Scenes from the La Posada hotel – a historic hideaway in downtown Laredo

I’m not sure what I was expecting from a planned overnight in downtown Laredo, Texas, at the end of my drive down the “Road To Nowhere” on U.S. 83, but it wasn’t what I got, if that makes sense.  Maybe it was the time of year.  Maybe it’s because I’m not the night owl I used to be.  But the area seemed quiet, and more than a little worn in places.  Still, I felt like I made the best possible decision for where I stayed – at the historic La Posada Hotel.

New year, same ol’ New Orleans

Of all the times I’ve visited New Orleans, I had never had the opportunity to ring in the New Year in the Big Easy.  That changed in 2026.  And it convinced me that the more things change with time, and the more challenges my favorite city faces, the more it retains its singular charm and beauty.