I can think of no city in the United States that embraces vampire legends quite like New Orleans. Being considered one of the most haunted cities in America helps, as do the above-ground cemeteries throughout the city and the vampire-themed tours that are easily found in the French Quarter. Then there are places like the New Orleans Vampire Café, which take the theme to a whole other level.
When I drove the section of U.S. 83 (aka “The Road to Nowhere”) that slices through the Texas Panhandle, then Central and South Texas down to Laredo, I couldn’t help but think that, in spite of its reputation as a “lonely” highway, it really does have a lot to offer along the drive, and it connects a lot of people.
New Orleans has long been considered one of the great cities in the United States for food lovers. But if you think that reputation is built solely on its roots in Creole and Cajun cooking, you just haven’t spent enough time eating in the Big Easy. Like the city itself, New Orleans is a melting pot of the world’s cuisines … you’ll find outstanding restaurants serving everything from Italian to Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian and African dishes, to name a few.
With a nickname like “The Road To Nowhere,” it’s fair to expect the drive on U.S. 83 from Canada to Mexico to be quite boring. And I can attest that, at times, it is exactly that.
But the drive also delivers its share of pleasant surprises. And one of the stops along my drive that I felt most rewarded by was my overnight stay in Shamrock, Texas.
Picture yourself cruising through the rolling hills and farmland of southern North Dakota early on a late summer morning. The sun is stil...
