Everything is Bigger in Texas

This Longhorn Greeted Us the Moment We Arrived.

Alexandria, LA --> Natchitoces, LA--> Shreveport, LA --> Dallas, TX --> Oklahoma City, OK --> Wherethehellarewenow, OK


If everything is bigger in Texas, everything is a tad off in Louisiana, and everything is just okay in Oklahoma.

Today was the beginning of the long haul out of the South and into the Southwest. We packed it in last night in Alexandria at some hotel off I-20. The only room left was a smoking room. It smelled so heavily of cigarettes  that I was worried I would get nicotine poisoning if I walked around in bare feet, so I kept my shoes on until it was time to go to sleep. I was also pretty sure the room was haunted. Maybe everyone in town knew and that was why it was the last room available. Such are the travails and important worries of the delicate paranoid flower that is me.

In the morning, after a complete breakfast of hotel coffee, a banana and well-preserved hard boiled eggs, we were off. I should note, before we left the hotel, we decided to peel off the Obama/Biden bumper sticker from the Jeep. Maybe it is my road-anoia, but I just feel it's better to be as discrete as possible from here on out. The vibe has shifted from the easy going Coastal South (is that possible?) to something that feels more serious.

What does this list say about the state of the state of Louisiana?

We drove for a while before stopping in the adorable town of  Natchitoces, LA, home of the Screaming Demons, strange name for a college mascot in the deep South, but to each their own, I say. Wow, what an adorable place. I think Steel Magnolias was filmed there. I wish we had more time to wander around.

A fountain in adorable Natchitoces

Then we were off. After many miles, we arrived in Texas. And, you know what? It was amazing. The moment we got there, we were greeted by fancydancers, longhorns, cheerleaders and country singers. Texas began in the most amazing way.

I hope I win this prize!

We happened upon some sort of rally, and just went with it. Everyone was nice. We got some cozies and t-shirts and swag. We also got a "Don't Mess with Texas" sticker to replace the empty spot where the Obama/Biden sticker once was.

I talked to a woman from a small town that has Post Office art. I wanted to go see the mural, but we had to move on. I think that this might be my next trip, to go see Section art across the country.

I got this rad, giant "Home of the World's Largest Bowl of Salsa" t-shirt for free. Jealous?  You should be.

After the rally, we drove. We drove for a long time.

We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove.

It started raining at one point. I had a panic attack. Then I cried. Then we kept driving. It all looked the same. We ate crappy food. We got to Oklahoma, which is actually quite a pretty place. We saw a truck with a bumper sticker that read: "If you have an Obama sticker on your car, it might as well just say, 'I'm a Dumbass.'"

We drove some more. We ate more crappy food in a tee-pee shaped dining hall at a  Cherokee themed gas station. I now regret not taking a picture of the giant, gaudy buffalo statue replete with a giant, gaudy red, white and blue rhinestone head dress.

We drove some more. We ended up at some roadside hotel on the edge of Oklahoma. At least the room is nonsmoking! Tomorrow, we will drive again.