also as you get closer the grass gets greener and thicker. You pass factories and cattle yards, train depots and ponds.

The sight of Houston brings you joy. When you get onto the loop around town, traffic starts to back up. You have hit rush hour, or should so it should be named 3 hour rush hour. You sit in traffic staring out at the concrete world of a city. You roll forward an inch or so every little bit. There is a giant grey concrete wall next to the freeway to keep the drivers' attention on the road. Sadly, it offers little to look at while sitting there. Waiting. You learn something while sitting in the backup. It takes a lot of paitience to drive through rush hour everyday. Unfortanately, that is what most people lack in cities now of days.

It seems like you have been in Texas for a century when you see the sign welcoming you to Louisiana. Louisiana is famous for many things. It is famous for the food, culture, hurricane disaster, nature, and festivals. You travel through swamps and over bayous. The trees are covered in amobea which hang down from the branched like a robe. The water is dark and you spot alligators the whole time. The sun starts setting by the time you reach New Orleans. New Orleans is the largest town in the state. It is very well know for Mardi Gras, a U.S. version of Carnival. Some people like to avoid the festival others love it. It depends on the person. During Mardi Gras, the whole town is colorful. But right now all you see are the white light of the city. You get through town passing through once flooded communities that are still struggling. You cross over Lake Pontchartrain on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The Causeway is the longest bridge over a body of water. It is 23.83 miles long. It is so long that it disappears over the horizon. It is beautiful to cross and is even more beautiful during sunset.

It is dark by the time you enter Mississippi. You drive next to the ocean. The moon above the water looks beautiful. The deep blue ocean is calm. The waves break against the shore washing away some sand and replacing it with new sand. The foam bubbles wash up and sit there like foam from a freshly poured glass of root beer. It is a short drive to Biloxi. This town has been a target for many hurricanes.