Roadtrip across the damaged dirty south

THE SOUTH USA -- I just returned from a long road trip from S. Florida to Tucson. Nice weather, but some disturbing things along the way in the dirty south.

The areas in LA, MS, and TX hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still hammered.

Hundreds of buildings with blue tarp roofs just along I-10 where I travelled, but huge rich white churches were rebuilt and shining, but will they last the next hurricane season. Only god knows.

A huge traffic jam on Sunday in Baton Rouge, likely related to the many people from New Orleans now living there. At the junction of I-10 and I-12 there were NO vehicles heading toward N.O., zero. Had to get off the freeway and drive through town, some nice neighborhoods and some real slums. Asked a 40 something black guy for directions back to I-10, which he nicely gave as I noticed the hole in his arm from shooting up. I got around the jam.

A re-elect N.O. mayor Ray Nagin billboard, but in Houston?!?

Huge billboards flattened (yes!). Giant highway lights laying trashed in the median. Forests ravaged, but they will come back, only to be ravaged again my man.

Nice fast ride across TX, nice country west of San Antonio. Horrible beef feedlots on the NM side near El Paso, so gross. Finally gets nicer west of Las Cruces NM.

Got my TDI, and family is very stoked. Thanks DeLene and Scott for the rest stops. Glad to be back in Tucson.