From Houston to El Paso - the long and unwinding road

It was a relief to leave Houston this morning (at 4:30 a.m.) and get on the open road. In the time since we had lived in Houston (in 1977) it has become very big (just like us!) and very crowded (just like us in the car). Our old apartments were torn down and the Galleria where we used to spend our time is now a mega mall with 3 Gallerias and lots of designer stores. It always had an indoor ice skating rink in the mall but now on two weekends in December the mall has "ice skating in the snow" indoors sponsored by the Emirates. We saw the big fans that blow the snow down onto the rink from the 3rd or 4th level of the mall. As we drive, I like to listen to local radio stations and music and eat at local dives. (an affinity not shared by my companions who love McDonald's and oldies). In the interest of family harmony we take turns irritating each other. So driving through Louisiana we listened to the Cajun station and heard lots of music with accordians and fiddles and the DJ spoke in english and creole. At the Alabama Mexican restaurant we had the biggest and best frozen margaritas. To quote a country music song heard on the car radio this morning "the beer is good but the liquor is quicker." Anyway, back on the road on I-10 we stopped in a little town, Boerne, for breakfast at Guadalajara's Diner, a two person operation that probably used to be a filling station. A lot of these west Texas towns are very stark - but this one had lots and lots of charm on its main street. My huevos rancheros were covered in a wonderful salsa just brimming with jalapenos. Spicy and delish. The tortillas were so fresh. In New Orleans we decided to detour into town and had coffee and warm beignets at Cafe Du Monde - excellent. Tonight in El Paso we ate at a family retaurant that is near the University of Texas at El Paso. I guess that people don't tip much around here. As we were leaving the waiter came to shake Bob hand and thank him (for the 20% tip.). Driving through west Texas the road is straight and flat. If there was a big hill, the engineers just cut right through it and continued the road on the same flat and straight plane. The landscape is empty for as far as you can see and mountain ranges rise up and fall. The hills are covered with scrub and cactuses and the sky was big and blue with a few white clouds. It was hard to believe that the Rio Grande was just parallel (but out of sight from) the road. At sunset the mountains just glowed. No wonder Texas thinks it is a sovreign country unto itself. It is so different from anyplace else in the US.