Day 3: Beaumont, TX

Escape From Pascagoula

THURSDAY. We were relieved to leave our unusual lodging in Pascagoula. Though grateful to have found a room, we were happy to leave the freight trains. It had been an exhausting day and an equally exhausting night.

Today's drive took us through storm-ravaged areas of Mississippi and into Louisiana. As we neared New Orleans, Katrina's path became more evident: snapped trees, blue tarps, disaster relief vehicles, mountains of debris, and FEMA housing--painful reminders of the challenges we faced after Charley. So painful, in fact, that we decided not to stop in New Orleans and kept driving. On our way to Baton Rouge, we came upon an huge area filled with thousands of mud-enveloped Katrina cars that had been totalled by insurance companies, sold as scrap, and were now awaiting auction to resellers who repair and ship them to dealers throughout the U.S. Interested in a very nice Bimmer? One previous owner, and completely submerged for only a few days.

We drove past (and through) numerous bayous and swamps, abandoning our Triptik and choosing a different route that will take us through West Texas to El Paso. Oil wells and refineries in Lake Charles heralded our arrival in oil country.

At the Texas Welcome Center, we were greeted by many mosquitos, turtles and grasshoppers. We learned that the drive to El Paso is 880 miles. Yikes! We found a very nice hotel in Beaumont and once again demonstrated to the hotel staff and guests that we surely do not know how to travel light.

We are looking forward to our journey through Texas! Can you say cowboy boys and girls?