We're in TEXAS!!!!!!

Greetings from Beaumont Texas!
We are currently staying with the Davis Family in Beaumont and will be leaving today to begin to cross the state heading to Hueco Rock Ranch. After leaving Chattanooga we experienced some crazy Southern rain showers unlike anything I'd ever seen. We'd be driving along the highway through sunshine and see a dark patch ahead, suddenly we would be stuck in the heaviest rain I've ever driven throughand 2 minutes later it would be sunny again. This happened all through Alabama and Mississippi. Luckily when we arrivied in Louisiana the rain was not too bad. We set up a tarp and pitched a tent and spent a night at Fontainebleau State park in St. Tammny Parish La. The park was beautiful but unfortunately we could not swim in the lake due to high bacteria levels and the possibility of tarballs in the area. We then moved on to New Orleans where we stayed at Chateau Hotel and had a ton of fun exploring the city despite the opressive heat and humidity (I don't understand how people live down here!). We ate at Central Grocery for Muffaletta Sandwiches, Cafe du Monde for Bengiets and coffee and Parkway Bakery for Po-boys. It was a blast walking around the city and sightseeing/people-watching. Bourbon Street at night was wonderful madness full of people of all types and levels of intoxication. We happened upon a group of street preformers on the corner of Canal and Boubon and time flew by as we listened to their music. I can't remember the name of the group but it included a tuba player and two percussionists and they were great!
Driving out from NOLA the next day we passed through huge bayous full of aligators and snakes etc etc. The drive was beautiful and the low lying land showed how vulnerable this ecosystem is to rising sealevels and global warming.
So now we are in texas at last, leaving for Junction Texas this afternoon and moving to Carlsbad Caverns and Hueco Rock Ranch tomorrow!!