McDonalds to The Rescue

---

There was a laundry near the hotel and we had considered getting some washing done to make sure that we had enough clean clothes to last until the end of the holiday. Unusually (or maybe not for New Orleans) the laundry had a voodoo theme. After consideration, we decided that it was not worth the risk of cursed laundry (oh, and we didn't really have time given the long journey that we had ahead).

The estimate for that journey was seven and three quarter hours plus breaks, so we decided to not had hang-around and we were on the road by 9.00am, which is early by our standards. The Interstate 10 was just a couple of miles from our hotel and then that would take us to within a few miles of our destination in San Antonio. Over five hundred miles on one road.

Over half the route was tracing our previous journey back across the swamps, through Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Beaumont and Houston, and then onto the west. We did take a few breaks to swap drivers. McDonalds also came in very handy for the rest-rooms as, inevitably there were a few times when we were absolutely bursting for a 'rest'. Their free Wi-Fi also came in handy as big chunks of the journey only had 3G (and in some cases 2G) mobile coverage. We didn't feel too guilty sneaking in, having a rest, using the Wi-fi and sneaking back out again.

The Interstates seem to lack the type of services that we are used to on UK motorways. The food areas are well signposted, but they do tend to be the separate outlets rather than like our more combined services.

If you're bored and into that sort of thing, the Interstates are a very impressive, but quite logical network, see https://www.thedrive.com/news/44323/how-interstate-highways-get-their-numbers. We were on Interstate 10, which is the most southerly of the 'west to east' Interstates, increasing 10, 20 etc. as they go north. We had also driven on Interstate 45 in Houston, which is one of the 'north to south' Interstates, numbered 5, 15 etc. as they go east. It gets more complicated in places though.

Things got a little more complicated as we went through Houston and the lanes all started coming and going again. At one point there were some toll lanes and some multiple occupancy lanes. These ran parallel to the main Interstate and just seemed to be a way of bypassing the potential queues. There were no queues, but we used them anyway, because we could and because we were determined to get some use out of that toll-pass that we had paid so much money for.

In fact the only queue we came across on the whole journey was at a point where the gap in the middle of the Interstate had caught fire (there is almost always an extremely wide grassed area between the two carriageways). The fire service were busy trying to put it out. After that, we noticed several other areas where there had been similar fires. At a guess it is people throwing cigarettes out, but that's just my speculation.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is the ever changing speed limit. It is constantly changing between 55, 60, 65, 70 or 75 miles per hour. We used to find driving in America quite sedate with the maximum speed almost always 55, but that is not the case now. As well as the faster limits, Texans also don’t seem to take any notice of them anyway. Even the lorries are ploughing along at 80 miles an hour. It is quite intimidating when an "18 wheeler" comes up behind you at 80 miles an hour and sits just a few feet behind you.

There were points where the 55 miles an hour limit is in place to protect roadworkers. That didn’t make the slightest bit of difference either, but then we didn't see a single person actually working in any of the roadworks that we went through.

We got to San Antonio at about 5.30pm, so, allowing for breaks, pretty much bang on schedule. After checking into our hotel, we went for a walk to the nearby Riverwalk area. It was significantly hotter than New Orleans, but as it was also a lot less humid, it which actually more comfortable.

We absolutely loved the Riverwalk area. Essentially it is a series of various connected rivers, with walkways on both sides and all linked together by a series of small footbridges. It had the look, feel and charm of Venice.

The Riverwalk was also peppered with a number of pubs and restaurants. One of the pubs was a British Pub. It would be a crime for us to go there, so we decided that would could do without any of those British classics such as (you guessed it) Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Cottage Pie and Steak and Ale Pie. I'm not sure what a Westminster Patty, Winston's Chicken Waffle and Windsor Wedge are though!?

We are meeting some relations on the Riverside tomorrow and following all the expensive meals in New Orleans, we decided that we would eat at the Denny's that was right next door to the hotel. There isn't really a UK equivalent with the Little Chef being the nearest I can think of (if they were still around). Cheap and cheerful was the plan for this evening. I had to make do without a beer with my meal though.

Our hotel had a laundry, which could be used without the risk of any curses.

---

Photos

San Antonio Riverwalk
The Riverwalk Area and the Tower of The Americas.

The Voodoo Laundry
There wasn't time.

543 Miles
Right, let's go!

Interstate 10
Our home for the next eight and a half hours.

Extreme Wildfire Danger
And a little later the side of the road was on fire.

Roadside Fire
This part of Texas is tinder dry.

Denny's
Cheap and cheerful.