Through the Window of a Semi Truck...

Daddy and I took a couple hours off last night in St. Rose, Louisiana. I could have updated then, but we watched Gilmore Girls instead. So, I'm updating everyone this morning while daddy's truck gets loaded.

Yesterday included Tennessee, Alabama, Mississipi, and Louisiana. The total state count is now seven states!

Me in Mississippi!

Louisiana was new to me, so now I have been to 26 states! Anyway, I LOVED Louisiana! Even after all of the damage and troubles they have been through, the state is still standing strong. Because I have the greatest dad in the entire world, he drove me through New Orleans, instead of his usual driving around it. Just because I wanted to see the city. Even though it has been several years since Hurricane Katrina hit, there are still places that look terrible, sad, and just downright pathetic. It makes me wish I could give them all the money in the world, just so they could stay in their homes. It's unbelievably sad. I mean, I've seen pictures and heard stories of the devestation, but seeing it all in person out of the window of a semi truck just puts it in a whole new perspective. For some of these people, all they have is the shambles on the ground left form the hurricanes. The saddest part for me, a future elementary school teacher, was seeing the schools and the playgrounds that were torn to pieces and just haven't been rebuilt yet. As we drove through town, I saw a countless number of houses and buildings with caved in roofs, broken windows, boarded up doors, and siding ripped to shreds. I can't even begin to imagine how the people down here lived through all of it. We drove over the new bridge ove Lake Pontchartrain since the old one had been ruined by the hurricane. It was about 6:30 when we drove over there and the sun was shining on the lake, and it was possibly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. A picture does not do it justice, but I'll post one anyway. It blows my mind that people continue to live down here, knowing that at anytime during hurricane season, their homes and lives could be completely torn apart. On a slightly less sad note, we were able to drive through the Metairie Cemetary. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The reason we were able to drive through this cemetary is because I-10 goes right through the middle of it! Insane, I know.

This is the sun over Lake Pontchartrain

This is a picture of the old bridge over Lake Panchartrain that was messed up in Hurricane Katrina

This is the huge bridge over the Mississippi River in Lousiana!

This is a barge on the Mississippi River

This is a baseball field that is UNDERNEATH the huge bridge over the Mississippi River in Lousiana!



Last night, we bought some fried chicken at a gas station right outside of New Orleans. WHOA! It was some of the best fried chicken I have ever had. It was right there with Bojangles, which they do not have anywhere down here. However, the gas stations do sell liquor down here. Personally, I thought that was crazy! On a completely random note, we're sitting here at a plant in Avondale, Louisiana, and this guy comes up to talk to dad, and you would've thought that we were in New Jersey. The guy sounded like he had lived there all his life and just decided to take a trip down here for the day. However, he's been working at this plant for several years.

This is Louisiana's version of PET milk :)

Well, that's about it for now. I'll update soon! :)